CONGRESS DECIDES TO WRITE A DECLARATION
On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee proposed "certain resolutions" to congress. His resolution stated "that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved". The topic of independence was the subject of debate for the next three days in Congress. Finally, on June 10, Congress decided to allow the remaining colonies that had not yet accepted independence, which included Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York, more time and postponed voting on Lee's resolution until July 1, three weeks later. So that no time would be lost if Congress did approve Lee's resolution, a committee of five people was appointed by congress to write a declaration. This committee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston.
On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee proposed "certain resolutions" to congress. His resolution stated "that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved". The topic of independence was the subject of debate for the next three days in Congress. Finally, on June 10, Congress decided to allow the remaining colonies that had not yet accepted independence, which included Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York, more time and postponed voting on Lee's resolution until July 1, three weeks later. So that no time would be lost if Congress did approve Lee's resolution, a committee of five people was appointed by congress to write a declaration. This committee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston.
WRITING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
The original rough draft of the Declaration was written by Thomas Jefferson, who worked in private from June 11 to the June 28, occasionally submitting drafts to Adams and Franklin, who made alterations. On the 28th, the entire Committee of Five examined the document before it was presented to Congress. By this time, only two colonies had not allowed their delegates to vote for independence, Maryland and New York. By that night, Maryland had consented to the idea of independence. On July 1st, Congress again debated the Lee Resolution. These debates lasted all of the day and even went into July 2nd, but John Adams believed that they were a waste of time claiming that nothing was said "but what had been repeated and hackneyed in that Room before an hundred times, for Six Months past." On July 2nd, Congress approved the Lee Resolution with a vote of 12-0, (New York's delegates abstained from the vote because they did not have permission to vote for independence; a week later New York would give its delegates permission to add their approval to that of the other colonies) and began to revise the Declaration of Independence as a whole. After two full days of editing and 39 revisions, Congress ratified the document on July 4, 1776. Within hours, copies of the Declaration were printed and distributed to officers in the Continental Army. On July 19th, the document was sent for engrossing, or "the process of preparing an official document in large, clear hand." The engrossed copy was completed on August 2. Most of the 56 delegates signed the document on that day in Independence Hall. The signers included Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, John Adams, John Hancock, and Thomas Jefferson.
The original rough draft of the Declaration was written by Thomas Jefferson, who worked in private from June 11 to the June 28, occasionally submitting drafts to Adams and Franklin, who made alterations. On the 28th, the entire Committee of Five examined the document before it was presented to Congress. By this time, only two colonies had not allowed their delegates to vote for independence, Maryland and New York. By that night, Maryland had consented to the idea of independence. On July 1st, Congress again debated the Lee Resolution. These debates lasted all of the day and even went into July 2nd, but John Adams believed that they were a waste of time claiming that nothing was said "but what had been repeated and hackneyed in that Room before an hundred times, for Six Months past." On July 2nd, Congress approved the Lee Resolution with a vote of 12-0, (New York's delegates abstained from the vote because they did not have permission to vote for independence; a week later New York would give its delegates permission to add their approval to that of the other colonies) and began to revise the Declaration of Independence as a whole. After two full days of editing and 39 revisions, Congress ratified the document on July 4, 1776. Within hours, copies of the Declaration were printed and distributed to officers in the Continental Army. On July 19th, the document was sent for engrossing, or "the process of preparing an official document in large, clear hand." The engrossed copy was completed on August 2. Most of the 56 delegates signed the document on that day in Independence Hall. The signers included Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, John Adams, John Hancock, and Thomas Jefferson.