In the very first line of the Declaration of Independence, the colonists refer to themselves collectively as “one people.”

Where this phrase appears

The opening of the Declaration describes a moment “when in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another.” In that sentence, “one people” is how the colonists present themselves.

Why “one people” matters

  • The phrase shows the colonists claiming a single, unified identity rather than just being separate colonies like Virginia or Massachusetts.
  • It signals that they see themselves as a distinct people separating from another people, the British, which helps justify independence under Enlightenment ideas about nations and governments.

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