Actually prior to the Declaration the colonies were fighting for representation in British parliament or for taxes to be revoked, whereas the Declaration demanded we be independent from Great Britain as a whole.
It gave us our freedom and our rights
The Declaration of Independence shifted the American Revolution from a struggle for representation within the British system to a fight for complete independence. It articulated the philosophy of natural rights and justified the colonies' break from British rule. This change galvanized support for the revolution and inspired future independence movements globally.
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