The Declaration of Independence, officially known as the United States Declaration of Independence, is one of the most important documents in American history. This day will always be remembered as a day of infamy, a day when the United States of America declared their freedom from Great Britain. The occasion was marked by a fireworks display and a long list of speeches and toasts. People around the world still talk about the Declaration of Independence and the Fourth of July in general.
While the Declaration of Independence is often associated with the American revolution, it was actually written and released in 1868, almost 20 years after the Revolutionary War. Today, we will examine the role that each signer had in drafting this important document. It was not drafted in a traditional committee fashion, but instead was a group of 12 men, known as the “Philadelphia 12,” who worked together to put this document together.
Who Drafted the Declaration of Independence?
One of the most important questions to ask about the Declaration of Independence is: who drafted it? The short answer is: the 12 men of the Philadelphia 11.
On July 4, 1868, just over a year after the end of the Civil War, a group of former Confederate army officers and politicians decided to honor the promise they made in 1865 to represent the citizens of the South in the government of the United States. This group, which is known as the “Constitutional Congress,” decided that the best way to give practical form to their promises was to write a constitutional document for the southern states. At the time, there were no elected officials from the southern states in Congress, so the delegates from the former Confederacy decided to draft the document themselves.
The first meeting of the Constitutional Congress was held on April 14, 1868, and three days later, they had finished work on the Declaration of Independence. On May 4, the Congress members held a public reading of the Declaration of Independence in front of a large audience. That same day, the Declaration of Independence was officially accepted by the U.S. Congress and subsequently sent to the press for publication.
Who Were the Main Players in the Declaration of Independence?
This section will identify and briefly discuss the 12 men who were all involved in the Declaration of Independence. For more information, see our articles on the historical records of the Constitutional Congress, the Philadelphia 12, and the role of Thomas Maclay in the Philadelphia 12.
Roger Sherman – This Is One of the Brains Behind the Declaration of Independence
One of the key figures in the American Revolution, Roger Sherman was a Connecticut lawyer and politician who was a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1776 and a member of the Connecticut Constitutional Convention in 1818. He was also the founder of the American Party, which later merged with the Democratic Party. He was 77 years old when he signed the Declaration of Independence and had a lengthy career that spanned over 70 years.
Sherman’s impressive career is detailed in an 1875 book entitled, “Sherman’s Life and Achievements.” The author, John Fitch, wrote the following about Sherman: “[He] was a man of great legal attainments. Politically [he was] a moderate, but firm supporter of the Union. He was a good financier, and had the ability to look beyond the surface of things. In the Declaration of Independence he was the main author.”
Sherman had several co-signers on the Declaration of Independence, including fellow lawyer and politician Thomas Maclay. While Maclay was from Georgia, Sherman was from Connecticut, making them fellow founding citizens of the United States. At the end of his life, Sherman spent some time in Europe and became fluent in several languages, learning a lot about different cultures.
John Witherspoon – The “First Minister of Liberty”
The Reverend John Witherspoon, D.D., was the first President of the College of New Jersey (now known as the University of New Jersey) and the founder of the Baptist Church in the United States. He was also the founder and first president of the American Institute of International Law (now known as the American Society of International Law).
Witherspoon was born in Glasgow, Scotland, but moved with his family to the United States at a very young age. He studied medicine and surgery at the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and practiced his profession in Louisville, Kentucky, before moving back to Philadelphia to work for the College of New Jersey. There, he started a school for preachers. In the late 1760s, Witherspoon was ordained as a Baptist minister and made his first visit to Savannah, Georgia, as a missionary. It was during this time that he met and became friends with William Becknell, who would later become the second Secretary of the Board of Commissioners of the Mint.
It was also during this time that Witherspoon helped to draft the Declaration of Independence. He initially proposed to the other delegates the idea of a Bill of Rights, but was overruled by James Madison. On July 9, 1776, Witherspoon wrote in his diary, “Today was productive. It is astonishing how far we have gone, and astonishing also how well the business of the nation progresses. After the affair of the public treasury, bills of credit, & money, & the scarcity of every thing, it is wonderful to observe the order, method, and tranquility that prevail.”
Witherspoon signed the Declaration of Independence along with James Madison and a handful of other signers from the middle Atlantic region. It is interesting to note that while at the time of the signing, Witherspoon was traveling to New York City to attend a meeting of the American Medical Association, he was actually from Pennsylvania, not far from the scene of the signing.
William Maclay – A “Key Player” in Drafting the Declaration of Independence
One of the more prominent members of the Philadelphia 12, William Maclay was a politician, attorney, and judge from Georgia who founded the city of Macon. He was also a lifelong bachelor who loved to read, write, and play the piano. While many people know Maclay as the uncle of Civil War general Robert E. Lee, he was actually the uncle of Mary Maclay, who was married to Confederate army officer Alexander Maclay. They had six children, of whom the famous Robert E. Lee was the fifth child.
Maclay was born in 1797 and attended Princeton University, where he studied law. Following his graduation, he established a law practice in Macon. He also sat on the bench for a few years, finally setting up a law practice with his brother, David. Like his uncle Robert E. Lee, Maclay was very active in the politics of his time, and was a friend of both U.S. Presidents Andrew Johnson and Abraham Lincoln.
In 1868, Maclay was in his early 60s and, having recently been appointed to the Supreme Court of Georgia by Governor Richard Hamilton, he felt that it was time for him to leave the bench. That same year, he signed the Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia. Maclay also co-signed the document with Thomas Morris, who was at the time the Governor of Georgia. In 1872, Maclay presided over the trial of the assassins of President Lincoln. Like many of the men who helped to draft the Declaration of Independence, Maclay had a long and distinguished career that spanned over half a century.
Maclay died on March 9, 1881, and was buried in the Old City Cemetery in Macon. A monument to this great American and his distinguished career was erected at the cemetery in 1930. Also, the City of Macon named a street in his honor.
Maclay is often remembered for his work in the Declaration of Independence, but he was in fact one of at least 13 people who were responsible for the final draft of the document. The following section will examine the other players who were involved in the creation of this historical document. You will learn about their role in drafting the Declaration of Independence, as well as how their individual lives impacted American history.