1.+Background

=  Chronology of Events  1776             =  On **June 7** Henry Lee sent a resolution to Congress urging them to declare independence, with this Congress began to establish the Declaration of Independence.

During **June 11-27**      Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston were selected to draft a declaration of independence as a committee. In this month they drafted a declaration and had it reviewed by the committee. Jefferson's original copy was edited by Congress and only a fraction of what he wrote remains in the Declaration of Independence.

Finally, on **June 28** a clean copy of the draft of the Declaration of Independence was read aloud to Congress.


 * Overall in June:**
 * Urgency to declare independence
 * Committee was selected to create a declaration
 * Final clean draft was presented to Congress

On **July 1-3** debate and revises began on the Declaration of Independence. During this time Congress also declares independence.

On **July 4** Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence. John Dunplan prints twenty-four copies of the Declaration of Independence.

On **July 5-6** the president of the Continental Congress began to distribute the broadside of the Declaration of Independence to the legislature to New Jersey and Delaware. In Pennsylvania the first newspaper translation of the Declaration was printed.


 * During July 8-9** the Declaration of Independence was read to the citizens in Philadelphia and before the American army in New York.

On **July 19** Congress orders the Declaration of Independence to officially be signed by all the members of the committee.


 * Overall in July:**
 * The Declaration of Independence was revised and adopted by Congress.
 * Twenty-four copies were printed and distributed
 * The final Declaration of Independence was presented to the citizens of the United States.
 * Before & After **

 **August 2: ** Delegates begin to sign the engrossed copy of the Declaration of Independence  1777

**January 18: ** Congress orders the signed copies of the Declaration of Independence to be sent to the states. <span style="display: block; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia, serif; background-color: #295775; text-align: center;">**Reasons behind their detachment from Britain.** <span style="font-weight: normal; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> ==== **<span style="font-weight: normal; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">King George III of Great Britain was guilty of specific abuses. With parliament the king made laws that affected the colonies<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> **    ====