Jefferson’s inserted preamble made Virginia the first state to declare independence.

Evidence

Assuming that its Declaration of Rights asserting the right of a people to rebel would appear as a preface to the Virginia Constitution, the drafting committee had not provided any other preamble. Jefferson did not include a declaration of rights in his draft constitution, however, and instead began it with a fiery preamble that gave reasons for replacing royal rule with republican government and concluded with words formally deposing George III “from the kingly office within this government.” During its deliberations on the constitution, the convention wedged Jefferson’s preamble between the document’s lofty Declaration of Rights and its detailed text on government structure. By doing so and then adopting its constitution on June 29, Virginia became the first state to assert independence. — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 203

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Congress deferred the Declaration text until the independence resolution passed.; North Carolina was the first colony to order its delegates to declare independence — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 137