Today instead of posting an excerpt as usual, I would like to pay homage to a most significant yet somehow forgotten author. His name was Thomas Jefferson. Out of the Continental Congress it was Jefferson who was chosen to draft the Declaration of Independence. Other founding fathers had input on the document but it was Jefferson who did the heavy lifting. It was not an enviable task. It was his job to articulate the body’s opinions and then have them critiqued and torn apart by the same body of men. Imagine how he must have felt, sitting at his desk for weeks with a quill in hand trying to find the proper words to say to England that would tell them that the Colonies were rebelling against their masters. The words had to be strong yet levelheaded. He didn’t want to come off sounding like a Virginia farmer but this was no flowery work of Shakespeare either. Add the expectations of the congress to the mix and you can see that he had no simple task writing that sheet of paper. Even under all that pressure, he created a masterpiece, which has resonated through time. Few documents have ever captured a moment in history so eloquently. Can you imagine what the response must have been when this was read in the court of King George III in England? There must have been outrage, to be sure. Deep down, maybe, just maybe someone in the room silently found the words stirring or was moved by the impassioned cry from across the waves. Perhaps that’s too much to hope for but it must have made an impression. Jefferson did not come by the words entirely on his own. Other members of the congress helped in a 5 man committee. As a educated man, Jefferson read many documents and strung together some crucial ideas along the way. He believed that all men were created equal and that they were entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Those are the ideas that really stick out in the minds of people when asked about the Declaration of Independence. Those are the words at the heart of America. He may not have been the most prolific writer but at least in this case, Jefferson got it right. And to think, he did it all without “spell check.” Bravo Mr. Jefferson. The congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776 which formally set the wheels of revolution in motion. Over two-hundred years later that author is at the heart of the reason so many of the people reading this have the day off from work. I guess one author can make a huge difference in the world. To my American friends, enjoy the holiday!
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