July 2, 1776 - Passage of Resolution calling for Independence of "United Colonies" from Great Britain by Second Continental Congress

Compiled by Steve Lefemine, Christians for Life and Liberty:

Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee's Call for Independence

"This is Richard Henry Lee's three-fold resolution of [initially proposed] June 7, 1776, calling for independence, the formation of foreign alliances, and a plan for self-government."

'Resolved, 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. That it is expedient forthwith to take the most effectual measures for forming foreign alliances. That a plan of confederation be prepared and transmitted to the respective Colonies for their consideration and approbation [approval].'

Source: "The Declaration of Independence: A Model for Individual Rights", by Don Nardo, 1999, p. 31.

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Lee's Resolution on Independence

"By early June 1776, most American leaders had committed to the cause of independence and some decided that the next logical step was to draft a congressional resolution that would unite all the colonies in separating from Britain and establishing their own nation. This momentous resolution, proposed on June 7 by Virginia's Richard Henry Lee, was, despite later popular misconceptions, the chief legal organ of American Independence.The Declaration of Independence was meant only to implement Lee's resolution by announcing and explaining Congress's fateful action to Britain and the world." Ibid., p. 30.

Note: Posterity has accorded great historical significance to the Declaration of Independence: The 1776 Declaration of Independence is one of the four Organic Laws of the United States, posted at the very beginning of the United States Code of Laws.

"The delegates debated the resolution on June 8 and again on June 10, discussing diverse potential implications of independence." Ibid., p. 30.

"The upshot of these tense discussions was that some of the delegates were still uneasy about severing all ties with Britain." Ibid., p. 30.

"Having thus reached a temporary impasse, the delegates decided to postpone voting on the resolution for a few weeks. During that period, the majority hoped, the uncommitted colonial legislatures would come around and back the measure. As Jefferson remembered it:"

'It appeared in the course of these debates, that the colonies of New York, New Jersey Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and South Carolina were not yet matured for falling from the parent stem, but that they were fast advancing to that state, it was thought most prudent to wait a while for them, and to postpone the final decision to July 1st.' [FN 21] Ibid., p. 31.


Choosing the Committee of Five

"Those who backed an immediate split with Britain were confident that their still-wavering colleagues would join them. Therefore, to avoid unnecessary delays in the event the [Lee] resolution passed in early July, the next day, June 11, Congress appointed a committee to draft a declaration to implement the measure. Chosen to write this official announcement of American independence were Jefferson, Adams, and Livingston, along with Benjamin Franklin and Roger Sherman." Ibid., pp. 31, 32

"Shortly after having been appointed to the committee, these five men met and briefly discussed the general form that the document should take. ... at the end of the session Franklin, Adams, Livingston, and Sherman asked Jefferson to prepare the all-important initial draft." Ibid., p. 33.

Jefferson submitted his draft to Franklin and to Adams who made certain changes. Ibid., pp. 37, 38.

Second Continental Congress votes for Independence

"After making minimal changes in Jefferson's rough draft of the Declaration, the drafting committee presented the fair copy of the document to the [Second Continental] Congress on June 28, 1776. The delegates temporarily tabled the matter, however. Foremost on their immediate agenda was then much more pressing business of debating and voting on [Richard Henry] Lee's resolution for independence, scheduled to begin on July 1. That day the delegates registered their first vote and nine were in the affirmative, the others abstaining because of disagreement within their delegations or lack of authority from their legislatures. More debate, most of it informal, took place late that day and in the following morning. Then came the historic final votes. At first, all of the states except New York were for independence, not because that state's delegates were against the resolution, but because they were still waiting for the go-ahead from their legislature. To everyone's relief, that approval arrived only a few hours later, after which New York voted "yes," making the action unanimous." Ibid., p. 55.

"Thus, contrary to popular belief, July 2, 1776, is the actual day that the United States was born. The patriots saw the next order of business, the Declaration of Independence, as important, but more as a formal afterthought; after all, they had no idea at the time that the document would become revered or that the date of its approval would come to be celebrated as the nation's independence day. The historic significance the founders at first attached to the date of July 2 is well illustrated in the correspondence John Adams sent to his wife [Abigail] the next day:" Ibid., p. 56.

"As it happened, of course, the founder's observance of July 2 was in time eclipsed by events they could not foresee and July 4 came to be celebrated as "the great anniversary festival." This is in large part a testimonial to the moving and powerful language and sentiments of the Declaration, which made it irresistibly appealing to succeeding generations." Ibid., p. 56.

Note: Succeeding generations have accorded great historical significance to the Declaration of Independence: The 1776 Declaration of Independence is one of the four Organic Laws of the United States, posted at the very beginning of the United States Code of Laws.