Close your eyes and imagine you're walking through the stunning library of Congress. As you walk

through the grand entrance, the tall columns and beautiful decorations catch your attention. Excited

visitors gather around a large display. Their eyes sparkling with curiosity. You get closer

wanting to see what everyone is looking at. When you arrive at a special class case, it holds an incredibly important piece of history.

It's the Declaration of Independence.

In the late 1700s, life in the American colonies was getting increasingly difficult.

The colonists, who were people living in what is now the United States,

were feeling frustrated. They'd been under Britishual for many years, and the British government

was imposing taxes and laws that the colonists thought were unfair. They didn't have any say

and their choices made for them, and this made them very unhappy. The famous phrase,

taxation without representation, summed up their frustrations. It meant they had to pay

Britain without having any say in what the money was being used for. The situation continued

to growers, and the desire for change became stronger.

By 1776, the idea of independence was starting to become more popular.

The American colonies wanted to be free from British rule and make their own decisions.

They wanted to create their own nation where they could make laws for themselves.

This wasn't a small dream. It was a huge, bold step that required much courage.

To make this dream a reality, the leaders of the colonies decided they needed to take a big step.

They had to declare their independence from Britain.

This was a big deal because it meant they were going to

break away from the British Empire and become their own country. To do this, they needed a document

that would explain why they wanted to be free and what they believed in. This document would become

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