Which phrase did the Declaration of Independence use for the colonies after separation from Britain?

The Declaration of Independence described the colonies as “free and independent states” after separation from Britain.

That phrase appears in the declaration’s concluding resolution, where the representatives assert that the United Colonies are absolved from allegiance to the British Crown. It also states that they have full power to conduct war, conclude peace, form alliances, establish commerce, and perform other acts expected of independent states.

The wording was significant because it claimed a new status in international affairs, not merely local self-government within the British Empire. The declaration therefore served both as a political announcement and as an argument directed at domestic and foreign audiences.

The phrase should not be confused with the later constitutional description of the United States as a federal union. In 1776, the declaration expressed the colonies’ claim to independence; the Constitution, adopted in 1787, established a new framework for the federal government.