Most were well-to-do, though some lost their fortunes during the Revolutionary War or subsequently. Many were gentleman farmers, and many – sometimes the same ones – were attorneys. The majority of the delegates – all of them men – who signed the Declaration had been born in one of the 13 colonies, though a few were native to Great Britain or Ireland. It was on July 4, however, that the Continental Congress approved the final text of the Declaration – after jointly making some 86 changes in the draft composed by Thomas Jefferson and four colleagues. We drew on sources such as, the website of the non-profit Philadelphia-based Independence Hall Association to compile our list. is taking a look at who the 56 signers of the Declaration were.
The colonists formally declared their independence on July 2, which John Adams promptly called “the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America,” predicting that it “will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.”Īs Independence Day draws near, 24/7 Wall St.
#Who was the main author of the declaration of independence free
You can reach us by phone at 41, toll free at 1-87 or via e-mail to schedule your free initial consultation with a lawyer.Everybody knows that the Fourth of July celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the historic document by means of which the 13 American colonies severed their political connections with Great Britain and declared themselves to be the United States of America.Įxcept that the Declaration wasn’t signed on the Fourth of July. We are available during regular business hours and by appointment on evenings and weekends. We are the Attorneys at the Lake of the Ozarks to call if you need helpĬontact our office today to learn more about our legal services and what we can do to help you. Representing Clients Across the Lake of the Ozarks Region We are the best Lake of the Ozarks Lawyers ! The United States didn’t exist until after the Declaration was signed! However, all but eight of the signers were born in colonies that would become the United States. No one who signed the Declaration of Independence was born in the United States of America. This copy was signed on August 2, 1776.īonus trivia question to ask your kids – How many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were born in America? This formal copy was probably made by Timothy Matlack, an assistant to the Secretary of Congress. Instead it is a formal copy that the Continental Congress hired someone to make for them after the text was approved. The copy of the Declaration of Independence that is housed at the National Archives is not the draft that was approved by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. In the summer of 1776, when the Declaration was signed, the population of the nation is estimated to have been about 2.5 million. Nine of the signers of the Declaration died before the American Revolution ended in 1783.
This criticism of the slave trade was removed in spite of Jefferson’s objections. He had originally included language condemning the British promotion of the slave trade (even though Jefferson himself was a slave owner).
Jefferson was quite unhappy about some of the edits made to his original draft of the Declaration of Independence. When writing the first draft of the Declaration, Jefferson primarily drew upon two sources: his own draft of a preamble to the Virginia Constitution and George Mason’s draft of Virginia’s Declaration of Rights. It wasn’t signed until August 2, 1776.Īfter Jefferson wrote his first draft of the Declaration, the other members of the Declaration committee and the Continental Congress made 86 changes to Jefferson’s draft, including shortening the overall length by more than a fourth. In fact, independence was formally declared on July 2, 1776, a date that John Adams believed would be “the most memorable epocha in the history of America.” On July 4, 1776, Congress approved the final text of the Declaration. One of the most widely held misconceptions about the Declaration of Independence is that it was signed on July 4, 1776.
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