Continental Congress debates and votes for independence – 1776

AI reconstruction based on Stanley Massey Arthurs' "Live or Die, Sink or Swim, Survive or Perish, I Give My Hand and My Heart to This Vote" (1925), from the perspective of the delegate John Adams is addressing, face-to-face in a wooded clearing.

Continental Congress debates and votes for independence – 1776

On a summer day in Philadelphia, delegates cast the vote that actually made America independent — two days before anyone signed a thing.^{[1, p. 2]}^{[2, p. 12]}

What Happened

The story

On 7 June 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia rose in the Second Continental Congress at Philadelphia^{[3, p. 1]} to move that the colonies be declared free and independent states^{[1, p. 1]}. With opinion still divided, Congress postponed a final vote and instead appointed a Committee of Five to draft a declaration explaining such a step, ready if the vote later carried^[4].

Over the following weeks, delegates still bound by cautious instructions sought fresh guidance from their home colonies. Support gradually built, and by late June Georgia and other hesitant delegations had come round to independence^{[5, p. 209]}, though John Dickinson of Pennsylvania remained a prominent voice against breaking with Britain^[6].

AI reconstruction based on Robert Edge Pine and Edward Savage's "Congress Voting Independence" (begun c. 1784, unfinished), from the perspective of a delegate standing at the back of the chamber, near the writing tables.

On 2 July 1776, the Congress voted to adopt Lee's resolution, formally declaring the colonies independent states^{[1, p. 2]}. Contemporaries treated this vote, rather than the later signing, as the true moment independence was decided^[7].

With independence approved in principle, Congress spent the next two days reviewing and amending the Committee of Five's draft declaration explaining the decision, before adopting it on 4 July 1776^{[2, p. 7]}.

Quick Facts

The essentials

Quick Facts

Location: Part of Thirteen Colonies (British America) — today, United States Date: 7 June – 2 July 1776 Period: Early Modern World Classification: Founding / Establishment Also known as: The Lee Resolution^{[1, p. 1]}

Delegates for independence

Leadership

Richard Henry Lee, who proposed the resolution^{[8, p. 9]}

Forces

The majority of Second Continental Congress delegates, who voted for independence on 2 July 1776.^{[1, p. 2]}

Objective

A formal declaration of independence from Britain

Delegates opposed or hesitant

Leadership

John Dickinson, who opposed the Declaration of Independence^[6]

Forces

A minority of delegates, including a Pennsylvania faction led by John Dickinson, who opposed the resolution.^[6]

Objective

To delay or avoid a formal break with Britain

The Bigger Picture

The vote took place more than a year into the fighting of the American Revolutionary War, which had begun at Lexington and Concord on 19 April 1775.^{[9, p. 50]}

How It Came To This

By mid-1776 a growing number of delegates in the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia^{[3, p. 1]} judged reconciliation with Britain no longer realistic, leading Richard Henry Lee to move a resolution for independence^{[8, p. 9]}.

What Actually Happened

On 7 June 1776, Richard Henry Lee introduced a resolution declaring the colonies independent states^{[1, p. 1]}. Congress postponed the final vote and appointed a Committee of Five to draft a supporting declaration^[4] while delegates sought fresh instructions from their colonies. Support built through June, with Georgia among the colonies coming around^{[5, p. 209]}, though John Dickinson remained a prominent opponent of the break^[6]. On 2 July 1776, Congress voted to adopt Lee's resolution^{[1, p. 2]}.

Why It Still Matters

Contemporaries regarded the vote of 2 July, not the later signing, as the moment independence was actually decided^[7]; Congress spent the following two days reviewing the Committee of Five's draft declaration before adopting it on 4 July^{[2, p. 7]}.

AI reconstruction based on Robert Edge Pine and Edward Savage's "Congress Voting Independence" (begun c. 1784, unfinished), from the perspective of Benjamin Franklin, seated to one side of the chamber watching the vote.

Quick Facts

Roger has entered the historical rabbit hole…

Delaware's tie-breaking vote nearly didn't happen. When his colleagues split down the middle, delegate Thomas McKean sent an express rider, at his own expense, to fetch the ailing Caesar Rodney, who arrived at the State House door still in his riding boots and spurs^{[2, p. 12]}, just in time to cast Delaware's deciding vote.

