The Declaration of Independence is a document written in 1776.
It is one of the most important documents in history in the United States.
This document said that the United States of America was a free and independent country and also told us about the rights of every citizen.
The main reason it was written is because colonists were very upset with
how the British controlled things and they wanted their own country.
So this document was basically a message to the world
saying that the United States of America was its own nation.
Thomas Jefferson wrote this document over the summer of 1776 and
this important document is held at the national archives.
Below, you can see what it looks like.
At the national archives, it is under very thick glass.