Declaration of Independence (Rough Draft with Final Draft) Declaration of Independence (Official)  

Jefferson created the original draft of the Declaration of Independence before it was edited by the Continental Congress. Some of the major difference between the original and the final version include: replacing “sacred and undeniable” with “self-evident” and “that from that equal creation they derive in right inherent and inalienable” with “they are endowed by their creator with inherent and inalienable rights;” finally, the elimination of the indictment against King George III regarding his promotion of slavery that painted the colonists as helpless victims of his greed rather than willing participants in the trade. In Jefferson’s original and in the final version we find the original statement of the American Creed. It guarantees that individuals are sovereign, equal to one another and the government is founded to protect their rights. These remain the core tenets of America’s self-concept as well as a touchstone during major political change in the country.