When the Second Continental Congress assembled in the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia in May 1775, the shooting war between British and colonial forces was underway and the delegates faced the task of funding and arming a Continental army, appointing its leadership, and managing a war against its powerful foe. Though the war had begun with the Battles of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts a month before, on April 19, 1775, a formal political separation from the British crown was not a foregone conclusion. Not until July 1776 did the delegates work through deep political divisions to create the Declaration of Independence, which gave birth to a new nation and cemented Philadelphia’s reputation as a cradle of liberty.

On June 7, 1776, Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee formally presented a plan for the colonies to declare independence, create a national government, and enlist the aid of foreign nations in the war effort. The motion was seconded by John Adams, but political resistance to independence was still deep among some delegates. In Pennsylvania’s case, the provincial Assembly meeting upstairs in the State House remained committed to reconciliation. With passage uncertain, the Continental Congress voted only to resume debate on Lee’s resolution on July 1, 1776.

While those in favor of independence worked behind the scenes to win the votes needed for passage, a committee of five delegates—Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Robert R. Livingston of New York, and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia—set to work on the declaration itself. To complete this important task, Jefferson moved away from the activity surrounding the State House to the quieter outskirts of the city, at Seventh and Market Streets. 

After some minor editing and suggestions from Franklin and Adams, the document was presented to the Congress on June 28, 1776, for further editing and debate. The Congress made more than ninety modifications to Jefferson’s draft, from changes in vocabulary and sentence structure to the elimination of some of Jefferson’s listed grievances against King George III. These changes included removing the charge that the king had delivered the “un-Christian” practice of slavery to American colonies.

On July 1, after a long day of debate, the Congress voted. Each colony had one vote, requiring the delegations to decide among themselves how to cast their single vote. Pennsylvania and South Carolina voted no; New York—whose provincial government was then fleeing the invading British Army—abstained. Delaware’s two delegates present were split. Although a majority of the delegations at this moment voted in favor of the resolution, proponents of independence sought unanimous support.

On July 2, the remaining pieces fell into place. South Carolina reversed course and voted in favor of Lee’s resolution. Delaware’s Caesar Rodney rode through the night to arrive at the State House to break his delegation’s tie in favor of independence. Within the Pennsylvania delegation, John Dickinson and Robert Morris, both opponents of independence, abstained, leaving Pennsylvania’s delegation then 3-to-2 in favor of independence. Though against declaring independence, Dickinson recognized the symbolic importance of a unanimous decision. He then left Congress and volunteered for the Pennsylvania militia. 

Thousands of visitors each year visit the Pennsylvania State House, situated on Chestnut Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets. They may not be aware of its history as a State House or that the Georgian style of its architecture expresses deep ties between Pennsylvania and British culture. These visitors are drawn by the significance of this building in the early history of this nation and know it better by the name it gained from the events of 1776—Independence Hall.

Adapted from the new book Greater Philadelphia and the Nation, Vol. 2, A New History for the Twenty-First Century (University of Pennsylvania Press): “Declaration of Independence,” by Michael Karpyn.