On July 4, 1776, the United States officially declared its independence from the British Empire when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was authored by a “Committee of Five”—John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman—with Jefferson as the main drafter. But Jefferson himself later admitted hen in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It was engrossed on parchment and on August 2, 1776, delegates began signing it. While Adams was penning those words, his colleague Thomas Jefferson was busy scratching out a formal Declaration of Independence. The task was assigned to the Committee of Five, but Jefferson did When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they sh Declaration of Independence (1776) IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, Looking back on the Declaration of Independence almost 50 years later, Thomas Jefferson explained that the document’s purpose was never meant to be thoroughly original; its purpose wasn’t to articulate anything that hadn’t be said before, but to make the case for the American colonies in plain terms and persuade the world to see common sense. 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. Read the excerpt from the conclusion of the Declaration of Independence."And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."Why does Jefferson conclude with this statement? Declaration of Independence, 17761 IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, Note: The source for this transcription is the first printing of the Declaration of Independence, the broadside produced by John Dunlap on the night of July 4, 1776. Nearly every printed or manuscript edition of the Declaration of Independence has slight differences in punctuation, capitalization, and even wording. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle (Texte traduit de l'anglais par Thomas Jefferson, 1776) Déclaration unanime des 13 États unis d'Amérique réunis en Congrès le 4 juillet 1776 Lorsque, dans le cours des événements humains, il devient nécessaire pour un peuple de dissoudre les liens politiques qui l'ont attaché à un autre et de prendre, parmi les puissances de la when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was authored by a “Committee of Five”—John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman—with Jefferson as the main drafter. But Jefferson himself later admitted that he was merely looking to reflect the A book about government written by the english philosopher John Locke. The Declaration of Independence was based on these principles of government. On July 4, the Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration, written primarily by Thomas Jefferson. Copies were immediately printed and distributed throughout the colonies and the continental troops. Read the transcript of the Declaration of Independence, as adopted in Congress on July 4, 1776. Thomas Jefferson was the primary author of the rough draft. But while Adams was penning those words, his colleague Thomas Jefferson was busy scratching out a formal Declaration of Independence. The task was assigned to the Committee of Five, but Jefferson did the editorial heavy lifting. True, he borrowed heavily from Montesquieu’s “The Spirit of the Laws” and from John Locke. THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE—17761 IN CONGRESS, JULY4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America WHEN in the Course of human events, it be-comes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the On the 25th of June, a declaration of the deputies of Pennsylvania, met in provincial conference, expressing their willingness to concur in a vote declaring the United Colonies free and independent States, was laid before Congress and read.
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