Thomas Jefferson recieves a important tip from John Adams

     During the time that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were writing the Declaration of Independence, John Adams made sure to let Thomas Jefferson know to keep his writing simple. He told him a story about a friend of his who was apprenticed to a hatter. After his apprenticeship was over the man wanted to open his own business, but in order to do that he needed a sign for his store. His original sign read "John Thompson, Hatter, makes and sells hats for ready money" with a drawing of a hat on it too. He showed the sign to his friends to have them give him their opinions. They told him that the word "Hatter" was unnecessary because he followed it by saying he made hats. So they took that out. Then the told him that it was pointless to say he was selling hats because people wouldn't expect him to give them away for free. That left him with "John Thompson, makes hats." At this they said he should simply take out the "makes" and leave it to "John Thompson, Hats" with a drawing of a hat on the sign as well.