THOMAS JEFFERSON (1743-1826)
Oil, Charles Willson Peale, 1791.  Independence National Historical Park

Thomas Jefferson later recalled:

"I will give you some extracts from a written document on that subject, from the truth of which I pledge myself to heaven and earth, having, while the question of independence was under consideration by Congress, taken notes in my seat of what was passing, and reduced them to form on the final occasion.  I have now before me that paper, from which the following are extracts:

On Friday, the 7th of June, 1776, the delegates from Virginia moved, in obedience to instructions from their constituents, that the Congress should declare that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved; that measures should be immediately taken for procuring the assistance of foreign powers, and a confederation be formed to bind the colonies more closely together.

The House being obliged to attend at that time to some other business, the proposition was referred to the next day, when the members were ordered to attend punctually at 10 o'clock.  Saturday, June 8, they proceeded to take it into consideration, and referred it to a committee of the whole, into which they immediately resolved themselves, and passes that day and Monday, the 10th, debating on the subject.

It appearing in the course of these debates that the colonies of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and South Carolina were not yet matured for falling from the parent stem, but that they were fast advancing to that state, it was thought prudent to wait a while for them, and to postpone the final decision to July 1.  But that this might occasion as little delay as possible, a committee was appointed to prepare a declaration of independence.  The committee were J. Adams, Dr. Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston, and myself.  This was reported to the House on Friday, the 28th of June, when it was read and ordered to lie on the table.

On Monday, the 1st of July, the House resolved itself into a committee of the whole, and resumed the consideration of the original motion made by the delegates of Virginia, which, being again debated through the day, was carried in the affirmative by the votes of New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia.  South Carolina and Pennsylvania voted against it.  Delaware having but two members present, they were divided.

The delegates from New York declared they were for it themselves, and were assured their constituents were for it, but that their instructions having been drawn near the twelvemonth before, when reconciliation was still the general object, they therefore thought themselves not justified in voting on either side, and asked leave to withdraw from the question, which was given them.  The committee then rose and reported their resolution to the House.  Mr. Rutledge, of South Carolina, then requested the determination might be put off to the next day, as he believed his colleagues, though they disapproved of the resolution, would then join in ti for the same of unanimity.  The ultimate question, whether the House would agree to the resolution of the committee, was accordingly postponed to the next day, when it was moved, and South Carolina concurred in voting for it.

In the meantime a third member had come post haste from the Delaware counties and turned the vote of that colony in favor of the resolution, Members of a different sentiment attending from Pennsylvania also, their vote was changed, so that the whole of the twelve colonies, who were authorized to vote at all, gave their votes for it, and within a few days (July 9) the convention of New York approved of it, and thus supplied the void occasioned by the withdrawing of their delegates from the vote.  (Be careful to observe that this vacillating vote was on the original motion of the 7th of June by the Virginia delegates, that Congress should declare the colonies independent.)  Congress proceeded the same day to consider the Declaration of Independence, which had been reported and laid on the table that Friday preceding, and on Monday referred to the Committee of the Whole.  The pusillanimous idea that we had friends in England worth keeping terms with still haunted the minds of many.  For this reason those passages which conveyed censure on the people of England were struck out, lest they give them offense.

The debates having taken up the greater parts of the second, third, and fourth days of July, were in the evening of the last closed.  The Declaration was reported by the committee, agreed to by the House, and signed by every member present except Mr. Dickinson."

(Note: The journal of Congress shows that only John Hancock, the President, actually signed on that day, attested by Charles Thomson, Secretary.  The signing was principally done n August 2, 1776.)

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