June 11, 1776 the Committee of Five

June 11, 1776 is a significant date in the path toward the Declaration of Independence. On this date a Committee of Five was formed to prepare a draft declaration for the Continental Congress to vote on.

Earlier on May 15 Virginia voted to declare itself Independent of Great Britain. This ultimately set the stage for a similar vote in the Second Continental Congress which was seated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On June 7, 1776 Richard Henry Lee of Virginia submitted the following resolution to the Congress.

"Resolved, 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 it is expedient forthwith to take the most effectual measures for forming foreign Alliances.

That a plan of confederation be prepared and transmitted to the respective Colonies for their consideration and approbation."

After debate on June 8th  it was felt by many states their inhabitants were not yet ready for such a declaration. On June 11th it was decided to delay a vote for 3 weeks to July 2, 1776. But a decision was made on June 11, 1776 that would directly lead to the document of the Declaration of Independence.  A Committee of Five was formed to prepare a Declaration if the Congress voted to in fact declare independence from Great Britain.

Journals of the Continental Congress, TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 1776

Resolved, That the committee, to prepare the declaration, consist of five members:

The members chosen, Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson, Mr. J[ohn] Adams, Mr. [Benjamin] Franklin, Mr. [Roger] Sherman, and Mr. R[obert] R. Livingston.

This Committee would work over the next three weeks to prepare draft Declaration of Independence for the Second Continental Congress. On July 2, 1776 the Congress would vote on declaring independence from Great Britain, and on July 4th, the final draft written by Thomas Jefferson would be approved and committed to paper, with delegates from all Thirteen Colonies signing it over the next several months.

It was this date in 1776, the work on the document that would become the Declaration of Independence began with the appointment of the Committee of Five.

 

 

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