Susanna (and her Mini Felicity doll) Explore the Revolutionary War in Rhode Island

 

 The Declaration of Independence!

21 July, 1776

July ye 21st Seventeen Hundred and Seventy-Six. Such news! Word has come from the government in Philadelphia of a declaration of Independence! (Two months since Rhode Island renounced the King on May ye 4th).

Rhode Island's Act of Renunciation May 4, 1776

The Path to Independence

On 7 June Richard Henry Lee of Virginia presented the Second Continental Congress with a resolution for independence. This was a result of years of Britain imposing on the rights of the colonies to be self-governed. After the Boston Tea Party and other similar protests, King George III declared his North American subjects were in a state of open and avowed rebellion. In June some delegates still hoped for a peaceful solution. The vote for independence was delayed for three weeks.

A few days later, on 11 June, Congress took a break. They asked John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston and Roger Sherman (known as the Committee of Five) to draft a statement for the delegates to consider when they returned to Congress. Mr. Jefferson wrote a draft. Mr. Adams and Mr. Franklin edited it. 

On 1 July, Jefferson's Declaration of Independence was presented to Congress. Next day, Lee's resolution was passed. John Adams thought this day, 2 July, would be a national day of celebration forevermore. 

One of our Rhode Island delegates, Stephen Hopkins, is very old. He has a palsy in his hand. His hand shakes as he signs the document. He declares "My hand trembles, but my heart does not.”

Susanna with Stephen Hopkins at his house

Not quite. Two days later on 4 July, the Declaration was adopted. Every colonial assembly received a copy. Other copies were sent to the Continental Army (General Washington), King George III and other countries like Poland and Florence in Italy. 

Two more days since 4 July, a copy was sent to the Governor of Rhode Island. (Governor Wanton was not in favor. Boo hiss!) 

Solomon Southwick's Declaration of Independence

Mr. Solomon Southwick of the Newport Mercury supervised the printing and publishing of multiple copies of the Declaration. One copy was read in Newport. Other copies were distributed throughout the state.

The Southwick Printing

Now you must time travel forward to 31 January 1777. The only woman printer known to publish AND sign her name to the Declaration of Independence is Mary Katherine Goddard, a printer in Baltimore. (She used to live here in Providence). 

The Goddard Printing

Miss Goddard was the official printer to the Continental Congress. She signed her copy "Baltimore, in Maryland: Printed by Mary Katharine Goddard." She took a big risk aligning herself with independence. This was an act of treason!

Mary Katherine Goddard's Declaration of Independence

Her name was crossed out!

On March ye 3rd, Miss Goddard's broadside was entered into the proceedings of the General Assembly.

The Goddard Broadside 1777

Time travel forward again to 1820 when Secretary of State John Quincy Adams hired William J. Stone to engrave a copy of the Declaration of Independence as the original is beginning to fade. This will be the copy everyone from hereon in remembers seeing. 

Jump ahead four more years to 1824 when Rhode Island receives four copies of the Southwick Declaration, along with a letter from John Quincy Adams! 

That is all we have for you today but please return soon for there is much more to the story after independence has been declared!

Learn More:

Mary Katherine Goddard Takes a Stance, Independence National Park

Mary Katherine Goddard, Harvard Graduate School of Education

The Goddard Broadside, New York Public Library

The Declaration of Independence Rhode Island Historical Society

Google Arts and Culture