Declaration of Independence

On June 11, 1776 the Continental Congress gathered five leaders. They were called the Committee of Five. They were told to complete a document explaining why they were declaring their independence. The five members were Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman, and Thomas Jefferson.Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft. In this document, Jefferson wrote what many Americans believed about their rights. Jefferson wrote that people have the right to live, the right to be free, and the right to seek happiness. The Declaration explains why the colonies should break away from Britain. It says that people have rights that cannot be taken away, lists the complaints against the king, and argues that the colonies have to be free to protect the colonists’ rights. Thomas Jefferson presented it to Congress on June 28, 1776. Some people didn't want to declare independence but others did. On July 4, 1776 the Congress officially adopted the final version of the Declaration of Independence.