By issuing the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain
The thirteen American colonies cut their legal ties with Great Britain by publishing the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.
<em>3 key amendments to the Constitution adopted shortly after the war — abolishing slavery, guaranteeing equal protection and giving African Americans the right to vote — further cemented federal power.</em>
