See the documents that shaped the Declaration before it was written

See a timeline of the Declaration's creation

This National Archives timeline walks through the Declaration’s creation step by step—from early calls for independence to drafting, approval, and final signatures—highlighting the key moments that led to the Colonies’ break from Britain.

See how the Declaration evolved from draft to final text

John Adams urged Congress to choose Thomas Jefferson to draft the Declaration because of his literary skill and low-profile reputation. Read Jefferson’s initial draft, which included passages later removed, including a forceful denunciation of slavery.

The Declaration of Independence became a global blueprint for freedom

This documentary traces how the Declaration's language of liberty resonated through more than 100 independence movements worldwide, demonstrating how a single revolutionary text helped redefine notions of self-rule, rights, and legitimacy across centuries.

What the Declaration actually says and how to see it

This official page from the National Archives breaks down the Declaration of Independence in plain English, explaining its purpose, key ideas, and grievances against King George III. It also shows how the document was created and where it’s displayed today.

Meet the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence—most of whom didn't put pen to paper until August 2, 1776—and see their original signatures.

Trace how the Bill of Rights, inspired by centuries of political theory, took shape between 1774 and 1789.

Hear about the Enlightenment origins of the Declaration's ideas

This podcast examines the Enlightenment thinkers and earlier political texts that influenced the Declaration, demonstrating how Jefferson built upon existing ideas rather than inventing them wholesale.

The original copy of the Declaration of Independence is not a pristine document, and even features a smudged anonymous handprint in the bottom left corner.

Ben Franklin’s edit helped define the Declaration’s philosophy

When Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration, he wrote that its truths were “sacred and undeniable.” Benjamin Franklin urged replacing that phrase with “self-evident,” grounding the document in reason rather than religious authority and sharpening its Enlightenment logic.

Meet the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence and see their original signatures

This online exhibit from the Daughters of the American Revolution presents a visual slideshow of all 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, pairing portraits and biographies with photographs of their handwritten signatures.

The Stamp Act Congress made 'no taxation without representation' into a constitutional argument

The 1765 gathering of 27 delegates from nine colonies at New York's Federal Hall produced the Declaration of Rights and Grievances, which asserted that colonists could only be taxed by their own elected representatives. The document codified the principle that would define the road to revolution.

Hear why the Continental Congress decided to declare independence—and how the text took shape

In this episode of "Ben Franklin's World," historians Danielle Allen, Patrick Spero, and Peter Onuf examine why Congress pursued a declaration, how Congress chose the drafters, and how Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin shaped its language and Revolutionary intent.

The Declaration was also a list of grievances

This article breaks down the Declaration’s 27 grievances against King George III, illustrating how they were intended not only to express colonial anger but also to justify rebellion and garner support abroad.

The Constitution was written in the same building where the Declaration of Independence was signed

The US Constitution was drafted in the Pennsylvania State House—the same building in Philadelphia where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. Read this page from the National Constitution Center for other fast facts about the document.

The Declaration has survived centuries of travel, damage, and preservation missteps

This piece traces the Declaration's 200-year journey from its creation in 1776 through repeated relocations, risky copying methods, light damage, fires, wartime evacuation, and shifting federal custody—long before modern archival protections existed.

See the Declaration—known as the Matlack Declaration—displayed at the National Archives

The iconic handwritten Declaration displayed at the National Archives was penned by Thomas Matlack, the Continental Congress’s assistant secretary. He was chosen for his exceptional handwriting to prepare the formal copy signed by the delegates.

Virginia's Declaration of Rights was a main inspiration for Madison's Bill of Rights

James Madison drew on Virginia's Declaration of Rights, written in 1776. The document affirmed freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and jury trials, and placed limits on government power—core protections that later appeared in the Bill of Rights.

Independence was approved on July 2, not July 4

This video highlights lesser-known facts about the Declaration of Independence, including that Congress approved independence on July 2—leading many Founders to believe that would be the day Americans would celebrate their independence.

Trial by jury was an important source of colonial resistance to British rule

Colonial juries refused to convict Americans who violated British trade laws, and Britain's response, stripping away jury rights, became a central grievance of the Revolution. The Declaration of Independence explicitly cited the denial of the right to trial by jury as a charge against King George III.

Martin Luther King Jr. invoked the Declaration to demand equality

This article examines how Martin Luther King Jr. drew on the language and ideals of the Declaration of Independence to frame the Civil Rights Movement as a continuation of the nation’s founding promises.

