On this day in history, Congress votes for independence from Great Britain.
244 years ago Congress was so close to making the most important decision the United States of America would ever have to make.
Declaring our independence from Great Britain.
Richard Henry Lee’s resolution for independence from Great Britain was originally introduced to Congress on June 7. It became clear to everyone that New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and South Carolina were unwilling to declare their independence. Congress decided to delay the vote until July 1, 1776.
During the time between June 7 and July 1 Congress appointed a committee comprising of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson to draft a formal declaration of independence.
Jefferson, known as the best writer of the group was the primary author of our declaration of independence which was presented to Congress on June 28, 1776.
The debate on Lee’s resolution commenced on July 1, 1776, as planned. A majority of the delegates favored the resolution. Congress wanted a unanimous vote to proclaim the states’ independence from Great Britain so the final vote was delayed once again to July 2 when the colonial delegates would vote in favor except for New York. The New York delegate abstained from voting, unsure how his constituents would want them to vote.
To celebrate this great day, check out our favorite 4th of July movies.
