Declaration of Independence

In the summer of 1776, the Continental Congress appointed a committee of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman to draft a statement of independence for the 13 colonies. Jefferson drafted the document, and after several revisions, it was adopted by the Congress on the afternoon of July 4, 1776.

In exalted and unforgettable phrases, Jefferson expressed in the Declaration the convictions in the minds and hearts of the American people, summarizing a philosophy of “self-evident truths” and listing grievances against the King that justified to the world the colonists’ decision to break ties with their mother country.

Today, the Declaration of Independence is the nation’s most cherished symbol of liberty and is celebrated each year on July 4th, a national holiday that is considered America’s birthday.The original signed Declaration is safeguarded for the American people by the National Archives and is seen by more than 1 million people each year in the Archives’ Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom.

Declaration of Independence

Download a high-resolution version of this document from the National Archives’ Online Public Access Database.

Featured image is a photograph of a mural of a scene depicting the writing and adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The mural was painted by artist Barry Faulkner and permanently displayed in the Rotunda directly above the original Declaration of Independence. Learn more about the mural here.: archives.gov

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