The Declaration of Independence was first drafted by Thomas Jefferson and later signed in August of 1776. The purpose of this document is to declare the 13 colonies independent from, or no longer under the control of, English rule. The Declaration is comprised or made up of four sections: The Preamble (introduction), List of Grievances (problems), Formal Declaration, and signatures.
The preamble is the document’s introduction, which details specific individual rights every person should have by default. The list of Grievances is the part of the declaration where Jefferson says everything the King of England did wrong, and is, unsurprisingly, the longest section of the whole document. The colonists felt under-represented and exploited, as shown by all the incidents they list in the Grievances section.
The formal declaration is the conclusion of the document. It says that the states no longer fall under British control, that they cannot be taxed by the English government, and that they can engage in trade, war, and self-government. The last section of the document is signatures provided by 56 signees. The most iconic of these is John Hancock’s signature, which is the first and most eye-catching.
