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What would be a good infomercial for the declaration of independence?

To what degree should Thomas Jefferson be credited for the Declaration of Independence?

  • As opposed, to say, the drafters of the Virginia Declaration of Rights? The Declaration's probably the best thing that Jefferson ever wrote, but was it more due to him already having a pretty good draft that just passed in Virginia?

  • Answer:

    Well, Jefferson was not the AUTHOR of the Declaration of Independence, he wrote the first draft with ideas taken from many other well known texts and then it was edited by the committee and then further edited the entire Congress. The Declaration did not come ONLY from the Declaration of Rights, but from many other areas as well, Jefferson was a master wordsmith and put others work into the flowing language that proclaims American ideals and independence. Originally, Jefferson wanted no credit for being the "author of the DoI" as he believed that his work had been shredded in editing. However, after independence had been won and when the hero worship started he quickly came around to claim it as part of his legacy even though he stole whole passages from George Mason's earlier text that you mentioned. whale

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It appears that Jefferson cribbed quite a bit from George Mason in his drafting the national declaration. Mason in turn used similar language and ideas expressed by Tom Paine's "Common Sense". Later, Lafayette would use similar language (en Francaise) in his "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizens" in 1789. It was a very common practice at the time for one author to copy phrases, paragraphs and ideas of others. Most people didn't read many books. The founders of the revolution were more concerned about getting ideas across rather than who got the credit for them.

Battleaxe

He wrote a passable first draft, and members of the committee polished it up for him. For example, his original draft contained the following: "We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independant, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness"

flazatty

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