Which document is generally regarded as the direct formal declaration of the American colonies' break with Great Britain in 1776?

• A. The Articles of Confederation
• B. The Declaration of Independence
• C. The Bill of Rights
• D. The Treaty of Paris

Answer: (D)

Declaring independence in a formal, public way means issuing a definitive statement that severes ties with the old rulers and establishes a new political status. The document that does this is the Declaration of Independence. In 1776, the Continental Congress adopted it as the colonies declared themselves free and independent states. It presents not only the decision to break away but also the reasoning—listing grievances against King George III and arguing from the idea that people have unalienable rights and that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.

This distinction matters because the Declaration is a political statement of secession and philosophical justification, while the Treaty of Paris later (1783) ended the war and formalized peace, recognizing independence. The Articles of Confederation set up the first national government after independence, and the Bill of Rights came later to protect individual liberties.