Keith has spotted the problem…

The vote for independence wasn't actually unanimous on its first try. On 1 July 1776, Pennsylvania's seven-member delegation split four against to three in favour, and the measure only carried the next day after two of the dissenters simply stayed away^{[2, p. 12]}.

Keith checked the sources…

Despite the familiar image of fifty-six men signing on 4 July, the engrossed parchment copy wasn't actually signed by most delegates until 2 August 1776^{[2, p. 12]} — weeks after independence had already been voted and announced.

This sounds invented, but…

A few names on the Declaration belong to men who weren't even delegates yet on 4 July 1776. Several, including George Clymer and George Taylor, weren't elected to Congress until later that month, but still signed the parchment^{[2, p. 12]}.

Roger said it. Keith checked it…

John Adams was confident he knew which date history would remember. Writing home just after the vote, he predicted future Americans would commemorate 2 July “with Pomp and Parade”^{[10, p. 3]} — he simply had the date two days wrong.

Roger would like you to know…

Writing the Declaration was a team job, at least on paper. The Committee of Five tasked with it was Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston^{[10, p. 1]} — a five-man drafting team that, Roger notes with some pride, already had a Roger in it.

One for the Ageonauts…

The Congress that voted for independence still needed someone to keep order: John Hancock, elected President of the Continental Congress, was in the chair for the vote itself^{[11, p. 39]}.

Keith would like to clarify…

Not every colony could even vote for independence when the question was first raised. New York's delegates were still waiting on fresh instructions from home and had no authority to vote at all^[12], so their support only arrived after the fact.

Roger has a theory…

The final push to unanimity on 2 July came down to two men simply not showing up. Pennsylvania's John Dickinson and Robert Morris, both opposed to independence, stayed away from Congress that day, letting their colony's vote flip in favour^{[2, p. 12]}.

A small fact with a very large consequence…

Georgia was among the more reluctant colonies, only bringing its delegates round to voting for independence shortly before the final tally^{[5, p. 209]} — a reminder that the vote's eventual unanimity was hard-won, not automatic.

AI reconstruction based on the illustration "Caesar Rodney Rides from Dover to Philadelphia, July 1st-2nd, 1776" (artist not confirmed), from the perspective of a bystander on the road as Rodney passes the Philadelphia/Dover signpost.

The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.^{[10, p. 3]}

John Adams

Written by Adams to his wife Abigail on 3 July 1776, the day after Congress voted for independence — Adams predicted this date, not 4 July, would be the one future Americans celebrated^{[10, p. 3]}.

Timeline

How it unfolded

15 May 1776

Virginia Instructs Its Delegates

The Virginia convention at Williamsburg instructed its delegates in Congress to propose that Congress declare the colonies independent of Great Britain.^{[13, p. 679]}^[4]

7 June 1776

Lee Resolution Introduced

Richard Henry Lee, acting on Virginia's instructions, moved in Congress that the united colonies 'are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states', and John Adams seconded the motion.^{[14, p. 10]}^{[15, p. 99]}

10 June 1776

Vote Postponed to 1 July

After debate in committee of the whole, Congress resolved to postpone consideration of the Lee resolution to 1 July and, in the meantime, to appoint a committee to prepare a declaration to the effect of the resolution.^{[16, p. 235]}^{[15, p. 99]}

1 July 1776

First Vote in Committee of the Whole

On 1 July Congress took its first count on independence, which only nine colonies supported, with Pennsylvania and South Carolina opposed, New York abstaining and the two Delaware delegates present deadlocked. Edward Rutledge of South Carolina moved that the vote be retaken the next day.^[4]

2 July 1776

Congress Votes for Independence

On 2 July Congress adopted Lee's resolution, with all colonies voting in favour except New York, whose delegates abstained.^[12]^{[14, p. 10]} John Adams wrote to his wife that the second day of July 1776 'will be the most memorable epocha in the history of America'.^{[17, p. 60]}

4 July 1776

Declaration of Independence Adopted

Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole on 4 July, and Benjamin Harrison reported that the committee had agreed to a Declaration, which Congress then agreed to and ordered authenticated and printed.^{[18, p. 375]}^{[19, p. 170]}

9 July 1776

New York Approves the Declaration

On 9 July New York's approval, the last colony to give it, made the Declaration the unanimous declaration of the thirteen united States.^{[20, p. 1]} Jefferson recorded in his autobiography that, within a few days of the vote, the New York convention approved it and so filled the gap left by its delegates.^{[21, p. 87]}