Declarations Before THE Declaration of Independence
By Ray Raphael - Posted at the Journal of the American Revolution : Published June 30, 2026 When the Continental Congress approved its Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, at least ninety public bodies had already declared in favor of independence. In those times, local jurisdictions often gave specific instructions to their representatives in higher bodies. (In Britain, by contrast, lower bodies “delegated” authority to elected officials, who could then act as they thought best.) Following the custom, many local bodies addressed the monumental topic of the moment. Pauline Maier cites and discusses these in her masterful book American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997). Below are a few examples from the original texts. On May 10, 1776, the Massachusetts House of Representatives asked town meetings “to express their minds with respect to American independence of the Kingdom of Great Britain.” At least fifty-eight townships weighe...