The Seneca Falls Declaration was modeled on the Declaration of Independence

At the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention—the first women’s rights convention in US history—Elizabeth Cady Stanton drafted the Declaration of Sentiments, consciously modeled on the Declaration of Independence, to argue that women were denied fundamental rights and justified in demanding legal and political equality.

The Articles of Confederation were the first governing documents of the United States

Drafted in 1777 and ratified in 1781, the articles created a weak national government without the ability to tax or regulate commerce. This led to problems for the new nation, necessitating the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

Read the Federalist Papers—the essays that defended the proposed Constitution

Written between 1787 and 1788, the Federalist Papers—85 essays by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay—defended the Constitution and articulated the logic of federalism. They remain a key guide to the original interpretation of the Constitution.

A timeline of colonial settlement

An overview of early American settlement, beginning with the London Company's expedition to Virginia. Source includes a number of citations for further reading.

Explore early Thanksgiving documents, from recipes to early proclamations

History buffs will love this trove of original documents related to the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving, including 18th-century recipes, one of Sarah Josepha Hale’s appeals to President Lincoln to establish the national holiday, and a copy of Abraham Lincoln’s original 1863 Thanksgiving Day Proclamation. You can also find illustrations and photos of historical Thanksgiving celebrations over the years.

Benjamin Franklin founded America's first lending library in 1731

Franklin convinced members of his intellectual club to pool resources and purchase books none could afford individually. The Library Company of Philadelphia was founded with 50 shareholders, each contributing 40 shillings, and served as the unofficial, de facto Library of Congress from the Revolutionary War until 1800.

Abolitionists shaped American history from the Revolution to the Civil War

Abolitionists of all backgrounds organized against slavery from the founding era onward. Historian Manisha Sinha argues that their decades of activism fundamentally shaped American democracy and made emancipation possible.

Explore an interactive map of battles from the American Revolution, along with detailed summaries of each engagement

Revolutionary War reenactments have taken place for centuries

The first known reenactment of the war occurred in 1778, while the war was still ongoing. A journal entry from a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army remarked that soldiers had commemorated a “Glorious victory obtained over the British” at Saratoga with “a Grand sham fight.”

After the Boston Tea Party, colonists switched to coffee, which became the main morning drink for revolutionaries.

The US Constitution is widely regarded as the longest-standing written national constitution still in force—see how it has influenced rights worldwide.

The rivalry between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson centered on federalism—the question of how much power the federal government should hold relative to the states.

Before writing 'Walden,' transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau nearly burned down his hometown with a campfire that grew out of control.

The idea for the Federal Reserve was conceived in secret in 1910—with bankers donning duck hunt gear for disguise while traveling to a remote country club on Georgia's Jekyll Island

Many legends about George Washington, including his supposed wooden teeth and the story of cutting down the cherry tree, lack evidence.

Learn how to read a prospectus, the juicy document that any company must file with the SEC before going public.

The 19th-century painters of the Hudson River School were among the first American romantics, with portraits that displayed the natural beauty of the young country.

20,000 letters to the advice columnist 'Dear Abby' provide insight into prevailing sex, religion, and LGBTQ fears, anxieties, and concerns from the 1950s onward.

The story of Dollree Mapp, whose legal challenge over her 1957 conviction for possessing "obscene material" led to a major strengthening of the Fourth Amendment

Abraham Lincoln was almost assassinated weeks before his inauguration as he traveled from Illinois to DC through Baltimore in 1861; it took two independent claims for Lincoln to be convinced the threat was real

A researcher recently discovered an interview from 1967 between groundbreaking journalist Joan Didion and the Grateful Dead, years before the band became an institution.

During the French Revolution, a botanist's letter asking about "dear Rhus" (poison ivy) was intercepted, leading authorities to suspect he was conspiring with the Russians.

The American cockroach is actually from Africa, an apparent hitchhiker aboard ships carrying enslaved people, with evidence suggesting the bug may have arrived in the New World as early as the 1600s.

Hear 50 years of iconic hip-hop samples, the genre's foundational looped tracks

Explore a list of the 100 best novels of all time, compiled by some of the world's best living writers, including Salman Rushdie, Stephen King, and Jennifer Egan.

Walt Disney's early film 'Alice's Wonderland' was a groundbreaking innovation in the silent film era

Scientists can determine Earth's past climate conditions by analyzing air trapped in microscopic bubbles within ice cores—columns of compressed snow layers that build up over hundreds of thousands of years.

Sears sold DIY house kits starting at $600 in its famous catalog from 1908 through the 1940s, resulting in roughly 10,000 'Sears and Roebuck houses' being built.

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

See how fireworks are made and learn how metals like magnesium and copper are responsible for different colors.