The Declaration of Independence Source: US National Archives & Records Administration

The Declaration of Independence gave birth to the United States of America. A moving, passionate, literary gem, the document is a precious symbol of American democracy and one of the three Charters of Freedom. Written by Thomas Jefferson, the eloquent writing and persuasive dialogue contained within the Declaration of Independence successfully influenced public opinion and rallied support for the colonies at home and abroad.

By the mid 1800s, differences in thinking – fueled mainly by economic concerns – had divided the colonists and England. Specific British legislation leading up to the Declaration included the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, and the Intolerable Acts. These laws spawned both violent and nonviolent protest from the colonists, including the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party.

The First Continental Congress met in September 1774, requesting that King George III address the colonists' grievances. Frustrated by the king's refusal to peacefully resolve their differences, the Second Continental Congress met in 1776 and created a committee of five to draft what would become the Declaration of Independence.

The committee included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. The committee members looked to Jefferson to pen the actual document, as they considered him the best writer of the five. The committee made a total of 86 changes to Jefferson's draft. Jefferson's political and literary influences included the French and English Enlightenments and philosopher John Locke.

	Signing of the Declaration of Independence, John Trumbull Source: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division [reproduction number LC-H8-CT-C01-063-E]

Perhaps one of the most interesting changes the committee made to Jefferson's rough draft was the deletion of the document's condemnation of slavery. Franklin and Adams urged Jefferson to delete his condemnation of King George's support of slavery. The two realized that the revolution needed support from all the colonies to succeed, and condemning slavery would certainly alienate pro-slavery colonists and force them to support the king. If the Declaration of Independence had included Jefferson's condemnation of slavery, America's history might have been dramatically different.

On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration had lasting effects on the political landscapes of both America and Europe. The Declaration's sphere of influence includes America's Bill of Rights and the Constitution, France's Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, and the Declaration of Independence for the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Additional Web Resources

History Channel - The Declaration of Independence
Text of the Declaration of Independence
Treasures of the Library of Congress
USHistory.org - Declaration

<<< Back to Celebrate America's Freedom