Declaration of Independence

Perhaps the single most important document in American history, the Declaration of Independence was, as Abraham Lincoln stated, the 'frame' into which the Framers placed the Constitution. The Declaration´s fundamental premise is that one´s right to 'Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness' is not a gift of government. Government is not a giver of rights, but a protector of God-given rights. Moreover, government is a creation of 'the governed' and derives all its power from the consent of its people. As the Preamble to the United States Constitution states, 'We the People' are the government.