On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted unanimously to declare independence from Great Britain. Approximately 20 percent of the members of Congress were opposed to separation, but some ...

The Declaration of Independence is the pronouncement adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 4, 1776. The Declaration explained why the 13 colonies at ...

As America turns 250, we trace the triumphs, contradictions and arguments that shaped the world’s first liberal republic And ...

When Thomas Jefferson was chosen to draft the Declaration of Independence, he had an exceedingly difficult task ahead of him. The 33-year-old planter, who had left law practice just before Britain’s ...

The Declaration of Independence, along with the preamble of the Constitution and speeches and writings of our statesmen, help define the foundational character and values of America. The Declaration’s ...