Final answer:
Thomas Jefferson was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, which declared the 13 American colonies independent from Britain on July 4, 1776. The document listed grievances against the British crown and expressed the colonies' right to self-rule. It was the formal creation of the United States and sought recognition from the global community.
Step-by-step explanation:
The principal author of the Declaration of Independence was Thomas Jefferson, an accomplished lawyer and draftsman, who later became the third President of the United States. On July 4, 1776, this seminal document was adopted by the Continental Congress, declaring the original 13 American colonies free and independent from British rule. The draft emphasized several grievances against the British crown and underlined the colonies' right to self-governance, marking the formal creation of the United States of America.
The Declaration of Independence made a compelling case by listing a series of abuses by the British monarch, asserting the colonies' right to self-rule, and announcing their status as independent states. Representatives of the colonies affirmed their intentions by pledging their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the cause of freedom. This declaration was not merely a statement of intent but a signal to other nations for recognition and support, and a foundation for the new nation's entry into the international community.
The process of declaring independence also drew upon the colonies' historical experience of relative autonomy under the principle of salutary neglect, where the British had largely allowed self-governance in these territories. The colonists' sense of entitlement to these freedoms formed a legal and moral foundation for their bid for independence.