THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

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JULY 4th, 1776

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."  – The Declaration of Independence 

"Writing the Declaration of Independence, 1776" 

by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris

Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were named to a committee to prepare a declaration of independence. Jefferson (standing) did the actual writing because he was known as a good writer. Congress deleted Jefferson's most extravagant rhetoric and accusations.

The 56 signatures on The Declaration of Independence here

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

4th of July. Anniversary of the
Signing of The Declaration of Independence

Although Thomas Jefferson is often called the “author” of the Declaration of Independence, he was a member of a five-person committee appointed by the Continental Congress including Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman. When writing the first draft of the Declaration, Jefferson primarily drew upon two sources: his own draft of a preamble to the Virginia Constitution and George Mason’s draft of Virginia’s Declaration of Rights. After Jefferson’s first draft, the other members of the Declaration committee and the Continental Congress made 86 changes.

Jefferson was quite unhappy about some of the edits made to his original draft of the Declaration of Independence. He had originally included language condemning the British promotion of the slave trade (even though Jefferson himself was a slave owner). This criticism of the slave trade was removed in spite of Jefferson’s objections.

"Original Declaration of Independence/ dated 4th July 1776," was handwritten on the back of the Declaration of Independence. No one knows who wrote it. (read more here)

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: Happy 4th of July!

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July 4th, 1776!

The 56 signers of The Declaration of Independence listed here

Writing the Declaration of Independence, 1776, by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were named to a committee to prepare a declaration of independence. Jefferson (standing) did the actual writing because he was known as a good writer. Congress deleted Jefferson's most extravagant rhetoric and accusations.

The Declaration of Independence (read it here)

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."