query: who drafted most of the declaration of independence

pos: United States Declaration of Independence New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The Lee Resolution for independence was passed on July 2 with no opposing votes. The Committee of Five had drafted the Declaration to be ready when Congress voted on independence. John Adams, a leader in pushing for independence, had persuaded the committee to select Thomas Jefferson to compose the original draft of the document, which Congress edited to produce the final version. The Declaration was a formal explanation of why Congress had voted to declare independence from Great Britain, more than a year after the outbreak of the

pos: Modern history 4, 1776, they issued the Declaration of Independence, which proclaimed their independence from Great Britain and their formation of a cooperative union. In June 1776, Benjamin Franklin was appointed a member of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence. Although he was temporarily disabled by gout and unable to attend most meetings of the Committee, Franklin made several small changes to the draft sent to him by Thomas Jefferson. The rebellious states defeated Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War, the first successful colonial war of independence. While the states had already rejected the governance of Parliament,

pos: Cursive the British Empire in the 17th and 18th centuries as round hand by John Ayers and William Banson. In the American colonies, on the eve of their independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, it is notable that Thomas Jefferson joined most, but not all the letters when drafting the United States Declaration of Independence. However, a few days later, Timothy Matlack professionally re-wrote the presentation copy of the Declaration in a fully joined, cursive hand. Eighty-seven years later, in the middle of the 19th century, Abraham Lincoln drafted the Gettysburg Address in a cursive hand that would not look

pos: Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" is a well-known phrase in the United States Declaration of Independence. The phrase gives three examples of the "unalienable rights" which the Declaration says have been given to all humans by their creator. The United States Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson, and then edited by the Committee of Five, which consisted of Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. It was then further edited and adopted by the Committee of the Whole of the Second Continental Congress on July 4,

pos: Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence though the Mecklenburg Declaration was supposedly written more than a year before the 1776 United States Declaration of Independence, the two declarations had some very similar phrases, including "dissolve the political bands which have connected", "absolve ourselves from all allegiance to the British Crown", "are, and of right ought to be", and "pledge to each other, our mutual cooperation, our lives, our fortunes, and our most sacred honor". This raised an obvious question: did Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the American Declaration of Independence, use the Mecklenburg Declaration as a source? One person who thought so was John Adams,

pos: Founding Fathers of the United States Founding Fathers of the United States The Founding Fathers of the United States were a group of philosophers, politicians, and writers who led the American Revolution against the Kingdom of Great Britain. Most were descendants of colonists settled in the Thirteen Colonies in North America. Historian Richard B. Morris in 1973 identified the following seven figures as the key Founding Fathers: Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington. Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin were members of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence. Hamilton, Madison, and Jay were authors of

pos: Founding Fathers of the United States Hancock, Henry, Morris, Marshall, Rush, and Paine). Founding Fathers of the United States The Founding Fathers of the United States were a group of philosophers, politicians, and writers who led the American Revolution against the Kingdom of Great Britain. Most were descendants of colonists settled in the Thirteen Colonies in North America. Historian Richard B. Morris in 1973 identified the following seven figures as the key Founding Fathers: Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington. Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin were members of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence.

pos: History of Western civilization up arms. Leaders of a new pro-independence movement were influenced by Enlightenment ideals and hoped to bring an ideal nation into existence. On 4 July 1776, the colonies declared independence with the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence. Drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the document's preamble eloquently outlines the principles of governance that would come to increasingly dominate Western thinking over the ensuing century and a half: George Washington led the new Continental Army against the British forces, who had many successes early in this American Revolution. After years of fighting, the colonists formed an alliance with France

pos: Continental Congress that the Continental Congress would have to convene once again. The Second Continental Congress convened on May 10, 1775, at Philadelphia's State House, passing the resolution for independence the following year on July 2, 1776, and publicly asserting the decision two days later with the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson of Virginia drafted the declaration, and John Adams was a leader in the debates in favor of its adoption. John Hancock of Massachusetts was the president during those debates. To govern during the American Revolutionary War, the Second Continental Congress continued, meeting at various locations, until it became the Congress

pos: History of the United States (1776–1789) declare the independence as the "United States of America". Two days later, on July 4, Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The drafting of the Declaration was the responsibility of a Committee of Five, which included, among others, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin; it was drafted by Thomas Jefferson and revised by the others and the Congress as a whole. It contended that "all men are created equal" with "certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness", and that "to secure these rights governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the

pos: Benjamin Franklin main British army in Boston. The Pennsylvania Assembly unanimously chose Franklin as their delegate to the Second Continental Congress. In June 1776, he was appointed a member of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence. Although he was temporarily disabled by gout and unable to attend most meetings of the Committee, Franklin made several "small but important" changes to the draft sent to him by Thomas Jefferson. At the signing, he is quoted as having replied to a comment by John Hancock that they must all hang together: "Yes, we must, indeed, all hang together, or most

