Subjects or Citizens? Library of Congress reveals Jefferson's choice

Preservation work on a draft of the Declaration of Independence reveals an intriguing word choice made by Thomas Jefferson. He originally wrote the phrase "our fellow subjects" in the section detailing U.S. grievances against King George III, but reconsidered and changed the phrase to "our fellow citizens" instead, symbolizing the break from the monarch's rule.

The correction has been theorized for more than half a century, but the word "subjects" was scrubbed out and is not visible to the naked eye. The Library's Optical Properties Laboratory confirmed it using hyperspectral imaging, which collects information from across the electromagnetic spectrum, including visible light and infrared and ultraviolet radiation.

Read more about the process at the Library of Congress or BoingBoing.