"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal..."

And so it begins.

It took Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) 17 days to draft the Declaration of Independence, the cherished document of freedom. With conviction and eloquence his words transformed the Thirteen Colonies into the United States of America.

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it," he said.

Ordained and approved by the Continental Congress, it is a remarkable piece of writing, with Jefferson's words celebrating liberty over tyranny... and giving Americans the promise of a Nation where the quality of life and the pursuit of happiness shine.

"All authority belongs to the people," he said.

A man of deep intelligence who served as President of the United States from 1801-1809, spearheaded the Louisiana Purchase, and championed freedom, Jefferson once observed, "Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day."

More Thomas JEFFERSON Quotations

Thank God for Liberty.