made in the statement that "to secure these rights, governments are
instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of
the governed." It is asserted with much more clearness in the
concluding part of the Declaration, which reads:

"We, therefore,... declare that these United Colonies are,
and of right ought to be, free and independent states,...
and that all political connection between them and the State
of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved."

In the first draft of the concluding part of the Declaration,
Jefferson wrote:

"We, therefore,... utterly dissolve and break off all
political connection which may have heretofore subsisted
between us and the people or Parliament of Great Britain,
and finally we do assert and declare these Colonies to be
free and independent states."

The resolution of the Virginia Convention of May 15, 1776, which was
the basis of the Declaration, read:

"That the delegates ... be instructed to propose to [the
Continental Congress] to declare the United Colonies free
and independent states, absolved from all ... dependence
upon the Crown or Parliament of Great Britain."

A comparison of the words used by the Congress with those used by the
Virginia Convention and those used by Jefferson in the first draft,
shows how much the judgment of the Congress was clarified by the great