There were some related resources in yesterday's new links post, and more can be found at Early Modern Themes: Politics, Rebellions, Revolutions. I rather like this: Declaring Independence: Drafting the Documents. It ranges from the earliest drafts of the Declaration to Jefferson's last thoughts on the achievement the Declaration represented, just a few days before his death:
... May it be to the world, what I believe it will be, (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all,) the signal of arousing men to burst the chains under which monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves, and to assume the blessings and security of self-government. That form which we have substituted, restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion. All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of God. These are grounds of hope for others. ...
(On a much more frivolous note: Wales' slice of American pie)
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