Thirteen states unanimously declaring themselves independent of the British Empire was a momentous occasion. It also occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Continental Congress approved a resolution of independence after intense debate. The assembly only explained itself two days later.
Even on July 2, not too much changed. John Adams believed the colonies were already independent from Britain in all but name. He instructed his colleagues, “The question was not whether, by a declaration of independence, we should make ourselves what we are not; but whether we should declare a fact which already exists.”
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