Summary

THE DECLARATION of INDEPENDENCE

250 YEARS LATER

Adopted July 4, 1776

Prepared by a Committee of Five—composed of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson (the primary drafter), Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman—appointed by the Second Continental Congress. The Declaration set forth the common principles uniting the 13 former colonies in armed revolt against King George Ill.

Changes to Jefferson's Initial Draft

Jefferson's initial draft underwent several revisions, including removal of a grievance

accusing King George Ill of waging "war against human nature itself" by encouraging the slave trade and Franklin's substitution that, "We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable [self-evident]".

FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES

"[A]ll men are created equal"

Revolutionary claim of inherent rights; later invoked in anti-slavery, suffrage, and civil rights movements

"[C]onsent of the governed"

Made popular sovereignty the core principle of legitimate government authority

"Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness"

Asserted inalienable rights; reflects Enlightenment ideals of human freedom

TRIGGERING EVENTS

1765

1768

1770

1773

1774

1775

Stamp Act

British Troops Occupy Boston

Boston Massacre

Boston Tea Party

Intolerable Acts

Battles of Lexington & Concord

GRIEVANCES

The Declaration lists 27 grievances against the British government justifying rebellion.

Taxation & Trade

Imposed taxes without colonial consent and cut off foreign trade

Self-government

Dissolved colonial legislatures and denied representative government

Military

Kept peacetime standing army; quartered troops; military control of civilian government

Justice & Courts

Obstructed colonial judicial systems; denied jury trials; tried colonists in England

Information as of December 1, 2025. Prepared by Steve Mulligan, Attorney-Adviser, and Mari Lee, Visual Information Specialist.