The Declaration of Independence of the United States

This article, published by the French Ministry of Defense, provides a concise historical overview of the United States Declaration of Independence. It explains that after Britain's costly victory in the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), new taxes imposed on the Thirteen Colonies led to rising tensions. The American War of Independence began on April 19, 1775, with clashes near Boston. On July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, the Declaration of Independence, primarily drafted by Thomas Jefferson, was approved by colonial representatives, marking a definitive break with the United Kingdom. The article concludes with the British defeat at Yorktown in October 1781, aided by Franco-American forces, which ended British domination over the colonies.