249 years of Independence: the legacy of America’s founding document

The Declaration of Independence

Since 1767, nearly a decade before the outbreak of war, the colonists had begun to question the authority of King George III due to the imposition of the Townshend Acts. These laws levied taxes on essential goods, while customs officers were stationed in cities to act as tax collectors and enforce new trade regulations.

However, the situation reached a breaking point in 1774 with the passage of the so-called Intolerable Acts, which included the Quartering Act. It was then that the people of the colonies began to awaken. On April 19, 1775, the War of Independence began with the battles of Lexington and Concord.

“The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time; the hand of force may destroy, but cannot disjoin them,” wrote Thomas Jefferson in his condemnation of King George. Inspired by that conviction and the events that followed, Jefferson drafted a document divided into three parts: the Declaration of Independence.

This document represented a legal affirmation of separation from the British Empire. It demanded freedom for the colonies and fair treatment for their people. In essence, it was a declaration of independence. The signers pledged their fortunes, their lives, and their sacred honor—risking everything for this cause.

Jefferson’s words spoke of universal human rights and were so powerful that, even today, they retain deep relevance in any political climate. This was the declaration:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”