On the Eve of our nation’s birthday, HR Strategies is taking a moment to look at the document that provided our Independence.

“Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is at once the nation’s most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson’s most enduring monument. Here, in exalted and unforgettable phrases, Jefferson expressed the convictions in the minds and hearts of the American people. The political philosophy of the Declaration was not new; its ideals of individual liberty had already been expressed by John Locke and the Continental philosophers. What Jefferson did was to summarize this philosophy in “self-evident truths” and set forth a list of grievances against the King in order to justify before the world the breaking of ties between the colonies and the mother country. We invite you to read a transcription of the complete text of the Declaration.” As found by clicking here.

A few more interesting facts about the Declaration of Independence:

• Though the most famous signature on the Declaration of Independence is that of John Hancock, Georgians should be proud that the first three signatures, in column one, are those of fellow Georgians: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, and George Walton.
• The most frequently reproduced version of the document is taken from the engraving made by William J. Stone in 1823; this is because the original is badly faded because of poor preservation techniques in the 19^th century. However, the original is exhibited in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom.

To read the entire Declaration of Independence and find out more interesting facts about the documents drafting and preservation, please visit: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/