On this day in 1776, the Continental Congress adopts our Declaration of Independence. It had already resolved on July 2 that “these United Colonies are, and, of right, ought to be, Free and Independent States . . . .” Now it formally adopted a written document, too. It took nearly a month to write the Declaration. You may know that Thomas Jefferson was the primary author, but he had help, too. What is the rest of the story? On June 11, Congress nominated a “Committee of Five” to draft a declarat