Draft of Declaration of Independence

Date: June 28, 1776 • Location: Paris, France

American Revolution: Thomas Jefferson and the Committee of Five present the draft of the United States Declaration of Independence to the Second Continental Congress, which orders it to "lie on the table" for further edits by the assembly. The American Revolution (1765–1789) was a political movement in the Thirteen Colonies of Great Britain. It began as a colonial rebellion and evolved into a revolution, the result of which was the creation of the United States following the colonies' victory in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) and British recognition of their independence in the Treaty of Paris. The Second Continental Congress, as the provisional government, established the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander-in-chief in 1775. The following year, the Congress passed the Lee Resolution on July 2nd and unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4th.