f America in
General Congress assembled, appealing to the supreme judge of the
world for the rectitude of our intentions, do in the name, and by the
authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and
declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free
and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to
the British crown, and that all political connection between them and
the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved; and
that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war,
conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all
other acts and things which independent states may of right do.

And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the
protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our
lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.)

The declaration thus signed on the 4th, on paper, was engrossed on
parchment, and signed again on the 2nd of August.

[* Some erroneous statements of the proceedings on the Declaration of
Independence having got before the public in latter times, Mr. Samuel A.
Wells asked explanations of me, which are given in my letter to him of
May 12, '19, before and now again referred to. (See Appendix, note B.)
I took notes in my place while these things were going on, and at their
close wrote them out in form and with correctness, and from 1 to 7 of
the two preceding sheets, are the originals then written; as the two
following are of the earlier debates on the Confederation, which I took
in like manner.]

* The above note of the author is on a slip of paper, pasted
in at the end of the Declaration. Here is also sewed into
the MS. a slip of newspaper containing, under the head
'Declaration of Independence,' a letter from Thomas Mc'Kean
to Messrs. William M'Corkle & Son, dated 'Philadelphia,
June 16 1817.' This letter is to be found in the Port Folio,
Sept. 1817, p. 249.

[Illustration: Facsimile of Declaration in Jefferson's Handwriting--p1]

[Illustration: Facsimile of Declaration in Jefferson's Handwriting--p2]

[Illustration: Facsimile of Declaration in Jefferson's Handwriting--p3]

[Illustration: Facsimile of Declaration in Jefferson's Handwriting--p4]

On Friday, July 12, the committee appointed to draw the articles
of Confederation reported them, and on the 22nd, the House resolved
themselves into a