The Declaration of Independence is not just patriotic history — it is a signed, binding contract and trust agreement. It establishes government as trustee, the people as beneficiaries, and unalienable rights as the trust corpus to be secured. Unlike later constitutional language about “citizens,” the Declaration protects men and women directly, as living beings endowed by their Creator with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It remains organic law and superior authority, giving the people both the right and the duty to resist and abolish any government that breaches its trust.