Congress then nominates a drafting committee to compose a declaration of independence. Named the "Committee of Five," it included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman. Jefferson is chosen to draft the document. During this period the "Committee of Five" (John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson) drafted the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson drafted it, Adams and Franklin made changes to it. Congress reconvened on July 1, 1776. The committee appointed June 11, 1776, to prepare a declaration of independence consisted of Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston. Dft (DLC).Endorsed by TJ, late in life, “Independance. Declaration of original Rough draught.” The text here presented approximates its state at the time TJ transcribed it from the manuscript of which the Fragment was a part (Document ii; Boyd, Declaration of Independence, 1945, p. 18–22) and before John Adams took off the copy in his own handwriting (MS in Adams Manuscript Trust, Boston Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence, which was accepted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, but the majority of the delegates did not sign it until August 2, 1776. Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence between June 11 and June 28, 1776. The draft is most famous for Jefferson’s criticism of King George III for Great Britain’s involvement in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The Declaration of Independence, the founding document of the United States, was approved by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, and announced the separation of 13 North American British colonies from Great Britain. Declaration of Independence, 17761 IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, Jump to: Preparation Procedure Evaluation This lesson focuses on the drafting of the Declaration of Independence in June of 1776 in Philadelphia. Students will analyze an unidentified historical document and draw conclusions about what this document was for, who created it, and why. After the document is identified as Thomas Jefferson’s “original Rough draught” of the Declaration of In 1775, he joined the Continental Congress and quickly emerged as a leading voice for independence. Role in Drafting the Declaration: Jefferson was chosen by the Committee of Five to draft the Declaration of Independence because of his skillful writing. He produced the first draft, which was then reviewed and edited by the committee and Congress. The "Declaration Committee," which included Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Robert R. Livingston of New York, and John Adams of Massachusetts, was appointed by Congress on June 11, 1776, to draft a declaration in anticipation of an expected vote in favor of American independence John Trumbull's 1818 painting of the Committee of Five presenting their draft of the Declaration of Independence to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia.From left to right: John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin. On June 11, 1776, the Second Continental Congress entrusted a committee of five delegates (Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston and Roger Sherman) with composing the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was a formal explanation of why the Continental Congress voted to declare American independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. It was adopted by the Congress during the American Revolutionary War, which commenced in April 1775 with the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like The Declaration of the Rights of Man, first drafted in 1789, is a fundamental document of the French Revolution. Which US document inspired it?, Why was taxation without representation was a major issue for the colonists?, American leaders sought to draft the Constitution as a new plan of government. Why had the previous plan Rough Draft. This is the "Rough Draft" text of the Declaration as Jefferson probably presented it to Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, for correction, prior to committee. A transcription is provided below the image on this page. Click the image for an enlargement. At the time, the Declaration of Independence was regarded as a collective effort of the Continental Congress; Jefferson was not recognized as its principal author until the 1790s. Jefferson’s Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia behind a veil of Congressionally imposed secrecy in June 1776 for a country wracked by military and political uncertainties. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson review a draft of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration over the course of 17 days in a rented room in Philadelphia. He drew inspiration from Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke, as well as Virginia’s Declaration of Rights. Jefferson drafted the statement between June 11 and 28, submitted drafts to Adams and Franklin who made some changes, and then presented the draft to the Congress following the July 2nd adoption of the independence section of the Lee Resolution. The congressional revision process took all of July 3rd and most of July 4th.
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