The Declaration of Independence: And the Second Continental Congress

The Declaration of Independence is a document in which the 13 colonies unanimously declared independence from Great Britain.

In 1775 people all around the colonies thought that the only way to gain alliances for the war was to be independent from Great Britain. So the colonies gathered for the second Continental Congress. At first the delegates weren't so sure that they should take such a giant move but the war started and they would need an alliance from another country if they wanted to win the war. But nobody was going to ally colonies of Great Britain, so they ended up asking Thomas Jefferson to write a declaration of independence. It was accepted by the congress on July 2^nd, 1776 and signed and sent to the colonies to be ratified on July 4^th, 1776. But it wasn't ratified by all of the now states until five years later in 1781.

In the document it states all the things the King has not done for the states. For example:

"He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures."

And these are just a few of the many things the states didn't like. Thomas Jefferson also mentioned that they had written petitions to the king in a very gentle way but they were returned with, “repeated injury.”

And to wrap up the document it states this,

"We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

The result of the Declaration of Independence was this;

The delegates thought that now they were a free country they needed to put a governing document into place, so they decided to write a whole new document called the Articles of Confederation.

When the second Continental Congress started, they weren't so sure about the Declaration, so they wrote another petition. This petition was called the Olive Branch Petition. This was sent to the King in one last hope that a war could be avoided. But the King refused to read it and declared the colonies to be in full rebellion. After that, the King officially declared war on the colonies. So, seeing that the King wanted war, the delegates asked Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence. After they had written this they saw the need to put a governing document into place. So, in November of 1777 they approved the Articles of Confederation and sent it to the new states for ratification. Just like the Declaration, it wasn't ratified by all the states until 1781. Of course we all know they weren't officially a country until 1784 when the Revolutionary War ended. But at least they were ready to be a full running country when it did end.