06/12/2026
250 years ago today, the Continental Congress assembled a committee of five to draft a Declaration of Independence from the British crown. Its members were Thomas Jefferson (Virginia), John Adams (Massachusetts), Benjamin Franklin (Pennsylvania), Roger Sherman (Connecticut), and Robert R. Livingston (New York).
Writing was deferred to Thomas Jefferson by John Adams who stated Jefferson's "happy talent for writing" made him the clear choice for creating such an important document.
Adams could not have been more correct in his decision. The Declaration not only severed the colonies' political ties to Great Britain, but is so eloquently established the nation's core principles—asserting all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Jefferson's words continue to inspire us today, as they did then. Continually, it is these words that are the common thread that have been expressed by so many great men and women throughout the history of our country. All Americans owe so much to these founders who risked their lives and fortunes to create our republic!