[Dimensio]

The Declaration of Independence as passed on July 2, 1776, and printed and published on July 4th. Didn't you ever wonder what the 4th of July was all about?

It was passed by the Continental Congress after much debate. In fact, prior to the Declaration, there were months of debate as to whether the 13 colonies should declare their independence. There was a lot of resistance, due to the fact that the British dealt harshly with rebels, primarily by hanging them.

I am well aware of the historical significance of July 4th. I was wondering how it was any kind of legally binding document, as it was drafted and submitted when the thirteen colonies involved were still a part of the British empire. For the DoI to be a legally binding document it would have needed approval from the British government. The British government did not approve the document and as such did not recognize the independence of the colonies.

The Declaration of Independence was the thirteen colonies of North America declaring to Britian, "We don't want to be a part of you anymore, so we are no longer a part of you.", but officially they couldn't be recognized as independent without the blessing (even if forced) the British.

[I said]"It was formally adopted by Congress, and was a the proximate cause of the war between the United States and Great Britain.

[you replied] The war of 1812? There were no wars between the USA and Great Britian before then."

Just who do you thing we fought during the Revolution? You have to be kidding with this question.

"We" did not fight anything during the Revolution because "we" (the USA) did not exist until after the Revolution, whereupon the British government officially recognized the independence of the colonies (and even then the British tried to reverse the position later, hence the War of 1812). Regardless of what people think of the Revolutionary War, it was originally a civil war between an empire and thirteen of its colonies (with other countries joining in where they could find an interest on one side or another) much like the Civil War of the US was a war between states of the same countries; it wasn't a war to reclaim lost independence, it was a war to establish the USA's independence.

[moneyrunner]

”I am well aware of the historical significance of July 4th. I was wondering how it was any kind of legally binding document, as it was drafted and submitted when the thirteen colonies involved were still a part of the British empire. For the DoI to be a legally binding document it would have needed approval from the British government. The British government did not approve the document and as such did not recognize the independence of the colonies.”

It sounds like you are practicing law without a license, and without an understanding of history. First, the creation of the United States preceded the peace treaty that ended the revolution. Did you get the ideas you are espousing in the Close Cover Before Striking School of Law? Following 7/4/1776, the Unites States Congress passed numerous laws, none of which were approved by the British. The fact that France and the Dutch, among others, recognized the United States, and provided them with arms, money and supplies, should put to rest any silly assertions that none of the laws passed by the Continental Congress (including borrowing money, printing currency and creating a standing army) were not legally binding.

”The Declaration of Independence was the thirteen colonies of North America declaring to Britian, "We don't want to be a part of you anymore, so we are no longer a part of you.", but officially they couldn't be recognized as independent without the blessing (even if forced) the British.”

See above.

”"We" did not fight anything during the Revolution because "we" (the USA) did not exist until after the Revolution, whereupon the British government officially recognized the independence of the colonies (and even then the British tried to reverse the position later, hence the War of 1812).”

Even Bill Clinton would blush to make such an obviously erroneous statement. The suggestion that we were nothing prior to the peace treaty is absurd on its face.

”Regardless of what people think of the Revolutionary War, it was originally a civil war between an empire and thirteen of its colonies”

Wrong. There is a huge difference between a civil war and a war designed to sunder the ties between a distant colony and a colonial power. If you don’t understand that, I’m not going to try to explain it to you. If you want to ask our British cousins, you may ask them if there was a difference between the war for American independence and the Civil War between the King and Cromwell.