Lead up to Declaration of Independence

Who wrote ‘Common Sense’?

Thomas Paine

When was ‘Common Sense’ published?

1776

Key ideas of ‘Common Sense’

• People live in society naturally and society needs governing

• But hereditary monarch and aristocracy is bad way to organise government - men equality (and constitutional monarch does not adequately restrict king powers)

• Outright attack on British Constitution and King - ‘the Royal Brute’ (and therefore the whole concept of hereditary monarch and aristocratic privileges)

• No Divine Right of Kings

• Independence best for colonies - enable America to make trade deals and form alliances

• British have rejected all overtures for peace and can’t be trusted

• Ideas for a ‘Continental Charter’ - called on Americans to establish a republic, broad franchise, and annual assemblies

• Overall, rather than fear independence, Americans should welcome opportunity to sever ties with an oppressive system of government which had no basis in scripture or natural law

Language of ‘Common Sense’

Simple, accessible language for Republicanism and American Independence

How many copies sold in 3 months?

120,000

1775 Prohibitory Act

Exposed all American merchant ships to seizure

Hessians

German mercenaries hired by British to fight Americans

Key reason why many Congressmen wanted to declare independence

Foreign aid would be essential to American cause

November 1775 Congress had established a Committee of Secret Correspondence to carry on diplomacy with foreign nations and delegate went to France to obtain military supplies

But believed that foreign aid would not be forthcoming until Americans declared independence

1776 what replaced governors?

By 1776 all governors had been replaced by makeshift rebel governments

Congress powers in 1776

• Making war

• Issuing money

• Preparing to negotiate treaties

What would have to happen for independence to be declared?

• Congress would have to be the body to formally declare independence

• Delegations within Congress could not declare independence without authorisation from colonial conventions; colonies created momentum for independence

Early 1776 local organisations urged congress to declare independence - examples

• Rhode Island effectively declared it in May (legislature repealed legislation that meant new officials had to swear allegiance to Crown, got rid of all references to king from its charter and laws)

• May Virginia first colony to instruct delegation to propose independence be adopted

• Some followed suit, except Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Maryland legislatures

What happened 7 June 1776?

Richard Henry Lee introduced in Congress the Virginia convention’s resolution to declare independence

Following day Congress debated proposal but was not sure as middle colonies had not yet pronounced in favour - delayed decision

Committee for draft declaration members

Thomas Jefferson (Virginia)

John Adams (Massachusetts)

Benjamin Franklin (Pennsylvania)

Roger Sherman (Connecticut)

Robert Livingston (New York)

John Locke

• England’s foremost political philosopher in late 17th century

• His work Two Treatises of Government (1690) greatly influenced Jefferson and his ideas featured prominently in debates culminating in the Declaration of Independence

• First Treatise refuted theories of divine right of kings

• Second Treatise set forth Locke’s contract theory of government; people endowed with certain natural rights (rights of life, liberty and property), and without government such rights could not be safeguarded

• Thus people came together and by mutual agreement establish governments

• Kings parties to such agreements and bound by them

• But when governments/kings violated rights of people, people had right to overthrow monarch and change government

Declaration of Independence

• Jefferson did most of work

• Drew ideas from John Locke and other Enlightenment writers, and from Virginia’s Declaration of Rights

• The cast against the king derived from two documents he had previously written - A Summary View of the Rights of British America (1774) and the 1776 draft of a Virginia Constitution - along with petitions and declarations of Congress

• Jefferson worked on it for two weeks, consulted with Adams and Franklin on its content

• Discussed and approved by full committee

mid-June events

• Delaware → forces delegates to support independence

• New Jersey radicals ousted Governor William Franklin, sent a new delegation to Congress with instructions to support independence

• Pennsylvania conservative assembly overthrown by a radical Committee of Safety (delegates could vote for independence)

• Maryland’s delegates similar instructions

• But New York’s provincial assembly refused to let delegates support

When did Jefferson submit draft declaration to Congress?

28 June 1776

Congress considered question of independence on 1st July 1776 - events

• 9 colonies votes in favour

• South Carolina and Pennsylvania voted against

• Two-man Delaware delegation split

• New York delegates abstained

Over next few hours:

• Third Delaware delegate rode to Philadelphia to support independence

• South Carolina’s delegates changed minds - voted for it

• Pennsylvania’s John Dickinson and Robert Morris, who opposed, did not attend next day - James Wilson changed vote

2 July

12 of 13 colonies voted in favour of independence

New York still abstained (but its assembly endorsed Congress’ decision a week later)

What did the Declaration say/list?

• Moral and legal justification to rebellion

• Preamble - lucid statement of political philosophy underlying colonists’ assertion of independence - right to change gov. if violated (natural) rights

• Listed wrongs committed against colonists since 1763 - interfering in colonial government, waging war against colonies

• Charges placed on George III - accused of tyranny

When was Declaration of Independence formally adopted by Congress?

4 July

While America declaring independence, how many British troops ready for assault?

32,000