The History of America’s Independence Day
In June of 1826, Thomas Jefferson sent a letter to Roger C.
“Taxation without representation!” was the battle cry in
Weightman, declining an invitation to come to Washington,
America’s 13 colonies, which were forced to pay taxes to
D.C. to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the
England’s King George III despite having no representation
Declaration of Independence. It was the last letter that
in the British Parliament. As dissatisfaction grew, British
Jefferson, who was gravely ill, ever wrote. In it, Jefferson
troops were sent in to quell the early movement toward
says of the document...
rebellion. Repeated attempts by the colonists to resolve the
crisis without military conflict proved
fruitless.
“May it be to the world, what I believe it will be
On June 11, 1776, the colonies’ Second Continental
... the signal of arousing men to burst the chains
Congress met in Philadelphia and formed a committee
whose express purpose was drafting a document that would
formally sever their ties with Great Britain. The committee
included Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams,
Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. Jefferson, who
was considered the strongest and most eloquent writer,
crafted the original draft document (as seen above). A total
of 86 changes were made to his draft and the Continental
Congress officially adopted the final version on July 4, 1776.
The following day, copies of the Declaration of Independence were distributed, and on July 6, The Pennsylvania
Evening Post became the first newspaper to print the
extraordinary document. The Declaration of Independence
has since become our nation’s most cherished symbol of
... and to assume the blessings and security of
self-government. That form, which we have substituted, restores the free right to the unbounded
exercise of reason and freedom of opinion. All eyes
are opened, or opening, t