jul 4, 1776 - Declaration of
Independence
Description:
By issuing the Declaration of Independence, the American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain. By declaring themselves an independent nation, the American colonists were able to confirm an official alliance with the Government of France and obtained French assistance in the war against Great Britain. The whole reason that the Declaration of Independence was written was because the colonists found themselves increasingly at odds with British imperial policies regarding taxation and frontier policy. Their repeated protests failed to influence British policies and instead resulted in the closing of the port of Boston and the declaration of martial law in Massachusetts. Because of this, the colonial governments sent delegates to a Continental Congress to coordinate a colonial boycott of British goods. In late 1775, Benjamin Franklin, then a member of the Secret Committee of Correspondence, hinted to French agents and other European sympathizers that the colonies were increasingly leaning towards seeking independence. Franklin also hoped to convince the French to supply the colonists with aid. However, independence would be necessary before French officials would consider the possibility of an alliance.
Thomas Jefferson was assigned the duty of drafting a declaration of independence by Congress. Benjamin Franklin and John Adams reviewed Jefferson's draft and preserved its original forms but removed passages likely to meet with controversy or skepticism. The committee presented the final draft before Congress on June 28, 1776 and Congress adopted the final text of the Declaration of Independence on July 4.
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