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Resolution urging Congress to declare independence.
Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, receives Richard Henry Lee's resolution urging Congress to declare independence. US History.org -
Committee to draft a declaration of independence
Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston appointed to a committee to draft a declaration of independence. American army retreats to Lake Champlain from Canada. -
Rough draft of Declaration of Independence
Jefferson, at the request of the committee, drafts a declaration, of which only a fragment exists. Jefferson's clean, or "fair" copy, the "original Rough draught," is reviewed by the committee. Both documents are in the manuscript collections of the Library of Congress -
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Rough Draft of Declaration of Indepence
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Declaration of Indepence read in Congress
A fair copy of the committee draft of the Declaration of Independence is read in Congress. -
Congress debates
Congress debates and revises the Declaration of Independence. -
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Congress debates
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British fleet arrives
Congress declares independence as the British fleet and army arrive at New York. -
Congress adopts Declaration of Indepence
Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence in the morning of a bright, sunny, but cool Philadelphia day. John Dunlap prints the Declaration of Independence. These prints are now called "Dunlap Broadsides." Twenty-four copies are known to exist, two of which are in the Library of Congress. One of these was Washington's personal copy. -
Dispach of Dunlap's broadsides of Declaration of Independence
John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, dispatches the first of Dunlap's broadsides of the Declaration of Independence to the legislatures of New Jersey and Delaware. -
John Hancock dispatches Dunlap's broadsides
John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, dispatches the first of Dunlap's broadsides of the Declaration of Independence to the legislatures of New Jersey and Delaware. -
Pennsylvania Evening Post
Pennsylvania Evening Post of July 6 prints the first newspaper rendition of the Declaration of Independence. -
First Public Reading
The first public reading of the Declaration is in Philadelphia. -
Read to Amercian Army
Washington orders that the Declaration of Independence be read before the American army in New York -
Declaration of Independence engrossed
Congress orders the Declaration of Independence engrossed (officially inscribed) and signed by members. -
Delegates sign copy of Declaration of Independence
Delegates begin to sign engrossed copy of the Declaration of Independence. A large British reinforcement arrives at New York after being repelled at Charleston, S.C.
