Independence Day > May God Bless America Dear Friends; In Philadelphia on July 4, 1775, representatives from 13 British colonies in North America adopted a statement setting forth the reasons for declaring their independence from Great Britain. The draft of the document was largely the work of Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration of Independence proclaims the God gives every person a birthright of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiiness. The original document is stored in the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C.