In the meanwhile, in May , Congress narrowly approved a resolution for each colony to create a provisional government.
Declaring independence was first officially proposed by Richard Lee of Virginia on June 7, Congress tabled the suggestion until July 1, but appointed a committee of five men — Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston — to draft a a provisional version of such a decree. The majority of the Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson.
However, Congress continued to debate its points and made several changes to the original document. One of the major changes involved removing an attack on the institution of slavery. The Declaration of Independence allowed Congress to seek alliances with foreign countries, and the fledgling U. Lacking a pre-existing infrastructure, Congress struggled throughout the war to provide the Continental Army with adequate supplies and provisions.
Exacerbating the problem, Congress had no mechanism to collect taxes to pay for the war; instead, it relied on contributions from the states, which generally directed whatever revenue they raised toward their own needs. As a result, the paper money issued by Congress quickly came to be regarded as worthless. Drafted and adopted by the Congress in but not ratified until , it effectively established the U.
Under the Articles, congressional decisions were made based on a state-by-state vote, and the Congress had little ability to enforce its decisions. The Articles of Confederation would prove incapable of governing the new nation in a time of peace, but they did not seriously undermine the war effort, both because the war was effectively winding down before the Articles took effect, and because Congress ceded many executive war powers to General Washington.
The Revolutionary War was over and Congress had helped to see the country through. However, the Articles of Confederation proved an imperfect instrument for a nation at peace with the world. The years immediately following the end of the Revolutionary War in presented the young American nation with a series of difficulties that Congress could not adequately remedy: dire financial straits, interstate rivalries and domestic insurrection.
A movement developed for constitutional reform, culminating in the Philadelphia Convention of The delegates at the convention decided to scrap the Articles of Confederation completely and create a new system of government.
In , the new U. Constitution went into effect and the Continental Congress adjourned forever and was replaced by the U. Although the Continental Congress did not function well in a time of peace, it had helped steer the nation through one of its worst crises, declared its independence and helped to win a war to secure that independence.
But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. As a political activist and state legislator, he spoke out against British efforts to tax the colonists, and pressured merchants to boycott British products. He also He was a gifted orator and major figure in the American Revolution. His rousing speeches—which included a speech to the Virginia legislature in which he famously declared, American Revolution leader John Hancock was a signer of the Declaration of Independence in and a governor of Massachusetts.
The colonial Massachusetts native was raised by his uncle, a wealthy Boston merchant. When his uncle died, Hancock inherited his lucrative On June 14, , the Connecticut Assembly instructed its delegates to support independence.
On June 15, , New Hampshire and Delaware authorized its delegates to join the movement to declare the colonies independent. After having Royal Governor William Franklin, the son of Benjamin Franklin, arrested, New Jersey chose new delegates and authorized them on June 21, to vote for independence. As the movement for independence was gathering strength and it appeared likely independence would be approved, Congress appointed a committee of five delegates to actually draft an official declaration of independence.
Though composed of five members, most of the writing of the initial declaration was done by Thomas Jefferson. After waiting for delegations to receive guidance from their home colonies, Congress again considered the question of independence on July 1, Instead of referring the important question to one particular committee and asking the committee to report back, Congress opted to decide the issue as a committee of the whole body.
After debating the issue, Congress voted on the resolution proposed by Virginia. Each colony was given one vote in Congress and delegations voted on the question within their delegations. Nine colonies voted in favor of independence. Pennsylvania and South Carolina voted against declaring independence. The New York delegation had not received guidance from their state as to how to vote and therefore abstained from voting.
Delaware was split when one of their delegates voted in favor of independence, one delegate voted against, and the third was absent.
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