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My favorite edits: - changed “a people” to “one people” - changed “We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable” to “We hold these truths to be self-evident” Also, further down in the full draft, the word “subjects” is crossed out and changed to “citizens” Just beautiful

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History Calendar

@historycalendar

Jul 4

Thomas Jefferson’s rough draft copy of the Declaration of Independence

12:27 PM · Jul 4, 2025

222.7K

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Rhys

@RhysLindmark

23h

Claiming self-evidentiality is an extremely powerful semantic move!

I fully agree

“We hold these truths to be self-evident” is such a bar You hear it so much it kind of jades you but seeing the rough draft really highlights how strong that word choice is

You’re so right

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Truly the source code for western prosperity

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Arthur MacWaters

@ArthurMacwaters

23h

They say law is the original coding language. This is, unironically, the source code of American dynamism. The intellectual and moral framework for freedom, inventiveness, individualism, ambition, and a greater future. Cherish it. x.com/arthurmacwater…

Wait yes

Thanks for Franklin

True

Nothing is self-evident. "We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable” is more accurate and to the point, and more persuasive than the frankly dogmatic version.

Ethical Hustler

@SaveTheLibs

In the John Adams series on HBO, they portray Ben Franklin as coming up with “self-evident” as he and Adams help Jefferson revise it, but I don’t know if it’s true.

I prefer “sacred and undeniable” in meaning: more accurate. But “self-evident” sounds better. Maybe “immutable” or “unassailable”.

aura crafting

Miami Vibes

Yes, I believe these edits were made by Benjamin Franklin when TJ sent him first draft.

"one people" was a great choice. I read the Declaration of Independence today as well. Definitely going to be a tradition of mine moving forward for every July 4th.

Where did that turn of phrase “All men are created equal” come from? Contrary to popular myth, it did not originate with Christianity, but rather in the minds and judicial decisions of Stoicism-steeped ancient Roman jurists.

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Michael McNeil

@MichaelEMcNeil

Jan 2

The Origin of “All Men are [Created] Equal” in History

Which Stoicism-steeped ancient Roman jurists are you referring to? Ulpian, for one. My principal reference in this regard is Sir Henry [James] Sumner Maine's Ancient Law: Its Connection to the History...

Peter Linnehan

@PeterLinnehan

22h

Your boy Franklin suggested “self-evident.”

"Thomas, why does it say here that, as author of the Declaration, you're supposed to get a pig every month? 'And two comely lasses, of virtue true'"

Such a beautiful document.

Jefferson was the smartest man in the room, which is saying a lot considering our Founding Fathers.

I was recently at the National Archives and saw edits in person.

Wow. "Subjects" to "citizens" is a powerful change to my ears.

122

@dvfollowsls

The second edit is most probably from Benjamin Franklin. Franklin was probably inspired by his knowledge of David Hume, a Scottish philosopher he was familiar with.

Miami Vibes

Incredible. Never knew. So much in those revisions

And he was only 33.

The OG example of "founders going direct"?

truly founder mode

I love this.

Hands down the best thing ever first written in English.

Self-evident.

Good writing is rewriting.

Christian

@Yorkslrehlker

The insurrectionists wrote a Declaration of Independence positively encouraging insurrections a further date. “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,……”

Yotam Gafni

@Suflaky

14h

But they are not self-evident, right? That's just an overreach and a trope. It doesn't even make sense together with "We hold" -> If they are self-evident, they hold themselves without the 'we'. Instead, 'We hold them to be sacred' is correct and appropriate.

talkspace

@talkspace

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That third edit is the whole idea right there!

Larry D'Agostino

@larrydag

Did not Ben Franklin influence some of those edits?

Lowell George Washington

@deanriehm

Related: I watched the musical "1776" last night. It didn't suck. I'm no linguist nor historian but to me and in the vernacular "self-evident" meant: "bro... it's like right fu*king there. What do you mean you don't see it? Are you blind?"

Brad DB

@BDBSoCal

19h

Still relevant today: "He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance."

Shehryar

@shehryarbajwa01

Jefferson was the OG Philosopher king

Lata. M e/acc

@Cream43560

15h

JT deserves way more respect than he gets in the modern day.

Jim

@HomeMech

14h

The "self-evident" change was suggested by the much elder Benjamin Franklin.

Anthony

@AnthonyCalabr12

The draft also contained a paragraph blaming the king for slavery

Brandon Possin

@pacificdiplomat

You sound like a diplomatic cable editor Lulu

twiggy black

@twiggz__

23h

The importance of long term thinking.

171

talkspace

@talkspace

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