Little-known facts about the Declaration

A committee of five were assigned to write it, the main author being Thomas Jefferson.

He drew from his own draft of a preamble to the Virginia State Constitution, and a draft of Virginia's Bill of Rights.

Congress formally declared that America was independent on July 2, 1776.  The final text of the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress on July 4.  It was signed by 56 men in August.

Nine of the signers died before the American Revolution ended.

The oldest signer was Ben Franklin at 70, and the two youngest were only 26 years old.

After the text was approved, Congress hired someone to make a formal copy which was then signed on August 2.  This is our Declaration of Independence now stored in the National Archives.