Thomas Jefferson's Original Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence on Display at Library of Congress

A new exhibition titled “The Declaration’s Promise: A Revolutionary Idea” has been launched by the Library of Congress, showcasing the original rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, which was primarily crafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1776. This draft features 86 revisions made by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and the Continental Congress. Curated by Ryan Reft, the exhibition presents over 120 primary documents, including books, newspapers, and political cartoons that influenced the nation’s founding. Significant alterations from the draft to the final version include the removal of a passage denouncing slavery, attributed to delegates from South Carolina and Georgia. The final document is several hundred words shorter than the initial 1,337-word draft. Artifacts from later eras, such as an early draft of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and speeches by Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis, are also exhibited, highlighting the continued fight for equality. The exhibition is open until July 26, 2026.