The signing of the Declaration of Independence and the meeting of the Second Continental Congress were two political events that helped form the US.
The signing of the Declaration of Independence officially broke ties between the American colonists and Great Britain. The main author of this, Thomas Jefferson, developed this document to justify the colonists decisions, declare what rights these colonists had, and officially break up with Great Britain. This declaration helps to shape what rights we have as American citizens after winning the Revolutionary War.
The Second Continental Congress is also significant because it establishes our first constitution. At this meeting, the delegates agree to the Articles of Confederation. Even though this constitution lasts less than a decade, it is the first time America had ever been independent from foreign rule.
