Documents, Models, and Commentary

See primary-source documents that help us reflect on our past—from the writing of the Declaration of Independence and state and local declarations of independence, to the important ways the Declaration has inspired Americans to push for the expansion of rights for more Americans and greater inclusion in the political process.

The Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence can be divided into three sections:

• The opening two paragraphs: The portion we often pay the most attention to, where “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
• The list of grievances: By presenting these complaints in a formal document, the colonists aimed to show that their decision to separate from Britain was justified.
• The closing paragraph: The final paragraph that marks a shift in sovereignty (rule) from King George III to the American people and also highlights key principles of civic virtue.

By following the links above, you will find, for each section, background information, discussion questions, and the relevant portion of the text. 

The Quill Model of the Declaration of Independence

The Quill Project studies the history of negotiated texts. It is a research effort based at Pembroke College, Oxford, and since 2015, CCS has assisted with most aspects of the Project. CCS students have digitized and analyzed materials relevant to the Constitutional Convention of 1787; the 13th, 14th, 15th and 19th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution; the Declaration of Independence; and a growing number of state constitutional conventions

Using the records of the processes that have created constitutions, treaties, or legislation, Quill re-creates the contexts within which decisions were made and offers visualizations of the process of negotiation that led to the founding documents as we know them today. As part of this work, CCS student researchers have engaged in archival and historical work and related scholarship regarding the negotiation of the constitutional and other foundational documents.

Quill research on Declaration of Independence allows us to A list of grievances was written by Thomas Jefferson for both places (show them side-by-side).

• Jefferson’s third draft of the Preamble to the VA Constitution
  • Quill is the only place where you can find a digital copy of Jefferson’s third draft of the Preamble to the Virginia Constitution
  • Images available at link
  • TRANSCRIPT (available on “click or scroll for more tabs” – upper right-hand corner)
• Jefferson’s rough draft of Declaration, drafted within a few days of the VA Preamble 
  • Images available at link
  • TRANSCRIPT (available on “click or scroll for more tabs” – upper right-hand corner)
• Document with transcripts and images of both