9. The Declaration of Independence
Individuals & institutions
Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Continental Congress
Events & dates
Congress voted for independence on July 2, 1776 and adopted the Declaration on July 4. Its language of equality and consent coexisted with enslavement and restricted political participation.
Consequences & historical significance
The declaration gave the war a public political justification and later supplied language used by abolitionists and civil-rights advocates.