For my first post here on Blogcritics.org, I thought I'd provide a couple of interesting links related to the Declaration of Independence itself:

First, I recommend the interactive version of the Declaration of Independence, which is part of the fascinating "100 Milestone Documents" collection on ourdocuments.gov.

Second, here's a great article from the National Archives - titled "The Stylistic Artistry of the Declaration of Independence" - which analyzes the Declaration from a linguistic perspective. This article left me in awe of Jefferson's rhetorical ability . . . and left me wondering how badly he would destroy most of today's politicians in a political debate - not just Bush or Kerry, but even Edwards or Clinton.

Finally, here's a painstakingly obsessive history of the document itself, also from the National Archives. It covers things like the guy who really wrote the Declaration of Independence:

"Engrossing is the process of preparing an official document in a large, clear hand. Timothy Matlack was probably the engrosser of the Declaration. He was a Pennsylvanian who had assisted the Secretary of the Congress, Charles Thomson, in his duties for over a year and who had written out George Washington's commission as commanding general of the ContinentalArmy. Matlack set to work with pen, ink, parchment, and practiced hand, and finally, on August 2, the journal of the Continental Congress records that "The declaration of independence being engrossed and compared at the table was signed."

If you've made it to the end of this post, something's wrong - grab a macrobrew, get outside, and watch the fireworks! Happy Fourth of July.