Declaration of Independence (1/10)

Drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, the Declaration served two functions at once: a legal announcement of separation from Great Britain and a philosophical statement of legitimacy. It lists grievances against King George III to justify rebellion under the political logic of the era, while also asserting that government derives its authority from the consent of the governed. In 1776, this was not simply rhetoric—it was a direct challenge to imperial sovereignty and the European assumption that political authority flowed from crown, bloodline, or conquest.
This card marks the moment America presented itself to the world as a self-authorizing state.