Page 79 - Beers With Our Founding Fathers

A Patriot’s view of the history and direction of our Country

The Declaration of Independence, from which each one of us is

transcended from, was a precedent setting document in several
historical ways. So much so, each of the fifty-seven signors

acknowledged this with the concluding sentence: “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.”

Ratification by Congress was not immediate – a unanimous vote
by the thirteen colonies was necessary. As previously detailed in

this work, it was not initially unanimous, but after negotiations, on
nd
July 2 1776 the Second Continental Congress ratified this historic
document and event. The signing took place beginning on August
nd
2 1776, first being John Hancock as president of the Continental
Congress and followed by a majority of the delegates. The last
delegate to sign was Thomas McKean in 1781; his was the only

signature that did not appear on the official printing of January 17,
1777 for distribution to the states.

The ratification of the Declaration of Independence was early in
the American War for Independence – just over one year had passed

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