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Originally Posted by TussAgee11
1) What day was the Declaration of Independance actually agreed upon and originally signed by all members of the Continental Congress? (Don't make me dig up the quote from John Adams in a letter to Abagail, but I will if I have to, if you don't know the story just nod your head.)
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I think you are confusing two votes.
On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted and approved a resolution presented by John Adams and Richard H. Lee that stated:
"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.''
John Adams felt that because of this resolution on this date, and perhaps due in part to his ownership of the resolution, July 2nd would celebrated as Independence Day. However, on July 3rd, the congress then took up debate on the proprosal from the Committee of Five, headed up by Jefferson. This proposal is what we now call the Declaration of Independence and it was indeed passd on July 4, 1776.
So we have two dates. On July 2, congress voted for independence; on July 4 congress approved Jefferson's document.