The Declaration of Independence

While this painting by John Trumball isn't exactly historically accurate, the sentiment it protrays is. It depicts the presentation of Jefferson's draft of the Declaration to the entire Continental Congress by the Declaration Committee. What it does capture is the fact that even though Jefferson wrote it it was John Adams who was at the center of the action in getting it written & approved. As David McCullough points out in an article in The Wall Street Journal (30 June-1 July 2007 vol CCXLIX #152), Adams is the only 1 presented full-figure & is at the exact center of the painting. McCullough states: "It was Jefferson's declaration, Trumbull seems to be saying, but it was Adams who stood at the center of what happened, in that it was he who got the Congress to cast the all-important unanamous vote for the Declaration."