Revolutionary War Historical Article
The American Revolution Month-by-Month June/July 1776
By Compatriot Andrew "Andy" Stough
Editor's Note: This article was reprinted by Permission of the Gold Country Chapter No. 7 of the CSSAR and was slightly edited by the Sons of Liberty Chapter of the CSSAR
June was a month of creation. Determined at last to create a formal declaration of Independence, Congress appointed a committee of five to write the document and present it for approval by the sitting body. The only requirement imposed was that the document must conform to the Virginia Resolves.
To Jefferson, younger and less distinguished, fell the task of doing the writing. Franklin or Adams were more distinguished for their ideas or writing but Thomas Jefferson possessed an ability to write and was stuck with the drudgery of drawing up a new document which must conform to an already published document.
You might inquire why would Franklin or Adams not grab this opportunity to expand on the Virginia Resolves and thusly further distinguish themselves? Several authors have volunteered reasons. Among those suggested are that at its inception the document was seen as simply a restatement of the Virginia Resolves – hardly becoming an incentive to the two older men who may have considered their expertise to be of more value as reviewers than as rewrite authors of a document which would quite simply rely upon another document. A document which would express to the King, Parliament and other nations that the colonies by this writing, here and now, declared themselves sovereign states; free and independent; and capable of being able to negotiate, trade and carry on diplomatic relations with any other nation as it saw fit.
Jefferson pondered the problem. Should he make it a bare bones statement or should he also review the wrongs requiring dissolution of the bonds with the mother country, or should it be an inspirational document to rouse men’s souls as had Paine’s “Common Sense.” To his credit, he did all three. The original writing was much amended to its final version but the essence remained. Jefferson allows that in effect he imports ideas from Mason, Locke, and other political theorists of that day. His secret is the uplifting manner in which he expresses these ideas. They are concise and inspirational causing a flood of reprints so that all may read or own a copy of his document.
There were numerous changes made to the declaration, not only at the request of Franklin and Adams, but by the demands of Congress. Still, the original tenor was maintained. There had been much politicking in the effort to arrive at unity on the Declaration. As time for a vote neared, only New York and Pennsylvania were holdouts. Pennsylvania approved it prior to the final vote on July 1st. New York abstained, allowing more time for consideration without showing a lack of unity among the states.
On the fourth of July 1776 came the official adoption and formality of signing the Declaration.
John Hancock as President of the Congress signed with his oversized signature, assuring the King and anyone else of his, Hancock’s, outstanding approval of the United States “Declaration of Independence.”
On July 8th, the “Declaration” was read to the assembled populace in Philadelphia. And, on the ninth the “Declaration” was read to every brigade in the Continental Army to rousing cheers. The soldiers were then read an inspiring speech written by Washington for the troops. Essentially, he said “They were now free of any loyalty to the King, but that freedom was tenuous and could only be maintained by a victorious Continental Army.” The message was well received, but would the army be able to uphold the freedom gained by the Declaration of Independence, especially against a professional British military?
How did all of this come about? For years the colonists had looked on the King as a father figure and they as his children. In the beginning, there was reluctance by the states and the people to overthrow the yoke that bound them. Also, at least in the early days of revolt short of war, Parliament was blamed for all the hated acts imposed on the Colonies but as time passed it become clear that this was not only Parliament's will, but also the King’s. The breaking point seems to have come when Hessians were hired by the King to do the dirty work of suppressing Americans by any means possible. Probably no less was the work of the Royal Navy and the King’s Colonial Governors in their burning of entire towns because of the actions of a few or simply to impress occupants and the colonists in general, that it did not pay to disagree with the King’s will, or that of his minions.
Militarily, there were minor engagements during the month but nothing to compare with the events that would began with the arrival of General Howe on July 2nd and the unloading of troops on Staten Island. Several days later, his elder brother Admiral Lord Howe arrived with a battle fleet and transports loaded with supplies and troop reinforcements.
July was noted for its political events. August returns to the military scene as the source of outstanding events during the month.
References: Edmund S. Morgan’s “Birth of the Republic”; Don Higginbotham’s “The War of American Independence”; A. J. Langguth’s “Patriots, The men who started the American Revolution”; Robert Leckie’s “George Washington’s War” .
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