The United States declared independence from Britain on July 4, 1776. This momentous act was articulated in the Declaration of Independence, which was primarily drafted by Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration asserted the colonies' right to self-government and listed grievances against King George III, justifying the colonies' break from British rule. The decision for independence sparked a revolutionary war culminating in a protracted struggle for freedom that would last until 1783 when the Treaty of Paris formally recognized the sovereignty of the United States.