Welcome to the American Story.

Stories about what it is that makes America beautiful.

Heartbreaking, funny, inspiring, and endlessly interesting.

This is Chris Flannery with the Clermont Institute.

I call this one

To See the Right.

On Monday, July 1st, 1776, the members of the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia

sat as a committee of the whole to consider the historic resolution proposed by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia,

that these United colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states.

Americans had been discussing independence for years, with increasing urgency since the battles of Lexington and conquered the year before

and since Thomas Paine's common sense burst upon the world in January.

But actually to resolve upon independence was an intimidating step.

Support for Lee's resolution was by no means unanimous. The New York

delegates were restrained by their provincial Congress from voting for

independence. A similar restriction on the Maryland delegation was removed only the day the resolution was considered.

South Carolina was leading against the measure.

The Delaware and Pennsylvania delegations were divided.

The votes of nine colonies were needed for passage,

but no one wanted to take such a momentous step

if there was significant dissent.

What followed as Thomas Jefferson recollected was nine hours of exhausting debate during which

all the powers of the soul had been distended with the magnitude of the object.

...