US Declaration of Independence (Part 1)

Mostly we associate manifestos with politics.
And perhaps, the most famous political manifesto is the US Declaration of Independence written in 1774,

We’re going to look at this important manifesto in two parts.
In this post, the declaration of rights.
And, in our next post, the specific declaration of independence.

The famous sentence is a general statement of human rights.
It also sets the context for the declaration of independence that followed:

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 their pursuit of Happiness.

Sources

General: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence
Full text: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence

Geoff’s Comment

Defining a new context is a crucial part of powerful manifestos.
Essentially, you’re saying, ‘In this context, A is true’ and ‘therefore B’.
In the US Declaration of Independence, the founding fathers are saying ‘All men are created equal’ as a fundamental truth. And, given this, we have the right to revolt.

Questions

Was the creation of this document the defining moment in American History? Did this manifesto create the platform for the nation we know today? Can one document be that powerful?

More: Here’s the link to Part 2