The Declaration of Independence, which was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, is a document that outlines the reasons why the 13 American colonies declared their independence from Great Britain. In the Declaration, the Founding Fathers set forth their belief in the concept of natural rights and the idea that governments are created to protect those rights. This belief is derived from the idea of the Social Contract, which is a theory that holds that individuals give up some of their freedoms to the government in order to receive the protection of their natural rights.