The Declaration of Independence is the spiritual cornerstone of the United States, proudly displayed with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in the National Archives. Ironically, at the time of its composition its authors had no such ambitions. It was essentially a press release, composed to spread the word that the Continental Congress had voted for independence. The document is a masterful piece of prose, as well as a radical text that foreshadowed the birth of a nation. Manifesto: Words that Changed the World reproduces the Declaration, as it was written, with a complete listing of its signers. Informative text by Stephanie Schwartz Driver examines its historical context and worldwide repercussions.