The summer of 1776 was a harrowing time for the British colonies in America. Open warfare with the mother country had erupted a year earlier and the future was filled with political and military uncertainties. .
In this tense climate, the Continental Congress met in Philadelphia with the intention of voting for independence from England. In anticipation of this vote, the Congress selected a committee to draft a declaration of independence. The committee, composed of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman, in turn instructed Thomas Jefferson to write the declaration. .
Jefferson began his work on June 11 and toiled in seclusion writing a number of drafts. After presenting his final draft, the committee further revised the document and submitted it to the Continental Congress on June 28. On July 2, the Continental Congress voted for independence and refined its Declaration of Independence before releasing it to the public on July 4th. .
The authors of the Declaration of Independence were simply stating that they did not want to be controlled by Britain, along with not wanting war. Land equals power and no country, especially Britain, would give up land without a good fight. The colonists" request for "free and independent states" was not going to be so easily met, especially without a battle. Britain went to war with the colonies in fear that the French would take over the territory.
The Declaration's birth isn't as important as the Declaration's effect. The reason for the document is obvious and the British didn't really care much for it. The result, on the other hand, is history altering. The Declaration of Independence was a blunt yet peaceful document to the British government requesting the colonies to become an independent nation. The result was the Revolutionary War and the free nation that is America today. The reaction of a simple document is what is truly important.
