Which famous U.S. document begins with the words "When in the Course of human events”?

The Declaration of Independence is the answer. The Declaration of Independence begins with the words “When in the Course of human events” and was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, during the American Revolution.

The Opening Words

The phrase “When in the Course of human events” opens the Declaration by framing independence as a serious public decision that needed to be explained to the world. Instead of beginning with a narrow complaint, the document starts in broad language about political separation, natural rights, and the reasons one people might dissolve their political connection with another.

Thomas Jefferson and the Continental Congress

Thomas Jefferson was the main drafter of the Declaration of Independence, though the final document reflected revisions made through the committee and the Continental Congress. The Second Continental Congress adopted it in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. Its purpose was to announce that the thirteen colonies regarded themselves as independent states, no longer under the authority of Great Britain.

Why the Declaration Matters

The Declaration of Independence is one of the central documents in American history because it gave a formal explanation for the colonies’ break from Great Britain. Its opening words identify the document immediately, while later passages include the better-known phrase “all men are created equal.” Together, those lines connect the Declaration’s legal and political purpose with the larger ideas used to justify independence.