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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