独立宣言是一份于1776年7月4日由托马斯·杰斐逊起草，并由其它13个殖民地代表签署的最初声明美国从英国独立的文件。早在独立前的一百多年间，欧洲启蒙思想就开始在北美传播，为《独立宣言》的发表奠定了理论基础。在欧洲启蒙思想的熏陶下，北美殖民地也产生了自己的启蒙思想家，代表人物是本杰明·富兰克林(1706-1790)和托马斯·杰斐逊(1743-1826)，他们反对奴隶制，主张人民享有自由、平等的权利。并且喊出了:“没有代表权，就不得征税“(“No Taxation without Representation“)的口号。这句口号原本是英国政治的基本原则，在英国贵族与王室的斗争中使用过，但独立战争期间被殖民者用来捍卫自己的权利。
1776年6月，马萨诸塞州的约翰·亚当斯、马萨诸塞州的本杰明·富兰克林、维吉尼亚州的托马斯·杰斐逊、纽约州的罗伯特·李文斯顿(Robert R. Livingston)、康乃迪克州的罗杰·谢尔曼(Roger Sherman)(即后世所称之五人小组/Committee of Five)聚集起草合宜之文告以宣示独立之决心。五人小组决议，宣言由托马斯·杰斐逊独立起草后对富兰克林与亚当斯展示，富兰克林一人即至少修订了其中48处。杰斐逊后据此誊录了一份修订版，由五人小组于1776年6月28日上呈大陆议会。
1776年6月7日，维吉尼亚的理查·亨利·李(Richard Henry Lee)上呈李氏决议文(Lee Resolution)至大陆议会;7月2日，正式宣告独立。决议文中写道:“ 兹决议:合众殖民地(United Colonies)为，亦应为，自由独立之国家，其免除自身对不列颠王室之拥戴;其与大不列颠国之一切政治联系为，亦应为，彻底无效。 “
THE UNANIMOUS DECLARATION OF THE THIRTEEN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
美利坚合众国十三个州一致通过的独立宣言
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
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.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
为了保障这些权利，人类才在他们之间建立政府，而政府之正当权力，是经被治理者的同意而产生的。
That whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience has shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despoti, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.