/ 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.
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