The Declaration of Independence was changed.
When Thomas Jefferson first wrote a draft of the document, it originally said:
“We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable…”
Only after speaking to Benjamin Franklin and a committee of other founding fathers did Jefferson finally decide to change it.
The document was then changed to its current form:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident…”
So Why Did They Change It?
Although the Founding Fathers were literally risking their lives and fortunes to declare independence from King George on ideological grounds, they had enough sense to know that they might be wrong.
In the era’s “Age of Enlightenment,” they believed nothing was sacred in the world of rational men.
They had enough sense to acknowledge the possibility of human error even in their bold stand against King George.
Such humility is rare. The effects are obvious.
When leaders set aside their egos in pursuit of truth and the greater good, it can quite literally change the world.
We need more Franklins and Jeffersons – and far less of whatever in the world is going on nationally today.
Words matter.
