Declaration of Independence
The Importance of the Declaration of Independence Source: history.state.gov
B y issuing the Declaration of Indepen- dence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain. The Declaration summa- rized the colonists’ motivations for seeking independence. By declaring themselves an independent nation, the American colonists were able to confirm an official alliance with the Government of France and obtain French assistance in the war against Great Britain. The British Government did its best to dismiss the Declaration as a trivial document issued by disgruntled colonists, but the Decla- ration’s most important diplomatic effect was
to allow for recognition of the United States by friendly foreign governments. The Sultan of Morocco mentioned American ships in 1777, but Congress had to wait until the 1778 Treaty of Alliance with France for a formal recognition of U.S. independence. The Neth- erlands acknowledged U.S. independence in 1782. Although Spain joined the war against Great Britain in 1779, it did not recognize U.S. independence until the 1783 Treaty of Paris. Under the terms of the treaty, which ended the War of the American Revolution, Great Britain officially acknowledged the United States as a sovereign and independent nation.
Painting: Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull (1819), showing the Declaration being represented to the Congress.
40 | Declaration of Independence Students Pocket Guide for Civic Engagement
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