The Lee Resolutions and the Vote for Independence from Britain

The decision to separate from Britain was a difficult one for young America to make. The long train of abuses and the increasingly oppressive measure from England on one side had to be balanced with the idea of breaking from a much loved mother country that could crush them in a war and leave them in a worse position. Many members of the Continental Congress were unsure about taking such a drastic move. 

When Richard Henry Lee introduced his resolution on June 7th stating that “that these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states,” there lacked the votes to approve the resolution. Over the month of June, some delegates sought instructions from their States giving them the right to approve the resolution. Some States were divided with some delegates for and some against. By the 2nd of July a compromise was reach to provide for the passage of the Lee resolution. Some delegates who were against it, were absent for the vote allowing their State to vote in favor of it. New York's delegates abstained from the vote (because they did not feel they could vote in favor of it in the absence of clear direction from their State) allowing the "unanimous" vote required to pass the resolution.

The Continental Congress had, in anticipation of passing Lee's resolution, appointed a committee of five to draft the formal declaration to England. Thomas Jefferson of Virginia wrote the first draft of the declaration which was then edited by and with the help of the committee ( John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Robert R. Livingston of New York). The final draft was presented to the Continental Congress on June 28, 1776. Upon the passing of the Lee resolution, the Congress took up the draft of the declaration and the debates and editing lasted until the 4th of July. 

On July 4, 1776, The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America, was adopted by the Second Continental Congress.

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration/how-did-it-happen

https://www.masshist.org/database/6

https://oll.libertyfund.org/pages/1776-declaration-of-independence-various-drafts

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