The Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence is made up of five distinct parts: the introduction; the preamble; the body, which can be divided into two sections; and a conclusion. The introduction says that the declaration will declare the causes that have made it required for the American colonies to leave the British Empire. Independence is unavoidable and necessary. The preamble explains principles that are described to be "self-evident" by most people in the 18th- century. This document was a move for independence of the 13 colonies to secede from the British. There were a couple stages in the Declaration of Independenc