AMERICA’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE

July 4th wasn’t the day Continental Congress members decided to declare independence; they did that on July 2, 1776. It wasn’t the day they signed the document either. So what happened on July 4th? The Continental Congress approved the final wording.

Rewrites

The Continental Congress authorized a five-man committee to draft a declaration of independence from England. That committee consisted of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston.

Jefferson was regarded as the most eloquent of the five, so he did most of the work. The committee — and then the Congress — made a total of 86 changes to his first draft.

Jefferson worked on his first draft between June 11 and June 28, 1776.

Creating the parchment declaration

On July 19, once all 13 colonies had signified their approval of the Declaration of Independence, Congress ordered that it be “fairly engrossed on parchment.” Timothy Matlack, an assistant to the Secretary of the Congress, was most likely the penman.

Signing the declaration

On Aug. 2, the journal of the Continental Congress records that “The declaration of independence being engrossed and compared at the table was signed.” John Hancock, president of the Congress, signed first. The delegates then signed by state from north to south. Some signed after Aug. 2. A few refused. George Washington was away with his troops. Ultimately, 56 delegates signed the Declaration.

56 men signed the Declaration, two members of Congress never signed. Eight of the signers were born in either England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales.

The Second Continental Congress voted to declare independence from Britain on July 2, not July 4. It took two days to have the official document prepared.