What is Thomas Jefferson's Declaration Of Independence?

The Declaration of Independence: Text and Crux

The Declaration itself demanded independence from the British Empire and stressed upon the grant of equal rights to every human being and stated them to be unalienable. The most prominent ones are mentioned in what is regarded by some as one of the best sentences to ever have been structured. It states:

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.

This statement is a spearhead of human rights debate and summarizes some of the values that the United States was founded upon. It is meant to be to the United States Constitution what a legend is to a map. This philosophy was also devoutly supported by Abraham Lincoln who took oath as the President of the United States several decades later.

Who Wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson was the main writer and propagator of the Declaration of Independence since on the 11th of June, 1776, the committee assigned by the Continental Congress specifically for this role, began its work on drafting a Declaration that would announce independence from the British Monarchy and its unjust practices.

The committee instructed Thomas Jefferson regarding the drafts of the Declaration of Independence. The prepared document was forwarded to the Congress on the 2nd of July, 1776 and made public on the 4th of July, which is now celebrated as the independence day of the United States of America.
Notable Persons Involved in the Commencement of Declaration of Independence

The committee comprised several notable names which included:

John Adams: The political theorist and statesman who was also a Founding Father. He nominated George Washington as commander-in-chief.
Benjamin Franklin: Another Founding Father who was not only a politician but was also known for his discoveries related to physics and electricity.
Robert R. Livingston: A New York diplomat and judge who was commonly known as the ‘Chancellor’ after holding the post for twenty five years.
Roger Sherman: An American lawyer who signed all four state papers of the United States.

Signers of the Declaration of Independence

There was a total of 56 signatories who signed the Declaration of Independence. A complete list of the signatories along with their names, states, date of birth and death, occupations and religion can be found here.

Famous Quotations from the Declaration of Independence

Apart from the quotation mentioned above which stated the importance of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness in American values, there were a few other prominent statements in the Declaration of Independence that Thomas Jefferson had drafted.

Following are a select few quotations from the actual text of the document that are still held in high esteem in modern-day America:

Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

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 affect their Safety and Happiness.

When a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.