Philadelphia in the Life of America: History Reports |
According to Pauline Maier, author of American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence, in late April of 1775, John Hancock and Samuel Adams set out from Massachusetts as delegates for the Second Continental Congress. The congress' session was to be held on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, if Great Britain had not "redressed the grievances" of the colonies by that particular date. Both men ventured to Philadelphia with much trepidation, fearing "reproach" from other congressional delegates for Massachusetts' hasty actions of self-defense against the British in the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Soon, however, their fears were laid to rest when, as they joined other delegates traveling to Philadelphia, their journey became a "triumphal procession" with "sympathy and support" from spectators numbering in the thousands. Grandly, the delegates arrived in Philadelphia and found two hundred men waiting to protect them.
As soon as the Second Continental Congress convened, the delegates found themselves "knee-deep" in a quagmire of decisions, and soon the congress began to serve as a national government, with decision-making power limited to the delegates' instructions from their respective colonies. Among the various items on the congress' agenda, were military considerations, like Fort Ticonderoga and the Battle of Bunker Hill, trade decisions, and the construction of new governments in the colonies. However, there was one major decision that shortly loomed over the delegates--whether to reconcile with Great Britain or to declare their independence. Initially, nearly every, if not all, delegates advocated reconciliation with Great Britain, and to some even the notion of independence was ludicrous. Many feared Great Britain's military might, and many feared the colonies would not receive support from other nations. However, when George III pronounced that the colonies were indeed in a "state of rebellion" and issued the Prohibitory Act, which prohibited trade with the "North American colonies" until after the "present Rebellion" and essentially declared the colonies enemies to the crown, the delegates saw no hope for reconciliation. However, this did not conclude the lasting debate between those who wished to remain loyal to Great Britain and those delegates who advocated independence.
When the delegates saw no other alternative than to separate from Great Britain, they realized that to procure support they would need to formally declare their independence. With this in mind, the congress selected a Committee of Five to draft the formal declaration. The committee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, who had impressed the delegates with his draft of the Declaration of Taking Up Arms, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, and Robert Livingston of New York. Interestingly, Thomas Jefferson, a committee member who would soon prove tremendously important, had just returned to the congress from a long stay at his home in Virginia and truly did not want to be in Philadelphia. Jefferson would have rather been in Virginia helping his fellow Virginians create a new government.
Eventually, the committee gave primary responsibility for the draft to Jefferson. Among the many reasons Jefferson received primary responsibility was the fact that "having the Declaration written by a Virginian and a Southerner rather than a New Englander..., would demonstrate that support for the Independence went far beyond the 'radical' children of th Puritans..." (100). Interestingly, the Declaration of Independence was drafted in approximately two or three days, with Jefferson "sandwiching" it between various other duties that the congress needed to address and finish. He did consult John Adams and Benjamin Franklin as he was drafting the document, and he appeared to have taken ideas from the preamble to the Virginia Constitution and the English Declaration of Rights, among others.
On June 28, 1776, Jefferson and the committee submitted the draft of the Declaration of Independence to the "Committee of Whole" to consider. The congress analyzed the word choice and phrasing of the document carefully, making revisions periodically. Consequently, as the editing session concluded, congress had eliminated a reference to ending slave trade and had shortened Jefferson's list of twenty-one grievances against George III to nineteen. Naturally, Jefferson was "angered by the immense editing" and become "miserable."
Initially, the Declaration of Independence was "disregarded" for simply what it was--a formal declaration of independence. However, it would undertake a transformation from "a justification of revolution...to...a moral standard by which day-to-day policies and practices of the..United States of America...could be judged" (154). For example, Republicans began to "celebrate" the Declaration of Independence, and many began to argue over the authenticity of the draft. Some, primarily Federalists, argued that Jefferson must have copied the language and ideas of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence from North Carolina, for it allegedly pre-dated the Declaration of Independence. One observes that the responsibility of who wrote the Declaration of Independence was worth fighting for and the writer worth extolling. Additionally, many started to revere the United States' Founding Fathers and revere the Declaration itself. People began to refer to it in religious terms, and groups started to use it in "seizing the moral high ground of public debate" in order to achieve gains in their lives and the lives of others. Groups like women, abolitionists, and especially slaves, touted the phrase that "all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...
