The United States Declaration of Independence was an 18th century Earth document, which formed the basis for the separation of the United States of America from Great Britain.
This document's introduction was seen in the Context Indices when Data was reviewing the file on the non-verbal (gestural) language M-9 in 2365. It read:
- When in the Course of Human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. (TNG: "Loud As A Whisper", okudagram)
Prior to the release of the TNG Season 2 Blu-ray, this text was illegible. Fragments of the Declaration's preamble were included in the episode, as well.
The identification of this body of text was made by Jörg Hillebrand and Bernd Schneider for Ex Astris Scientia. [1]