On July 4, 1776, the Congress issued the Declaration of Independence, which for the first time asserted the colonies' intention to be fully independent of the mother country. The Congress established itself as the central governing authority under the Articles of Confederation, which remained in force until 1788.
Originally, the U.S. wanted to maintain neutrality. They did not want any involvement in the war, until Japan bombed Pearl Harbor without declaring war. This is what pulled America into WWII.
