在《独立宣言》中，有以下核心内容：
我们认为这些真理是不证自明的：所有的人都是生而平等的，造物主赋予他们若干不可剥夺的权力，其中包括生命权，自由权和追求幸福的权力（We hold these trueths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they were endowed by their Creater with certain unalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness）。
为了保障这些权力，人类才在他们之间建立政府，政府的正当权力是经被统治者同意而产生的（to secure these rights, goverments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed）。
当任何形式的政府，对这些目标具有破坏作用时，人民有权利改变或者废除它们，以建立一个新政府；其赖以奠基的原则，其组织权力的方式，务必使得人民认为唯有这样才最可能获得他们的安全和幸福（whenever any form of government become destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new goverment, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness）。
