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July 4

Continental Congress Adopts The Declaration of Independence (1776)


On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted The Declaration of Independence proclaiming the United States’ independence from Great Britain. Since that day, July 4th commemorates the birthday of the United States and is celebrated throughout the country with parades, cookouts, fireworks, and many other patriotic events.

During the American Revolution the colonists grew dissatisfied with British rule and the current government and formed a Second Continental Congress to address these issues. After intense negotiations and debate, the Congress finally made the decision to declare independence from Great Britain.

Congress created a committee called The Committee of Five to draft a declaration, including John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman. The Committee then assigned Jefferson to draft the Declaration and the other members provided minor revisions to his work.

Jefferson drew inspiration from French and English sources, including John Locke’s theory that “just governments” represent the consent of the governed to protect people in their inherent rights to life, liberty, and property. Jefferson finally submitted his final draft to the members of the Second Continental Congress for approval.

The Second Continental Congress voted to approve The Declaration of Independence on July 2, 1776. The men that signed the Declaration believed that July 2nd would be remembered as our nation’s birthday. For example, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail Adams on July 3, 1776:
The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of the continent to the other, from this time forward, forevermore. (Source: americanrevwar.homestead.com)
However, Adams and the others signers of the Declaration were wrong on the date. Two days later, on July 4th, Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence based on it vote of July 2nd. Then, the newspapers and media publicized July 4th as the day of significance – even though the actual vote occurred two days earlier!

The Declaration was primarily designed to influence public opinion, both at home and abroad. John Adams wrote that the Declaration was a more "dress and ornament rather than Body, Soul, or Substance," but he did believe it was worth celebrating. John Hancock explained that the Declaration laid "the Ground & Foundation" of American self-government. He also stated that the Declaration had to be proclaimed to American troops for support and inspiration to fight more ardently against the British and to the rest of the country for support and unity.

The U.S. also hoped that the Declaration would gain military support from France. Interestingly, the actual letter with the Declaration for the French government was originally misplaced, took many months to arrive in France, and was finally delivered in a disheveled manner without an official seal to the French embassy!

INTERESTING NOTE: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on the same day – July 4, 1826 – the 50th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. Adams was the second U.S. President and a signer of the Declaration, and Jefferson was the third U.S. president and primary drafter of the Declaration.

Beginning excerpt from the Declaration of Independence:
In Congress, July 4, 1776

THE UNANIMOUS DECLARATION OF THE THIRTEEN

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.