Declaration of Independence (jul 4, 1776 – jul 4, 1776)

Description:

- Colonists used Enlightenment ideas to justify independence
- Colonists asked for the same political rights as people in Britain but the king said no: colonists were therefore "justified" in rebelling against the tyrant who had broken the social contract

July 1776: The Second Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence
- written by Thomas Jefferson
- based on the ideas of John Locke and the Enlightenment
- argument for natural rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
- included long list of King George III's abuses
- ended by declaring colonies' separation from Britain

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