RE: The Governing Authorities of the US are the the Decleration, the , Constitution and the Bill of Rights..
What was the governing authority of the Colonials (there was no US then) PRIOR to the Declaration and the Constitution?
Probably Parliment.
Britan
The Continental Congress formed in 1774.
Colonial self government looking for recognition from Parliament, not necessarily independence at that point.
It was the Continental Congress that voted for independence on July 2nd 1776 with Lee’s Resolution. The Declaration was actually just the announcement of what they had already done.