独立宣言(Declaration of Independence)
西元1776年7月4日由大陆会议（Continental Congress）通过，宣布北美英属十三个殖民地脱离英国独立的文件。在美国革命（American Revolution）的武装冲突期间，殖民地人民逐渐意识到必须脱离英国独立。一些殖民地於是指派代表参加大陆会议，投票赞成独立。6月7日维吉尼亚代表李（Richard Henry Lee）於6月7日提交出独立决议案。会议选出杰佛逊（Thomas Jefferson）、亚当斯、富兰克林（Benjamin Franklin）、雪曼（Roger Sherman）和利文斯顿（Robert R. Livingston）等人共同起草一项声明。他们说服杰佛逊，由他撰写初稿，初稿在6月28日提出时，内容只有几处遭修改。宣言开头时宣示了个人权利，然後细数了乔治三世（George III）种种暴虐的法令，以致不得不寻求独立云云。在经过辩论并考虑到各区利益而作修改（包括删去谴责蓄奴的条文）後，於7月4日以「美国十三州代表全体一致赞成的宣言」（The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America）而获得通过。当时由会议主席汉考克（John Hancock）签字、复印後，大声朗读给聚集在外面的群众听，後来以草体形式书写在羊皮纸上，由五十六位代表在上面签字。
English version：
Declaration of Independence
Document approved by the Continental Congress that announced the separation of 13 North American British colonies from Britain. The armed conflict during the American Revolution gradually convinced the colonists that separation from Britain was essential. Several colonies instructed their delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence. On June 7, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia offered a resolution for independence. The congress appointed Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston to draft a declaration. Jefferson was persuaded to write the draft, which was presented with few changes on June 28. It began with a declaration of individual rights and then listed the acts of tyranny by George III that formed the justification for seeking independence. After debate and changes to accommodate regional interests, including deletion of a condemnation of slavery, it was approved on July 4 as “The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America.” It was signed by Congress president John Hancock, printed, and read aloud to a crowd assembled outside, then engrossed (written in script) on parchment and signed by the 56 delegates.