who are the authors of the declaration of independence

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” Jefferson began, in one of the most famous sentences in the English language. Why is it so important today? It captured perfectly the essence of the ideals that would eventually define the United States.

When Jefferson wrote the preamble, it was largely an afterthought. 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.-That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,-That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. The preamble to the Declaration of Independence contains the entire theory of American government in a single, inspiring passage: It has a second part that lists the sins of the King of Great Britain, and it has a third part that declares independence from Britain and that all political connections between the British Crown and the “Free and Independent States” of America should be totally dissolved. It has a preamble, which later became the most famous part of the document but at the time was largely ignored. The Declaration of Independence has three parts. In a rented room not far from the State House, he wrote the Declaration with few books and pamphlets beside him, except for a copy of George Mason’s Virginia Declaration of Rights and the draft Virginia Constitution, which Jefferson had written himself. (Jefferson would have gotten the job anyway-he was elected chair of the committee.) Jefferson had 17 days to produce the document and reportedly wrote a draft in a day or two. Congress formed a committee to do just that members included John Adams from Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin from Pennsylvania, Roger Sherman from Connecticut, Roger Livingston from New York, and Thomas Jefferson from Virginia, who at age 33 was one of the youngest delegates.Īlthough Jefferson disputed his account, John Adams later recalled that he had persuaded Jefferson to write the draft because Jefferson had the fewest enemies in Congress and was the best writer. To persuade them, someone needed to articulate why the Americans were breaking away.

When the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia in 1775, it was far from clear that the delegates would pass a resolution to separate from Great Britain. As we celebrate the 272nd birthday of Thomas Jefferson, this excerpt from Jeffrey Rosen and David Rubenstein's pamphlet about the “Constituting Liberty” exhibition puts the Declaration of Independence in context.

Who are the authors of the declaration of independence