Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence
In the summer of 1776, the Continental Congress appointed a committee of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman to draft a statement of independence for the 13 colonies. Jefferson drafted the document, and after several revisions, it was adopted by the Congress on the afternoon of July 4, 1776.
In exalted and unforgettable phrases, Jefferson expressed in the Declaration the convictions in the minds and hearts of the American people, summarizing a philosophy of “self-evident truths” and listing grievances against the King that justified to the world the colonists’ decision to break ties with their mother country.
Today, the Declaration of Independence is the nation’s most cherished symbol of liberty and is celebrated each year on July 4th, a national holiday that is considered America’s birthday.The original signed Declaration is safeguarded for the American people by the National Archives and is seen by more than 1 million people each year in the Archives’ Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom.
Past Featured Records
-
The North Atlantic Treaty
Friday, June 21, 2024 – Wednesday, July 31, 2024East Rotunda GalleryA shield against aggression and fear of aggression—President Harry S. Truman
On April 4, 1949, representatives of the United States, Canada, and 10 Western European nations met in Washington, DC, to... Read more
-
The Emancipation Proclamation and Juneteenth
Milestones in the long struggle for American freedom
Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached the third year of the Civil War. Lincoln’s proclamation, which declared “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and... Read more
-
Harvey Milk Writes to the President
Friday, May 31, 2024 – Monday, June 17, 2024
East Rotunda GalleryHuman Rights at the Ballot Box
In 1978, Californians voted on Proposition 6, which would have banned gay men and lesbians from teaching or otherwise being employed by California school districts. The initiative sponsored by... Read more -
Memorial Day: Honoring the Fallen
Thursday, May 16, 2024 – Wednesday, June 12, 2024
East Rotunda GalleryMemorial Day recognizes and honors the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the Armed Forces. The first national observance of Memorial Day occurred on May 30, 1868, at Arlington National Cemetery. General John... Read more
-
The Purple Heart Battalion
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 – Wednesday, May 15, 2024
East Rotunda GalleryThe 442nd Regimental Combat Team
None of us thought we were coming home alive. —Lawson Sakai
Following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the Roosevelt administration required people of Japanese descent living on the... Read more
