Jefferson, Thomas (1743-1826). American philosopher, statesman, and author. Jefferson was the principal architect of the Declaration of Independence and its primary orator during the drafting process. He also played an important role in the adoption of the Federal Constitution at its 1787 meeting in Philadelphia. The Declaration was drafted by Jefferson and his colleagues during the summer and fall of 1776 as America's founding document. It announced the formal separation of Britain's North American colonies from their mother country to form a new nation. The declaration was published on August 2, 1776, just three weeks after it was written. It quickly became the preeminent symbol of revolutionary nationalism and has been cited by every president since. It was approved by the Congress on July 4, 1776, the day before the opening of the First Continental Congress. The date was chosen because it was the anniversary of the signing of the royal charter creating the Virginia Company. Virginia had been the first state to ratify the United States Constitution, so it made sense for the nation to use its birth date as an official one.