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July 4th - The Declaration of Independence

According to many sources, the date that the Declaration of Independence was signed seem to all agree (except the school books) that the Famed Signing of the Declaration of Independence was NOT on July 4th as we were told and celebrate.   Rather, it went something like this...

June 11, 1776: Committee organized to draw up a "Declaration Of Independence"
June 12, 1776: The Committee of 5 select Thomas Jefferson to write the first draft.
June 28, 1776: The reviewed draft is read in Congress.
July 1-4, 1774: Congress debates and modifies the original draft.
July 2, 1776: Congress declares Independence.
July 4, 1776: Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence
July 5, 1776: President John Hancock sends a copy of the Declaration of Independence to the Legislatures of Delaware and New Jersey
July 8, 1776: First public reading
July 19, 1776: Congress orders the Current Revised copy of the Declaration of Independence be Signed.
August 2, 1776: Delegates begin signing the Declaration of Independence
The final signature did not occur until 1781.

Trivia note:  Not all of the members that voted for Independence, on July 2, 1776, signed it.  Not all that signed it, voted for it.

A detailed chronology can be found here


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Last modified: July 27, 1999