The specific purpose of the declaration was to provide a formal explanation as to why the congress had voted in favour of independence two days before, on July 2, 1776.
It was seen as a basis for the independence of US since.
Animal Fur is what I found on multiple different websites.
Oftentimes it is "removing barriers to trade" that motivates countries to join regional trade blocs, since members of such "blocks" have completely free trade with one another.
One reason historians can rely on government records for accurate historical information is because the information presented in government records has been verified by those who collect it.