The declaration of Independence heralded the birth of the United States of America.The Declaration, drafted wholly by Thomas jefferson,starts off with a philosophical discussion of the nature of law and the rights of men. Then the influence of John Locked and other social contract theorists is seen, as Jefferson provides the philosophical justification for breaking with a tyrannical king. The Declaration,which was approved by the Convention in July 1776,was the first political statement that the people of a nation had a right to choose their own goverment. It was the beginning of the independence of the United States and has been a significant influences on revolutionary movements ever since.