THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE - JULY 4, 1776

READ HERE THE FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE DECLARATION

The Continental Congress (definition below) passed the U.S. Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. By means of this document, 13 British colonies in North America declared their independence from Great Britain. The 13 colonies, now states, were: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia.

WHAT WAS THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS?
According to Princeton's WordNet, the Continental Congress was "the legislative assembly composed of delegates from the rebel colonies who met during and after the American Revolution; they issued the Declaration of Independence and framed Articles of Confederation."

In the US, 4th of July is still annually celebrated as Independence Day.

Here you can download a high resolution image of the Declaration of Independence.

For those of you who get a turn on from paper work: Here you can download the Declaration of Independence as wallpaper.

THE PICTURES AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE
The National Archives and Records Administration explains: "The image of the Declaration [to the left] is taken from the engraving made by printer William J. Stone in 1823 and is the most frequently reproduced version of the document. The original Declaration [pictured to the right], now exhibited in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom in Washington, DC, has faded badly—largely because of poor preservation techniques during the 19th century. Today, this priceless document is maintained under the most exacting archival conditions possible."

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FOR THE FIRST TIME
The first known use of the formal term "United States of America" was in the Declaration of Independence.