Can the Declaration of Independence be considered a declaration of war? Using evidence from the text, argue whether this is or is not true.

The Declaration of Independence can be seen as a declaration of war in so many words. The main body of the Declaration consists of a long litany of grievances that the American colonists have against King George III. The colonists have tried on numerous occasions to have those grievances heard and to get a respectful hearing from the British. Yet at every turn, they have been ignored, rebuffed, and treated with contempt. That being the case, the Americans feel that they have no other option but to declare their independence from Great Britain once and for all.
To be sure, this is not an explicit declaration of war. The last thing the Americans wanted to do was to fight against the greatest military force in the world at that time. But those who signed the Declaration must've known that the British wouldn't take kindly to one of their colonies breaking free and certainly wouldn't just let America go without a fight. And so it proved.