The Declaration of Independence set out to formally establish the colonies as the United States of America and to formally sever all ties with Great Britain and to establish the United States as a sovereign nation. The Declaration set out certain ideas such as that all men are created equaled and they are endowed with unalienable rights that governments should never violate. It established the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as basic principles of American governance. It also states that when these rights are infringed and the government fails to protect these rights, it is the right and duty of the people to overthrow the government.