The unwinnable war America's Founding Fathers fought and won changed human history forever

The Declaration of Independence, adopted July 4, 1776, asserted that governments derive power from the consent of the governed and stated that all people are created equal with unalienable rights. The document was signed by 56 delegates to the Continental Congress. The American colonies declared independence from British rule and the war that followed lasted until 1783, when Britain recognized American independence in the Treaty of Paris.

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