Can one “itty bitty piece of paper” really be the most important document in 250 years of American history? It sure can—if that paper is the Declaration of Independence!
In the summer of 1776, leaders in Philadelphia gave Thomas Jefferson a HUGE job. He had to write a formal announcement telling the world that the thirteen colonies would no longer be part of Great Britain. They were breaking up with the King to become their own boss: a free and independent nation called the United States of America!
When Jefferson finished writing, Congress approved the document on July 4th, 1776. As it was read aloud in town squares across the colonies, people cheered to hear the words that would change everything:
“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.”
Hey Mister, Sing Me a Song! 