Declaration of Independence Resources

What Is the Declaration of Independence?

On July 4, 1776, the United States officially declared its independence from the British Empire when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The document contains the core principles at the heart of the American Revolution and includes a list of grievances against King George III.  

How Was the Declaration Writter?

The Declaration was authored by a “Committee of Five”—John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman—with Jefferson as the main drafter.  But Jefferson himself later admitted that he was merely looking to reflect the “mind of Americans."

Essay: The Declaration, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights

Video: From Jefferson to Brandeis: The First Amendment, the Declaration, and the Constitution

Watch remarks were delivered by Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, at a May 2, 2022, celebration of the newly installed marble First Amendment tablet, donated to the National Constitution Center

Thomas Jefferson