Drafting of the United States Declaration of Independence

E473535

The Drafting of the United States Declaration of Independence was the 1776 process in which Thomas Jefferson and other members of the Continental Congress composed the foundational document formally asserting the American colonies’ separation from Great Britain.

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Predicate Object
instanceOf historical event
legislative drafting process
political process
appliesToJurisdiction Thirteen American colonies
linked to: Thirteen Colonies

United States
chronologyWithin American Revolutionary War
country Thirteen Colonies
followedBy adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776
signing of the Declaration of Independence
follows appointment of the Committee of Five
hasAuthor Thomas Jefferson
hasCoAuthor Benjamin Franklin
John Adams
Robert R. Livingston
Roger Sherman
hasEndDate 1776-07-04
hasPart Thomas Jefferson’s initial draft
appointment of the Committee of Five
approval of the final text
debate and editing by the Continental Congress
revisions by the Committee of Five
hasParticipant Benjamin Franklin
John Adams
Robert R. Livingston
Roger Sherman
Thomas Jefferson
members of the Second Continental Congress
hasPurpose to announce independence to the world
to assert natural rights and popular sovereignty
to justify separation from Great Britain
hasStartDate 1776-06-11
influencedBy Enlightenment political philosophy
John Locke’s theories of natural rights
colonial grievances against British rule
language English
location Pennsylvania State House
Philadelphia
Second Continental Congress
mainSubject United States Declaration of Independence
organizedBy Second Continental Congress
precededBy Lee Resolution
result final text of the United States Declaration of Independence
significance formal articulation of American independence
foundation of American political identity
significantEvent adoption of the Declaration of Independence
congressional editing of the draft
presentation of draft to Congress
timePeriod 18th century
year 1776

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Graff House significantEvent Drafting of the United States Declaration of Independence