The Nation: Editing the Declaration

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE underwent numerous changes, mostly minor but some major, before Congress approved it last week. The editing process is illustrated in key excerpts. The words that are crossed out and replaced in roman type are alterations made after Thomas Jefferson consulted with John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. The bracketed words were cut and the italicized words were added by the Congress.

“When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for

one dissolve the political bands which have connected them with

people to assume another, and to

assume among the powers of the earth the

separate and equal station to which the

laws of nature & of nature’s god entitle them, a decent respect to the

opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the

causes which impel them to the separation.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident sacred & undeniable; that all

men are created equal that they are endowed by their

creator with equal rights, some of which are

certain [inherent &] in-rights; that

these

aIienable* rights; that among these are the life, liberty, &

the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments

are instituted among men, deriving their just powers

from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of

government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the

right of the people to alter or to abolish it. . .”

The Declaration then lists 27 specific charges against King George III. Among the most important:

“he has refused his assent to laws the most wholesome and necessary for the public good:. . . “he has dissolved, Representative houses [& repeatedly continually], for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people:. . .

“he has [suffered] obstructed the administration of justice

states [totally to cease in some of these states]. . .

“he has made [our] judges dependent on his will alone. . .

“he has kept among us in times of peace standing armies [&

ships of war] without the consent of our legislatures:

“he has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction

foreign to our constitutions and unacknowledged by our laws;

giving his assent to their acts of pretended acts of legislation. . .

for cutting off our trade with all parts of the world; for imposing taxes on

us without our consent; for depriving us in many cases of the benefits

of trial by jury. . .”

The Declaration concludes:

“We therefore the representatives of the United states of America in

General Congress assembled appealing to the supreme judge of the world

for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name & by authority of the good people of these [states, reject & renounce all allegiance & subjection to the kings of Great Britain . . . & finally we do assert & declare these colonies to be free &) independent states,] colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these United colonies are, and of right ought to be, free &? independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown . ..

& that as free & independent states they

have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances,

establish commerce, & to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes & our sacred honour.”

*This word was changed — to “unalienable” — apparently by the first printer.

*John Dunlap of Philadelphia.