Links to Learn More

The Declaration of Independence is in the collection of the National Archives:
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/301684

Jefferson’s original drafts are gone, but the rough draft he shared with Benjamin Franklin and John Adams survives in the Library of Congress. One can see their handwritten edits on the document:
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/declara/images/draft1.jpg

The Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were signed in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall:
https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/places-independencehall-assemblyroom.htm

Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams about independence celebrations, 3 July 1776, can be found here:
https://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/doc?id=L17760703jasecond

See an image and read more about Declaration engrosser Timothy Matlack:

https://museum.nps.gov/ParkObjdet.aspx?rID=INDE%20%20%2011869%26db%3Dobjects%26dir%3DCR%20INDE%26page%3D1

Excerpt from the letter to Henry Lee in which Jefferson calls the Declaration “an expression of the American mind” can be found here:
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/letter-to-henry-lee

Letter from Benjamin Rush to John Adams about the signing of the Declaration of Independence, 20 July 1811, can be found here:
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/99-02-02-5659

Letter from John Adams to H. Niles about the definition of the American Revolution, 13 February 1818, can be found here: http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/john-adams-to-h-niles/

Timeline of the American Revolution:
https://www.nps.gov/revwar/about_the_revolution/timeline_of_events.html

The 1848 Declaration of Sentiments, which asserts that “all men and women are created equal”
https://www.nps.gov/wori/learn/historyculture/declaration-of-sentiments.htm


Frederick Douglass’ 1852 speech, “What to a Slave is the 4th of July?”
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/what-to-the-slave-is-the-fourth-of-july/

 

Last updated: September 1, 2018

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