all men are created equal Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness Independence Day Battle of Saratoga France Spain siege of Yorktown peace treaty Mississippi River Canada Florida Tensions with Britain remained War of 1812 state Second Continental Congress British Army Britain Declaration of Independence
On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted and issued the Declaration of Independence, which famously stated: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The unanimous adoption of the Declaration of Independence is celebrated annually on July 4 in the United States as Independence Day. In 1777, the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga resulted in the capture of a British army, and led to France and their ally Spain joining in the war against them. After the surrender of a second British Army at the siege of Yorktown in 1781, Britain signed a peace treaty. American sovereignty gained international recognition, and the new nation took possession of substantial territory east of the Mississippi River, from what is present-day Canada in the north and Florida in the south. Tensions with Britain remained, leading to the War of 1812, which was fought to a draw.
