Continental Congress Independence Resolution (1776)
The Continental Congress appoints Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston to the Committee of Five to draft a declaration of independence.
Historical Context
Following the first shots of the Revolutionary War at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, the Second Continental Congress had been serving as the provisional government of the thirteen colonies. By the spring of 1776, sentiment for outright independence was building rapidly. Thomas Paine's Common Sense, published in January 1776, had made the moral case for independence in plain language. On June 7, 1776, Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee introduced a formal resolution declaring that “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States.” Congress debated but postponed a final vote for three weeks to allow undecided delegations to receive instructions from home.
Did You Know?
Thomas Jefferson was not Congress's first choice to write the Declaration of Independence — John Adams was. But Adams reportedly declined, telling Jefferson, “You can write ten times better than I can.” Jefferson drafted the Declaration largely alone over about 17 days, working in his rented rooms in Philadelphia.
What Happened
On June 11, 1776, the Second Continental Congress appointed a Committee of Five to draft a formal declaration should the Lee Resolution be approved. The five members were Thomas Jefferson of Virginia (primary drafter), John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, and Robert R. Livingston of New York. The committee presented their draft to Congress on June 28, 1776. Congress voted for independence on July 2, and the Declaration was adopted and signed on July 4, 1776.
Legacy
The Declaration of Independence became one of the most influential political documents in world history. Its assertion that “all men are created equal” and endowed with “unalienable rights” to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” echoed through every subsequent democratic and human rights movement. John Adams famously predicted that July 2nd — the day of the vote — would be “the most memorable epoch in the history of America,” though history instead celebrated July 4th.