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Lyman Hall, George Walton, and Button Gwinnett traveled to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia separately and they came from backgrounds as diverse as the state itself. In Philadelphia they united for a common goal, the establishment of the United States.
The question of independence was raised by Richard Henry Lee on June 7, 1776. His resolutions led to the appointment of a committee to prepare a declaration. Included in this committee were Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston. The draft was submitted to the Continental Congress on June 28, 1776.
Only Pennsylvania and South Carolina opposed the original draft of the document. The Delaware delegation is divided on the issue of independence. For the most part the others, including Georgia, were firmly in the pro-independence camp. For 4 days a vote on the document was delayed by these differences. During this time Edward Rutledge arrived to break the tie in the Delaware delegation. Both South Carolina and Pennsylvania are persuaded to vote for the declaration. On July 2, 1776, only the state of New York withheld its vote.
Over the next two days additional work was done on the document, including removal of a clause eliminating slavery, because of the efforts of the delegations of Georgia and South Carolina. On July 4th, 1776, the document was signed by John Hancock and news of the event begins to move up and down the coast of the new nation. On August 2, 1776, the other delegates sign the paper, believing enough time had elapsed for all states to receive a copy. Georgia's arrived on August 8 and on August 10, 1776 Council of Safety President Archibald Bulloch publicly read the Declaration of Independence to the cheers of patriots in Savannah.
Footnote: Thomas Jefferson, who wrote much of the material, personally oversaw
the printing of the document. Questioned later about certain errors in the Declaration, Jefferson replied, "...the capitalization and punctuation followed neither previous copies, nor reason, nor the custom of any age known to man."
More on the formation of the state of Georgia and the United States of America
Next: Problems in East Florida
Introduction to the American Revolution in Georgia
Acts of War
End of the French and Indian War
Sugar Act; Stamp Act
Liberty Boys; Virginia Resolves
Radical Georgia Unites
Tea Act and Tea Party
Movement towards Independence
Battle of the Rice Boats
On to Independence
Declaration of Independence
Problems in East Florida
British Take Savannah and Augusta
Battle of Kettle Creek
Battle of Brier Creek
Battle of Savannah
Dark days for Georgia
End of the Revolution
Chronology of Georgia events
American Revolution In Georgia
Georgia's role in the American Revolution
Article Links
Acts of War
Battle of Brier Creek
Battle of Kettle Creek
Battle of Savannah
Battle of the Rice Boats
British Take Savannah and Augusta
Button Gwinnett
Dark days for Georgia
Declaration of Independence
End of the French and Indian War
End of the Revolution
George Walton
Introduction to the American Revolution in Georgia
Liberty Boys; Virginia Resolves
Lyman Hall
Movement towards Independence
On to Independence
Problems in East Florida
Radical Georgia Unites
Sugar Act; Stamp Act
Tea Act and Tea Party
About North Georgia
About North Georgia Index
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