The Declaration of Independence was made in 1776 by the 13 English colonies in North America breaking away from all allegiance to the British Crown. The Declaration was mainly the work of Thomas Jefferson. Already in December 1775 the Congress had declared itself independent of the English parliament and by this declaration had repudiated allegiance to the Crown.
Absolute separation from Great Britain was not at first contemplated by the colonies. New England favoured it, but the Southern States were opposed. The transfer of the war to the southward in May and June, 1776, brought them to this view. The North Carolina Convention took the first step toward independence by a resolution 'to concur with those in the other colonies in declaring independence', April 22, 1776. Virginia, May 17, 1776, prepared the title of the document by directing her Representatives to propose in Congress a 'Declaration of Independence'. Such a resolution was offered by Richard Henry Lee on June the 7th, 1776. This resolution was adopted on July the 2nd. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R Livingston were the committee appointed to draft the Declaration. The draft was formulated almost entirely by Jefferson. Before July the 1st, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey had instructed their delegates to vote against the Declaration. This instruction was rescinded, South Carolina came over to the majority, and Delaware's vote, at first divided, was in the affirmative. The Declaration was, therefore, adopted by the unanimous vote of twelve States, New York alone not voting, on July the 4th, 1776. The New York Convention afterward ratified the Declaration. The engrossed copy was signed on August the 2nd. The Declaration sets forth the rights of man and of the colonists, enumerates their grievances against the British Government, and declares 'that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States'.
The paca (Coelogenys paca) is a large, nocturnal, burrowing rodent found in central America. It attains a length of some 60 cm, has a stout body, with short limbs and a broad head. The body is marked by rows of white spots along the sides. Research Paca
William Paca was an American politician. He was born in 1740 and died in 1799. He opposed all taxation of the colonies by England. He was a member of, the Maryland Legislature from 1771 to 1774. He represented Maryland in the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1779 and signed the American Declaration of Independence. He was a State Senator from 1777 to 1779, Judge of the Federal Court of Appeals from 1780 until 1783, and Governor of Maryland from 1783 until 1786. He was US Judge for the District of Maryland from 1789 to 1799. Research William Paca
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