Richard Henry Lee’s Resolution
and the Final Sections of the Declaration of Independence
Exhibit Table of Contents
Resolving on Independence
On June 7, 1776, in the Continental Congress, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced a resolution to proclaim the independence of the colonies. Lee, who was a strong proponent of independence, put forward the resolution in response to a formal instruction from the Virginia Convention in Williamsburg. John Adams seconded the resolution to put it formally before Congress.
Lee’s proposal actually contained three resolutions. The first would declare the colonies to be “free and independent States.” The second and third parts would enable, following independence, the creation of alliances with other nations and the establishment of a form of united government. Congress dealt with each of those resolutions separately. After discussion on June 8 (a Saturday) and June 10, Congress postponed action on the resolution for independence for three weeks. A majority of the states’ delegations would have approved the resolution immediately. The delay was to allow time for delegations to receive fresh instructions from their states, which the advocates of independence hoped would result in the unanimous adoption of independence. On June 11, Congress voted that “in the mean while, that no time be lost, in case the Congress agree thereto, that a committee be appointed to prepare a declaration to the effect of the said first resolution.” Congress immediately appointed the committee to prepare the declaration and resolved to establish committees to draft plans for carrying out Lee’s second and third resolutions. See the Drafting the Declaration section of this exhibit for details.
Lee’s resolution was to be the actual declaration that the colonies were independent. Jefferson appropriately made it the final element of his draft (see Jefferson’s “original Rough draught”), letting the statement of inherent rights and the list of grievances against the British government serve as a long justifying preamble to it. Jefferson’s draft final paragraph, almost 150 words long, was much longer than Lee’s resolution, which had fewer than 50 words. Although Jefferson’s version was longer, he did not include all of Lee’s wording. For example, Jefferson left out Lee’s phrase that the colonies “of right ought to be” independent. Jefferson also dropped Lee’s statement that the colonies were “absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown.” Instead, he declared that the Americans “reject and renounce all allegiance & subjection” to the British monarchs and “all others who may hereafter claim by, through, or under them.”
For the final version of the Declaration of Independence, Congress kept much of Jefferson’s paragraph, and in fact made it a few words longer. Congress approved Lee’s “resolution of independency” on July 2 and brought its full text into the last paragraph of the Declaration, transcribed in the exhibit below.
Texts
The transcription on the left shows the last paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. On the right is the resolution proposed in the Continental Congress by Richard Henry Lee on June 7, 1776.
Declaration of Independence
(final paragraph)
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.
Richard Henry Lee’s Resolution of Independence
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.
That it is expedient forthwith to take the most effectual measures for forming foreign Alliances.
That a plan of confederation be prepared and transmitted to the respective Colonies for their consideration and approbation.
Additional Reading
Danielle Allen, Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality (New York, 2014), 65-6, 263-4.
Julian P. Boyd, The Declaration of Independence: The Evolution of the Text as Shown in Facsimiles of Various Drafts by its Author (Washington, D.C., 1943), 5-6.
Library of Congress, Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789, 34 vols. (Washington, D.C., 1904-37), 5:425-9, 431, 504-5, 506-507.
Pauline Maier, American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence (New York, 1997), 41-5.