The generations following the Founding Fathers have placed the Declaration of Independence among the most "sacred" documents of the United States of America. They have transformed a formal declaration to end a "regime" into a document to "lay down principles to guide and limit the next government." Yet, despite the Declaration of Independence's sanctity, many wonder if it deserves the pre-eminence it has been granted today.
Summary by Nicole Martin, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
A soldier, a sailor and an empire builder, Sir William Penn grew up in England and became a great helper to the King during his time. As a favor, the king granted Penn land in the New World. Upon arrival Penn came across the Indians. He approached them differently than the Spaniards and other English. He respected them and their concepts of land ownership. This proved beneficial to him, for he avoided a lot of conflict by trying to keep the peace. Penn decided to put his colony, called Pennsylvania, a few miles below the fortieth parallel. This act caused grief for Penn’s northern neighbor, lord Baltimore, because this spot served as Baltimore’s northern border. Penn’s way of reasoning again saved him from confrontation again, and because of his abilities, Philadelphia, the capital of Pennsylvania, became known as a place where the rule of reason is greatly accepted. He decided to let his land have a rule of religious tolerance, and this area became a safe haven for those not believing in the traditional views. Quakers, for example, fled to this area to practice their beliefs without being punished.
Because of the wide tolerance, Philadelphia quickly became a melting pot for the New World. Quickly it became the center of the country, serving as a great American trading center and a friendly meeting ground for states before the Revolution. There was great evidence of the mixture of cultures within the city. The city was very neat, for it had not been built upon a fallen city. Independence Hall, which served as a State House, was built by Andrew Hamilton, and reflects English styles and ways of life. The Bank of Pennsylvania, built by Benjamin H. Latrobe, and Strickland’s Bank of the United States both reflect Greek culture. With such differences in culture, Philadelphia served as a development area for art, music, and architecture in America. Cousins William Rush and Charles Wilson Peale founded the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts; this was the first of its kind in America. Philadelphia became a city of commerce quickly as well. There were many shipping exports as well as having ports for imported goods. Oliver Evans developed the high-pressured steam engine and John Fitch developed the steamboat in Philadelphia, and both fed the economy greatly by helping transportation.
Philadelphia had many governmental functions as well. Before the Revolution, Independence Hall served as a State House and meeting ground for the writers of the Declaration of Independence. The Constitution was also drawn up here. When the Revolutionary War was over, Philadelphia was home to the first government. Philadelphia was also home to both the First and Second Bank of the United States. Once America grew, the capital was moved, and Pennsylvania’s governmental history became just that. Fortunately, the memory of this great place lives on.
Summary by Jennifer Metz, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
The Birth of the United States was about how the United States came into existence. The book focused on this topic from two different angles. The first came about by taking the reader through a step-by-step process of daily events during the meeting of the Second Continental Congress, from July 1 to July 4, 1776. Bishop also concentrated on why the states felt they had to come together in a section Bishop calls “The Road to Independence.”
As Bishop takes the reader through the events that occurred on the given days, he actually brings out the characteristics of the different representatives of the states. Bishop did not focus on the good qualities only. He brought out the bad qualities of all the individuals as well. A prime example of this was Thomas Jefferson. Bishop shows that Thomas Jefferson was a great and eloquent writer. However, Bishop also shows that everyone knew Jefferson was a poor speller by illustrating the fact Jefferson had to have many other people proof read his drafts of the Declaration of Independence for spelling mistakes.
Bishop’s second angle focuses on the reasons for the developing of the United States. Of course, Bishop pointed out taxation without representation, unjustified acts by British Parliament, and many other causes for separation. However, Bishop brings out a very good point in his book about timing. The colonists could not afford, physically or financially, to separate from England any time prior to when it actually happened. When separation occurred, the colonies were all in positions to handle themselves and function adequately as independent states, but not against England individually. Bishop theorized and illustrated that if the colonists would have tried before the time they did, they probably would have failed.
Bishop’s book showed the birth of a nation from a realistic point of view, instead of a dramatized view, by making the founding fathers seem human and possessing both good and bad qualities. These men knew that they could not live under England’s shadow and still grow. They decided that separation was the only way to avoid this, and Bishop did an excellent job portraying this fact.
Summary by Adam Rugg, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke