Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence

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Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson, who later became the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809, played a prominent role in the declaration of independence. An eloquent speaker, Jefferson was tasked with the responsibility of authoring the nation’s first draft of the Declaration of Independence (Armitage 12). To achieve his goals, Thomas Jefferson would outline the various wrongs that the British Monarch had committed against the colonies. For instance, Jefferson lamented about how the British Monarch had refused to assent to particular laws that were intended to facilitate the establishment of judicial structures in the colonies. However, he was careful not to criticize the British Monarch. Thomas Jefferson’s decision not to directly criticize the British Parliament was informed by various dynamics that would later dictate the future of the United States.
The British Monarch wielded enormous powers throughout the United Kingdom and by extension the colonies. Accordingly, it determined the measures and laws that had to be enacted to achieve its goals. The British Parliament was only required to ensure that the decisions made were put into law (Armitage 18). Hence, Jefferson was aware that most of the problems afflicting the colonies were as a direct result of the monarch’s actions and decisions. He did not seek to criticize the British Parliament since he considered it important to maintain cordial relations with it.

Consequently, Thomas Jefferson believed that only the British Monarch had the powers to undone the damage it had done to the colonies.
In conclusion, Thomas Jefferson is credited with having played a pivotal role in drafting the Declaration of Independence. As the principal author of the document, Jefferson directly attacked the British Monarch for the role it had played in undermining the colonies. However, he did not directly criticize the British Parliament for fear of antagonizing it.
Work Cited
Armitage, David. The declaration of independence: A global history. Harvard University Press, 2007.