Thomas Jefferson wrote the phrase “We hold these truths to be self-evident” in the Declaration of Independence.
The sentence begins the document’s best-known statement of political principles, including equality and rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Jefferson included the passage in his draft for the Committee of Five, and Congress retained its core wording after revising the draft.
The sentence was influenced by Enlightenment political thought and by earlier arguments about natural rights and government. Its language was not a complete description of American society in 1776; slavery continued, women lacked equal political rights, and many people were excluded from citizenship and voting.
That gap between the Declaration’s universal language and historical practice has made the passage both an enduring civic ideal and a subject of continuing debate. It remains one of the most frequently quoted lines connected with America250.