Congress added divine references Jefferson’s church-state views kept out

Evidence

While Jefferson, as a thoughtful but nondoctrinal theist, likely agreed with both references, his views on the separation of church and state probably would have kept him from inserting them. Except for adding its reference to providence, Congress retained Jefferson’s haunting final sentence by which “we,” the delegates, mutually yet individually pledged to support the Declaration with “our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” Its sobering impact may have led to Congress’s presiding officer, John Hancock, admonishing delegates after their approval of the Declaration, “We must all hang together,” and to Franklin’s reported retort, “or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.” Under British law, by declaring independence, they had committed high treason. — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 215

Categorization

• SEED: The contrast between Jefferson’s own drafting and Congress’s added religious language offers an angle on how collective editing shapes foundational legal-political texts.
• DEFINE: Under British law, declaring independence constituted high treason — defining the legal stakes of the delegates’ act.
• XREF: connects to: Jefferson came to be remembered as sole author despite Congress heavily revising his text — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 223; Congress revised more than a quarter of Jefferson’s draft over two days of debate — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 222

Broader Connections

• Jefferson came to be remembered as sole author despite Congress heavily revising his text #expands (0.85) — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 223
• Congress revised more than a quarter of Jefferson’s draft over two days of debate #exemplifies (0.80) — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 222