Essays, Art and Plays by Dan

Despite our many problems may God bless America and let freedom reign!!!

1. Adopted Date: The Continental Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
2. Primary Author: Thomas Jefferson was the principal author, though he was part of a committee that included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston.
3. Location: The Declaration was signed in the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, in Philadelphia.
4. Immediate Effect: The Declaration announced the thirteen American colonies’ separation from Great Britain.
5. Preamble: The famous preamble begins with “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”
6. Signers: There were 56 signers, representing the 13 colonies.
7. First Signature: John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, was the first to sign and is known for his large, bold signature.
8. Printing: John Dunlap printed approximately 200 copies of the Declaration, known as the “Dunlap broadsides.”
9. Reading to the Public: The first public reading of the Declaration was on July 8, 1776, in Philadelphia.
10. King George III: The Declaration lists grievances against King George III, accusing him of tyranny.
11. Unanimous Declaration: It was titled “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America.”
12. Jefferson’s Draft: Thomas Jefferson’s original draft included a passage criticizing the British monarchy for perpetuating the slave trade, but this was removed in the final version.
13. Independence Resolution: The Lee Resolution, proposed by Richard Henry Lee, was the initial call for independence on June 7, 1776.
14. Jefferson’s Edits: Jefferson was reportedly unhappy with some of the 86 changes made to his draft, which were mainly edits and deletions.
15. Liberty Bell: The Liberty Bell is traditionally believed to have rung on July 8, 1776, to mark the public reading.
16. Continental Army: General George Washington read the Declaration to the Continental Army in New York on July 9, 1776.
17. British Response: The British government did not respond formally to the Declaration, viewing it as a rebellion.
18. Original Document: The original handwritten Declaration is housed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
19. John Adams’ Prediction: John Adams predicted that July 2, the date the Continental Congress voted for independence, would be celebrated as the great anniversary festival.
20. Late Signers: Some delegates signed the Declaration on August 2, 1776, and not all signers were present on July 4.