Declaration of Independence: An official document adopted by Second Continental Congress on July 4th, 1776, which declared the thirteen American colonies as independent states. It's like a break-up letter to Britain.
Continental Congress: A series of legislative bodies that met in the British American colonies and early United States from 1774 through 1789. Think of it as a group chat where all the colonies discussed their issues with Britain and planned their next steps.
Treaty of Paris (1783): The agreement that officially ended the Revolutionary War and recognized American independence. Imagine it as signing divorce papers after a long, bitter separation.