To: LindyBill who wrote (494195 ) 7/4/2012 3:23:12 PM From: KLP 2 Recommendations Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 793931 People comment that Rubio "isn't old enough"......Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence when he was 33..... Rubio is a wonderful candidate possibility...and one that I hope Romney will make. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Declaration of Independence is without a doubt one of the most important documents ever to be written in American history. It was signed by fifty six different men, all being representatives from different states. But who wrote the Declaration of Independence? Most of us know today the author of the Declaration of Independence as Thomas Jefferson. But many do not know the history behind the man or the Declaration. Let’s look at some important events leading up to the signing and writing of the Declaration. Why was the Declaration written? During the 1700s, the British Parliament passed several laws that limited the freedoms of many English colonists in America. Theses limitations resulted in the forming of the first Continental Congress in 1774. A list of complaints was sent to King George III but was ignored and after the second meeting of the Continental Congress and another ignored letter, the colonists felt that they needed something to declare their independence. Rebellion was the only choice the colonists felt they had left due to the King ignoring their letters. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? Although we know Thomas Jefferson as the true author, the Second Continental Congress initially appointed five people to draw up a declaration. The committee included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston and Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was then given the task of writing a draft for the Declaration of Independence, which from June 11 to June 28 he worked on. Before he presented the Declaration to the Continental Congress, he showed it to John Adams and Benjamin Franklin; they made revisions. He presented the draft to Congress on July 1, 1776 and more revisions were made. On the fourth of July the delegates met in what we know today as Independence Hall, but back then was known as the Pennsylvania State House, and approved the Declaration. John Hancock, the President of the Continental Congress signed the declaration along with Charles Thomson and it was sent to John Dunlap’s print shop for printing.