Engaged! NNN(555) HOTTT PURRR-SUIT Of My HapppiiiinessS >:)

The United States Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson, edited by the Committee of Five, then further edited and adopted by the Committee of the Whole of the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.^[2][3] The second section of text in the Declaration contains the phrase.

Jefferson's "original Rough draught" is on exhibit in the Library of Congress.^[4]This version was used by Julian Boyd to create a transcript of Jefferson's draft,^[5]which reads:

We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness; ...

The Committee of Five edited Jefferson's draft. Their version survived further edits by the whole Congress intact, and reads:^[6]

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. ——