“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal....” These are some of the most famous words in U.S. history, and Thomas Jefferson wrote them.
These words are part of the Declaration of Independence. In this document, Jefferson stated all the reasons why the American colonists wanted independence from Great Britain. He also did something even more important: he expressed in powerful and new language his ideas about human rights and liberty. The Declaration was the first official document to say that all people had the right to the “pursuit of happiness.” It also stated that it was the government’s job to protect this right, and the rights to both life and liberty.
