Jayson Booth Jr., age 13, of Rock Island, I11., for his question:

WHO WROTE THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE?

Author of the Declaration of Independence was Thomas Jefferson, the American revolutionary leader, political philosopher and third President of the United States.

Jefferson took a leading part in the Continental Congress. After the Revolutionary war began, he was asked to draft a "Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms." The Congress found this declaration "too strong," and the more moderate John Dickinson drafted a substitute. It included much of Jefferson's original version.

During the spring of 1776, sentiment rapidly grew stronger in favor of independence. On June 7, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced his famous resolution that "these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States."

Congress appointed a committee to draw up a declaration of independence. On the committee were Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston. The committee unanimously asked Jefferson to prepare the draft and approved it with few changes.

Congress began debating the declaration on June 28 and adopted it on July 4. The Congressmen made some changes, but, as Richard Lee said: "The Thing in its nature is so good that no cookery can spoil the dish for the palates of freemen."

The Declaration of Independence remains Jefferson's best known work. It set forth with moving eloquence, supported by strong legal argument, the position of the American Revolutionaries. It affirmed belief in representative government under a constitution.

Few of the ideas in the declaration were new. Jefferson said his object was to "place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent ... Neither aiming at originality or principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind ..."

Jefferson was among the most brilliant American exponents of the Enlightenment.

President George Washington asked Thomas Jefferson to be Secretary of State in the new government. Jefferson yielded to Washington's urging.

Jefferson joined his fellow Cabinet members in urging Washington to accept a second term as President. But he himself was weary of office and wanted to escape the "hated occupation of politics." Jefferson finally persuaded Washington to accept his resignation.

But soon Jefferson became concerned with what he felt were the centralizing tendencies of the government. He accepted the Democratic Repubiicf n nomination for President in 1796 and ran against John Adams, the Federalist candidate. Adams, with 71 electoral votes, was elected President    the nation's second. Jefferson received 68 electoral votes, the second largest number. By the law of the time, he became Vice President.

Jefferson as again nominated for President in 1800 and named former Sen. Aaron Burr of New York for Vice President. The Federalists renominated President Adams.

Jefferson won the Presidency by receiving 73 electoral votes to 65 for Adams. The House of Representatives named Burr to be Vice President.