On what date was the declaration of independence approved

The Declaration of Independence was approved by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, but it was not signed until almost a month later. The Congress did not have the approval of all 13 colonies until July 9, 1776. On July 19, Congress ordered that an official copy of the document be created. The order called for handwritten ornamental script to be used on parchment paper with the title "The unanimous declaration of the thirteen United States of America." Using a quill pen, this took some time to finish. The actual signing finally took place on August 2, 1776.

As President of the Second Continental Congress, John Hancock was the first to sign this historic document. He used large bold script and signed under the text in the center of the page. At that time, a general practice was to sign below text on the right and by geographic location. Using this protocol, signatures of the New Hampshire delegates began the list with the column on the right. Delegates from Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, the southernmost states, ended the list with the column on the left. Some of the delegates were not in Philadelphia on that day, but signed the document later. One of the New Hampshire delegates, Matthew Thornton, added his signature later at the bottom of the right column. Not all delegates signed the document.

The signers of the Declaration of Independence included future Presidents, Vice Presidents, and members of the United States Congress. Below are the names of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence and the states that they represented:

Column 1

Georgia:

Button Gwinnett
Lyman Hall
George Walton

Column 2

North Carolina:

William Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John Penn

South Carolina:

Edward Rutledge
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Arthur Middleton

Column 3

Massachusetts:

John Hancock

Maryland:

Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:

George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton

Column 4

Pennsylvania:

Robert Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin
John Morton
George Clymer
James Smith
George Taylor
James Wilson
George Ross

Delaware:

Caesar Rodney
George Read
Thomas McKean

Column 5

New York:

William Floyd
Philip Livingston
Francis Lewis
Lewis Morris

New Jersey:

Richard Stockton
John Witherspoon
Francis Hopkinson
John Hart
Abraham Clark

Column 6

New Hampshire:

Josiah Bartlett
William Whipple

Massachusetts:

Samuel Adams
John Adams
Robert Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:

Stephen Hopkins
William Ellery

Connecticut:

Roger Sherman
Samuel Huntington
William Williams
Oliver Wolcott

New Hampshire:

Matthew Thornton

July 4, 1776, marks the day in America’s history when the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence which is the first of the three documents our nation is governed by.

The declaration stated that the American colonies no longer desired to be ruled by Great Britain and instead, wanted to be their own nation. The colonists began to arrive in the 1600s and between 1607 and 1732, Britain had founded 13 colonies. Georgia was the southernmost colony while New Hampshire was the northernmost. Pennsylvania made up the western boundary while the Atlantic Ocean was the eastern shore.

On what date was the declaration of independence approved

Because the colonists were required to submit tax payments to Great Britain and provide lodging, food and care free of charge to British soldiers, they rebelled. The Revolutionary War between the colonists and Great Britain began in 1775 as the colonists fought to be free of taxation without representation. The British were finally defeated in 1783.

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Each of the colonies had representatives who worked together to draft the document they felt would secure their independence once it was evident that Great Britain had no intention of giving the colonies any voice in their governance. These representatives were known as the Continental Congress. Thomas Jefferson led the committee who wrote the declaration, and all 13 colonies signed the document, but the British government refused to acknowledge that declaration.

On what date was the declaration of independence approved

The original Declaration of Independence document is housed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and is recognized worldwide not only as a declaration of freedom but as a message of human rights and self-governance. The preamble of the document is often considered the most important part of the document in that it captured the ideals that define our nation today.

The Constitution of the United States was drafted in 1787 in Philadelphia by some of the same men who drafted the Declaration of Independence. The Bill of Rights was the first Amendment to the Constitution, proposed in New York City in 1789 by the Congress then working under the direction of James Madison. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights are documents designed to create and constrain a central government that could preserve the freedoms while the Declaration of Independence was designed solely to justify the breaking way of the colonies from Great Britain.

While the Constitution was designed to provide an ethical framework in which to govern the peoples, there was no provision for political party design and behavior because political parties did not exist at the time the Constitution was written.

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Trenton Walker headed to Maryland

Hearty congratulations to Hastings’ Trenton Walker who is headed to college at Hagerstown Community College in Maryland. Trenton, a hard-working young man both on and off the basketball court according to his father, teachers, and coaches, is looking forward to growing as a person and an athlete. His father, Corey Walker Sr. was a basketball coach for 27 years.

His older brother, Corey, is currently a forward who wears the No. 15 for the South Florida Bulls while he attends the University of South Florida. Both young men attended Bishop Snyder High School before accepting their college scholarships.

Christ United Methodist Church

VBS at Christ United Methodist Church at 200 E. Lattin St. begins today and runs through July 1. “Trip to Egypt with Joseph” is perfect for ages five through adult. The activities begin at 6 p.m. and end at 8. Crafts, singing, food, skits, games, and Bible stories are on the agenda as all journey from a pit to a prison to a palace! Registration appreciated but not required.

And the Christ United Methodist Church invites folks to their free fellowship dinner – and the 11 a.m. church service – on Sunday, July 3. Dinner will begin around 12:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall and attending church service is not required to join in the dinner. Those interested in taking meals home, please call 904-692-1771 and leave word about your take-out order.

Have a safe and respectful Independence Day weekend!

On what date was the declaration of independence approved

Contact Nancy Quatrano at by 5 p.m. on Fridays if you have information about Hastings for this column. Put “Hastings” in the subject line.

When was the Declaration of Independence actually approved?

After much debate, the Second Continental Congress ultimately agreed to the Declaration of Independence, and then signed it on August 2, 1776, in the Pennsylvania State House.

Who signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4 1776?

Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams all wrote that it was signed by Congress on the day when it was adopted on July 4, 1776.

Did the Declaration of Independence get signed on July 4 1776?

August 2, 1776, is one of the most important but least celebrated days in American history when 56 members of the Second Continental Congress started signing the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.