Page 56 - Beers With Our Founding Fathers

Beers with our Founding Fathers

(South Carolina and Pennsylvania); New York abstained due to lack

of instructions from their governing body, and Delaware’s two
present delegates were tied and were therefore unable to cast a

vote (the third Delaware representative was not present). The next
nd
day, July 2 , Congress assembled and Pennsylvania and South
Carolina would change their vote to yes, and Delaware’s third
delegate was present and voted in favor. Only New York did not

vote, still not having instructions. With this, an essential unanimous
vote of those able to, the Congress scrutinized each line of Thomas

Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. It should be noted that the
committee and most notably John Adams, wanted a unanimous

declaration to demonstrate the determination of the colonies.
There were two reasons for the quest for unanimity: 1) Any crown

sympathizers knew anything but unanimity would keep the colonies
divided and independence would not be possible, or at least likely;

and 2) Any perception of a divided colonies would find neighbors
against neighbors, families against families – as was seen in the

American Civil War almost a century later, a war whose antecedents
are found in the unresolved issues of the American War for

Independence.

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