John Hancock signing the Declaration of Independence in 1776
The Declaration of Independence was a document written in June 1776 by Thomas Jefferson justifying the outbreak of the North American Rebellion and declaring the thirteen rebelling colonies independent of British rule. The Declaration was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on 2 July 1776 and signed by the President of the Congress, John Hancock, two days later.
Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced a resolution on 7 June calling on Congress to declare independence, to form a national government, and to form foreign alliances. A committee was created, including Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin, to draft a declaration of independence. Jefferson wrote most of the Declaration, with input from the rest of the committee, and the result was presented to the Congress on 28 June. Congress voted in favor of Lee's resolution on 2 July, then spent two days editing the text of the Declaration, which was approved and sent to the printers for publication on 4 July.
The other two parts of Lee's resolution were never implemented. An attempt to contract a formal alliance with France failed after the British victory at the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777. A draft Articles of Confederation was approved by Congress in November 1777, but was only adopted by the state of Virginia before the end of the North American Rebellion in June 1778.
Lee, Adams, and Jefferson were executed for treason in 1779 for their roles in drafting and promulgating the Declaration of Independence.