The Most Important Vote In History

Author: Bernie Wheater - Harvest Time Alert

It was 237 years ago on this day, July 2^nd 1776 the most important vote in history took place in Philadelphia, but the resolution voted upon on this day was presented to the Second Continental Congress almost a month before this date. A resolution drafted by Richard Henry Lee for independence from Great Britain was presented to Congress on June 7. However, at this point South Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,  Delaware, Maryland and  New York  were not willing to declare independence. So that the resolution would not just die Congress agreed to delay the vote on until July 1, Congress then appointed a committee to draft a formal declaration of independence during this period of time. The committee was made up of members John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Robert R. Livingston of New York and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. They all agreed that Thomas Jefferson, was the best writer of the group, and selected him to be the primary author. The document was presented to Congress for review on June 28, 1776.

On July 1, 1776, as planned the debate on Lee’s Resolution took place.  The majority of the delegates at this point favored the resolution. However congress thought that this vote for independence was so important that it should be unanimously proclaimed, so they delayed the final vote one more day. The next day 12 colonial delegations voted in favor of the resolution, however New York delegates not wanting to vote abstained. So, on July 2nd, 1776, by unanimous vote the American colonies declared their independence from Great Britain. Two days later, our Declaration of Independence was signed.

 In a letter to his wife John Adams writes:

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

The revolutionary war followed, by the grace of God we won, and America became the greatest nation in the history of the world. John may have been off by 2 days seeing that Independence Day became the day of the signing of the Declaration and not the day of the voting on it. John Adams however without a doubt was correct in that America's independence would be a day worth celebrating for generations to come.

On Independence Day this year, somewhere between the hot dogs and the fireworks let us take a moment to remember what this holiday is really all about. And remember the men that pledged their names, their wealth and their lives so that America could be born. And maybe just maybe a spark will set ablaze a fire that will engulf this land restoring the values these men fought and died for so that we could be free.