Question: What do I need to know about the Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776?

Answer:

1. It stated that, “all men are created equal” with three unalienable rights ... “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” These are Enlightenment ideas stemming from John Locke in particular.

2. The document included a long list of grievances against King George III.

3. At the end, there was a formal declaration of war against Great Britain.

The document declared independence, and that the United States was a free nation. NOTE: The Declaration did not contain binding and enforced laws like the Constitution does. 

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