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.
—Richard Henry Lee, in a motion made on June 7, 1776 during the Second Continental Congress—

Overview: The goal for this three-part series of articles is to mine from the most quoted portion of the Declaration of Independence what I’m calling bedrock principles of liberty. In parts 2 and 3 we will highlight and discuss ten such principles or truths. Some are obvious, but we have become too accustomed to the words and have grown increasingly unaware of their true meaning. In other cases, various ideals are implied rather than explicit, so one has to read between the lines. Because leftists often use the same words but with very different meanings, people frequently are duped by their emotional and passionate rhetoric. Going back to the Declaration of Independence and unearthing the intent of the Founders is an important step in effectively refuting the claims of the left and upholding the torch of authentic freedom. Here, in part 1, we will examine some historical events that led up to the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia during the first few days of July, 1776.

Talk among the American Colonists about the possibility and even the need to break ties with England had been occurring for some time, but not all the Colonists agreed that ties with the mother country should be severed, or that the time for a formal departure actually had arrived.

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Copyright © 2019 by B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All rights reserved.

top image credit: John Trumbull / from his work Declaration of Independence / left to right: Adams, Sherman, Livingston, Jefferson, and Franklin