The Declaration of Independence, Now Twitter Size
The winner of our #TinyDeclaration contest.
John Silliman/Unsplash
Updated, July 4, 2017: Congratulations to @bchlivin, the winner of this year's #TinyDeclaration contest.
Thomas Jefferson didn’t have to worry about character count when he wrote the Declaration of Independence, but he didn’t have Tinder as a reference point either.
The hundreds of entries to our #TinyDeclaration contest used a variety of methods to get at the same goal: condensing Jefferson’s historic statement into a single tweet. Some read like poems, others like legal briefs. One used only emojis. They referenced summer blockbusters, credit card marketing campaigns, and, yes, swiping left on King George.
These 15 finalists, in their different ways, succeed at compressing the heart of Jefferson’s document into 140 characters.
📜🇺🇸🆓
— Tiffany C. Li (@tiffanycli) June 27, 2017
👬=👬=👬
⛪️🌅🙏:
(👶🏼⏳👴🏼, 🗽, &
😃……🏃🏻🏃🏻🏃🏻💨)
🇬🇧🤴🏼= 🐍
🇬🇧🤴🏼= 💩
🇬🇧🤴🏼= 🗑🔥
❌🇬🇧🤴🏼
👋🇬🇧
🇺🇸= 🆓
📝📝📝📝📝📝✏️📝📝📝📝📝📝@Slate #TinyDeclaration
56 Patriots,
— Jaimie Erker (@JaimieErker) June 29, 2017
27 oppressions,
3 inalienable rights,
1 Declaration of Independence....
PRICELESS #TinyDeclaration
We're endowed & entitled.
— DeclarationResources (@declarationres) June 29, 2017
We've been abused & usurped.
We've petitioned & appealed.
Now we're absolved from all allegiance.#TinyDeclaration
Govt shld protect its ppl. GB has abused us repeatedly. We implored, but no, so taking a new, independent road. Freedom! #TinyDeclaration
— Laurie Delaney (@lhdelane) June 28, 2017
Herein we affix
— The PolitiCat (@AtPolitiCat) June 28, 2017
A list o'Kingly tricks
If not 4 which we'd be
Loyal still 2 thee.
U R behind us.
A common future binds us.#TinyDeclaration
@Slate George, you have forced us to swipe left. #TinyDeclaration
— Emma Yo (@HK_AlohaLady) June 28, 2017
@USNatArchives Farewell Britain..freedom is ours..leave and tuck tail..whilst we celebrate with ale #TinyDeclaration
— Stephanie Ann (@strump0117) June 27, 2017
Time has come to part ways. We are born free & have suffered abuse. Read list & weep. So good-bye GB, we are now the USA. #TinyDeclaration
— Selina Jarvis (@seajarvis) June 29, 2017
The original summer blockbuster. Several rewrites. Aged well; relevant to modern audiences & riveting upon repeat viewings. #TinyDeclaration
— Nick Sbordone (@nicksbordone) June 28, 2017
Dear George,
— Melody Nowowiejski (@makingmelody12) June 27, 2017
It's not us, it's you.
Also, we're keeping the land, but you can have the stamps and tea.#TinyDeclaration @Slate
Yes we were colonies of yours
— Craig Mateer (@bchlivin) June 29, 2017
But meddling, taxes we abhor
Our fury unleashed
Breaking our lease
On our own better for sure#tinydeclaration
Your government has to go,
— GModo61 (@GModo61) June 27, 2017
Violate God-given rights no more,
We will take over the show. #TinyDeclaration
"Inaleinable rights"; gov. power = people power; Parliament ≠ American people; lots of grievances! #USA #USA! #TinyDeclaration
— Mr. Huesken 🏛 (@MrHuesken) June 28, 2017
It's obvious. We are equal and have a bunch of rights. Just government protects them. George hasn't. Bunch of reasons. So bye. God help us.
— Joe Paulson (@JoePaulson2) June 29, 2017
It's not U. K ? It's US. #tinydeclaration
— Raffi N. Jansezian (@raffinjansezian) June 26, 2017
The winning tweet will be chosen by a panel consisting of Slate editor-in-chief Julia Turner, archivist David Ferriero, and author Brad Meltzer, and announced on Tuesday by the National Archives, our partners in this contest, at their July 4 celebration.