The Real Author of the Declaration of Independence

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

The British Colonies secession document known as the Declaration of Independence was signed 238 years ago.  Authorship is commonly attributed to Thomas Jefferson.  While this is possible it is not certain.

An investigative essay published over a century ago entertains the idea that Jefferson's good friend Thomas Paine was the real author of the Declaration of Independence.  In support of this claim Walton Williams wrote:

The opening and closing sentences and certain alterations he may have actually originated, but as to the main body of the document it can be said as it was said of old: "The hand is the hand of Esau, but the voice is the voice of Jacob." The hand is the hand of Jefferson, but the voice is the voice of Thomas Paine.

Other evidence includes Jefferson's misquoting a passage from the document, the overall writing style to be more similar to Paine than Jefferson and a New Jersey newspaper threatening to reveal the name of the "real author".

Williams essay is worth a read.

    

Laws Are 'Of Nature', Says Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine was a massive influence on the late 18th century secession movements in the America's and France.  It has been argued that he, not Thomas Jefferson, wrote the Declaration of Independence for the former British Colonies of North America.

One thing for sure is that Paine was hated by monarch's all over Europe.  In The Rights of Man he wrote:   

All the great laws of society are laws of nature. Those of trade and commerce, whether with respect to the intercourse of individuals or of nations, are laws of mutual and reciprocal interest. They are followed and obeyed, because it is the interest of the parties so to do, and not on account of any formal laws their governments may impose or interpose.

To test Paine's claim, simply ponder this question.  Which law do you actually follow in your day-to-day life?  Laws of nature and morality or millions of pages written by thousands of lawyers scattered across hundreds of buildings over 3,000 miles?  

2013 U.S. Federal Register
Contains 80,000 Pages of New Rules

   
For more on Paine see his bio.

h/t Don Boudreaux for the Paine quote.