10 Fascinating Facts About The Declaration Of Independence

July 4, 2022 by NCC Staff

July 4th marks the annual holiday that celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. So how much do you know about this famous document?

1. Is Independence Day really July 2?

Officially, the Continental Congress declared its freedom from Britain on July 2, 1776, when it approved a resolution and delegates from New York were permitted to make it a unanimous vote. John Adams thought July 2 would be marked as a national holiday for generations to come.

2. July 4 is when the Declaration was adopted

After voting on independence, the Continental Congress needed to finalize a document explaining the move to the public. It had been proposed in draft form by the Committee of Five (John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson) and it took two days for the Congress to agree on the edits.

3. Six people signed the Declaration and also the Constitution

Franklin was among a handful of people who signed both historical documents. The others were George Read, Roger Sherman, Robert Morris, George Clymer and James Wilson.

4. But they didn’t sign the Declaration on July 4th!

Once the Congress approved the actual Declaration of Independence document on July 4, it ordered that it be sent to a printer named John Dunlap. About 200 copies of the Dunlap Broadside were printed, with John Hancock’s name printed at the bottom. Today, 26 copies remain.

5. So what if I stumble upon a lost version of the Dunlap Broadside at a flea market?

That’s what happened in 1989 in Adamstown, Pa. It was tucked behind an old picture in a frame and it cost the buyer $4. That version of the Declaration was eventually acquired by TV producer Norman Lear for $8.1 million.

6. OK – when was the Declaration actually signed?

Most of the members of the Continental Congress signed a version of the Declaration in early August 1776 in Philadelphia. The names of the signers were released publicly in early 1777. So that famous painting showing the signing of the Declaration on July 4, 1776, is a bit of an exaggeration.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/10-fascinating-facts-about-the-declaration-of-independence