American Patriotism In Thomas Jefferson's After The Facts

If there is one thing that defines American patriotism more than anything else, it’s the Declaration of Independence. From such a young age, students across the nation learn of the extravagant document that separated the American Colonies from the tyrannical English monarch. July the fourth, a day known to all Americans, is often cited as being the day the document was signed. However, the authors of After the Fact decided to do more digging to uncover the truth behind this most patriotic work of Thomas Jefferson. They begin by challenging the potentially most well-known “fact” of the Declaration of Independence - the fact that it was signed on the Fourth of July. While the authors agree that the document was (for the most part) finished by July fourth, they also mention the fact that it is highly probable that the document wasn’t actually signed by all fifty-six delegates until August the second. From there, the authors begin to decipher the many drafts of the declaration to bring to light the true intent and purpose behind the final document which was sent to the king. They begin by stating that Jefferson’s first draft was edited by John Adams and Ben

From here, they move onto the more complicated portion of this topic, interpreting and deciphering the deeper meaning of the changes made. They begin by writing out the entire Declaration of Independence, from start to finish, to allow the reader to get a surface-level understanding of the document. With the major points in mind, they begin to delve into the rich inner-workings of the writing. They begin by separating the document into two parts: one, a general justification for revolution, and two, a specific list of grievances that justify the revolution. They briefly discuss each of these, stating that more space was given to the latter portion of the