The Lee Resolution
Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee proposed the legal act of independence before the Declaration was written. The Declaration, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, was written afterward to explain why. Read the resolution below.
Lee, Richard Henry. Lee Resolution, June 7, 1776.
National Archives, Washington, D.C. Public domain.
“Resolved, 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.”
Why do you think Congress felt they needed to explain their reasons to the world rather than simply acting on this resolution alone?
Record your answer on your notebook paper.Find the first name shared by both the author of the Declaration and the author of Common Sense. Write it on your map.
The Path to July 4th: Historical Scavenger Hunt | © Kara Carrero, EGP Media and Press, LLC | karacarrero.com