[77] The other committee members made some changes, and a final draft was presented to Congress on June 28, 1776.[78]
The declaration was introduced on Friday, June 28, and Congress began debate over its contents on Monday, July 1,[78] resulting in the omission of a fourth of the text,[79] including a passage critical of King George III and "Jefferson's anti-slavery clause".[80][81] Jefferson resented the changes, but he did not speak publicly about the revisions.[f] On July 4, 1776, the Congress ratified the Declaration, and delegates signed it on August 2; in doing so, they were committing an act of treason against the Crown.[83] Jefferson's preamble is regarded as an enduring statement of human rights, and the phrase "all men are created equal" has been called "one of the best-known sentences in the English language" containing "the most potent and consequential words in American history".[80][84]

Virginia state legislator and governor
Governor's Palace, Governor Jefferson's residence in Williamsburg
At the start of the Revolution, Colonel Jefferson was named commander of the Albemarle County Militia on September 26, 1775.