<P> By June , nine colonies were ready for independence ; one by one , the last four fell into line : Pennsylvania , Delaware , Maryland , and New York . Richard Henry Lee was instructed by the Virginia legislature to propose independence , and he did so on June 7 , 1776 . On June 11 , a committee was created to draft a document explaining the justifications for separation from Britain . After securing enough votes for passage , independence was voted for on July 2 . The Declaration of Independence was drafted largely by Thomas Jefferson and presented by the committee ; it was unanimously adopted by the entire Congress on July 4 , and each of the colonies became independent and sovereign . The next step was to form a union to facilitate international relations and alliances . </P>
<P> By June , nine colonies were ready for independence ; one by one , the last four fell into line : Pennsylvania , Delaware , Maryland , and New York . Richard Henry Lee was instructed by the Virginia legislature to propose independence , and he did so on June 7 , 1776 . On June 11 , a committee was created to draft a document explaining the justifications for separation from Britain . After securing enough votes for passage , independence was voted for on July 2 . The Declaration of Independence was drafted largely by Thomas Jefferson and presented by the committee ; it was unanimously adopted by the entire Congress on July 4 , and each of the colonies became independent and sovereign . The next step was to form a union to facilitate international relations and alliances . </P>
what document marked the official beginning of the american revolution
what document marked the official beginning of the american revolution
Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence