Jefferson Replaced Subjects With Citizens

In his rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, American statesman Thomas Jefferson originally wrote "our fellow subjects," then erased "subjects" while the ink was still wet and wrote "citizens" over it. Scholars had suspected the hidden wording for decades, but Library of Congress scientist Fenella France finally confirmed it using hyperspectral imaging in 2009. It captured a striking moment when Jefferson shifted his language from people under a monarchy to citizens of an emerging nation.

Previous Fact Next Fact