The Declaration of Independence

A look at Jefferson's authorship of the Declaration and its adoption by the Continental Congress.

Learn more about how the Declaration went from Jefferson's draft to global icon.

See how the words and ideas in the Declaration of Independence have impacted human rights around the world.

This temporary exhibit at the Monticello Visitor Center explores how the Declaration of Independence went from the tip of Thomas Jefferson's quill to an icon of democracy throughout the world. Open Nov 2022 - Fall 2024.

Get to know the Declaration of Independence a little better through this short interactive.

The Declaration of Independence proclaimed the creation of an American "people," asserted a claim to universal rights, and declared America to be independent of the British Empire.

While prints of the Declaration appeared almost immediately, the official printing and signing took much longer.