In what year did the American colonies declare their independence?

The year 1776 is a pivotal one in world history because it marks the formal beginning of the United States of America. For years, tensions had been building between the thirteen American colonies and Great Britain, largely over issues of taxation and representation. The colonists felt they were being unfairly governed from afar without having a voice in British Parliament. This simmering discontent finally boiled over into armed conflict, known as the American Revolutionary War. In June 1776, representatives from the colonies gathered in Philadelphia and, after much debate, formally approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4th. This document, heavily influenced by Enlightenment ideals, declared that the colonies were free and independent states, no longer subject to British rule. While the war continued for several more years, 1776 is the year that symbolizes the birth of a new nation and the formal severing of ties between America and Britain. The other years listed are incorrect because they relate to later stages of the Revolutionary War, such as the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which officially recognized American independence.