I learned a very interesting fact while on a tour in Disneyland last week. It seems that a committee was appointed on June 11, 1776, to draft the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson took the laboring oar and did the initial draft. Forty-seven alterations were made to that draft before it was presented to Congress on June 28. Congress voted for independence on July 2–and then continued to edit the document, making 39 more edits before voting for adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. Although Mr. Jefferson did not agree with many of those final edits, they were made and the Declaration was printed late in the day on July 4. Thus, July 4 is Independence Day, even though the vote approving independence was made on July 2.
This is how important proofreading has been in our history and I have even more respect for Thomas Jefferson. He had the most difficult job in the whole process!
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