pos: International relations, 1648–1814 The Declaration of Independence, drafted largely by Thomas Jefferson, was unanimously adopted by the Congress on July 4. Historian George Billias says: Benjamin Franklin, the chief American diplomat in Paris, proved highly popular with elite French opinion, including intellectuals and the Royal court. France wanted revenge after its defeat in the 1760s, and again heavily funding the American revolt. After the Americans captured a British invasion force at Saratoga, in upstate New York in 1777, the French officially declared war on Britain, recognize the independence of the new United States, and were joined officially by the Dutch (who recognized the

pos: Benjamin Randolph (cabinetmaker) to Randolph appear in the painting "William Rush Carving His Allegorical Figure of the Schuylkill River" (1876–77) by Thomas Eakins, and several other works by the artist. The chairs were lent to Eakins by his friend Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell. Benjamin Randolph (cabinetmaker) Benjamin Randolph (17211791) was an 18th-century American cabinetmaker who made furniture in the Queen Anne and Philadelphia Chippendale styles. He made the lap desk on which Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence. He was born in Monmouth County, New Jersey. His family, originally named Fitz-Randolph, were Quakers who fled religious persecution in New England and settled

pos: Benjamin Randolph (cabinetmaker) Benjamin Randolph (cabinetmaker) Benjamin Randolph (17211791) was an 18th-century American cabinetmaker who made furniture in the Queen Anne and Philadelphia Chippendale styles. He made the lap desk on which Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence. He was born in Monmouth County, New Jersey. His family, originally named Fitz-Randolph, were Quakers who fled religious persecution in New England and settled in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He may have apprenticed under the cabinet-joiner John Jones, from whom he rented lodgings. He married Anna Bromwich on February 18, 1762 at St. Paul's Church, Philadelphia, and they had two daughters, Mary and Anna.

pos: Independence Day (United States) July 4, even though Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin all later wrote that they had signed it on that day. Most historians have concluded that the Declaration was signed nearly a month after its adoption, on August 2, 1776, and not on July 4 as is commonly believed. Coincidentally, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as Presidents of the United States, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration. Although not a signer of the Declaration of Independence, James

pos: Benjamin Banneker in Thomas Jefferson's 1787 "Notes on the State of Virginia". The 1793 almanac also contained a copy of "A Plan of a "Peace-Office", for the United States". Although the almanac did not identify the Plan's author, writers later attributed the work to Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The Plan proposed the appointment of a "Secretary of Peace", described the Secretary's powers and advocated federal support and promotion of the Christian religion. The Plan stated: On August 19, 1791, after departing the federal capital area, Banneker wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson, who in 1776 had drafted

pos: Fulbeck rebuilding the Hall in Restoration style. It was burned down 30 December 1731, and was rebuilt 1732-1733, with only the back wings and cellars surviving from the early 17th century. His son, also Sir Francis, married Hannah Rushworth daughter of John Rushworth MP and private secretary to Oliver Cromwell . Rushworth was a republican and historian who is credited with drafting the Bill that abolished the monarchy, House of Lords and established England as a Republic, and many of his works and words were used by Thomas Jefferson when he drafted the American Declaration of Independence. In 1767 Fulbeck Hall

pos: Roger C. Weightman best attended and most remembered of the era. The last letter that Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and the writer of the Declaration of Independence, ever wrote was sent to Roger C. Weightman. It was a letter declining an invitation to join a celebration for the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The letter says: During the 1820s, Weightman was a member of the prestigious society, Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences, who counted among their members former presidents Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams and many prominent men

neg: Goliad Declaration of Independence Goliad Declaration of Independence The Goliad Declaration of Independence was signed on December 20, 1835 at Presidio La Bahía in Mexican Texas. The declaration was signed by 91 Texan colonists and Tejanos in the Gulf Coast of Mexico settlements who supported breaking away from Mexico and creating an independent state. While the document drafted by Matagorda "alcalde" (mayor) Ira Ingram was a precursor to the Texas Declaration of Independence, it was deemed premature when received by the Consultation in San Felipe de Austin. There was not yet a clear consensus among Texians for either declaring outright independence or remaining part

neg: Goliad Declaration of Independence of Mexico with the restoration of the 1824 Mexican Constitution. It was effectively quashed by sending it to the Committee on State and Judiciary, and was later just filed away. Goliad Declaration of Independence The Goliad Declaration of Independence was signed on December 20, 1835 at Presidio La Bahía in Mexican Texas. The declaration was signed by 91 Texan colonists and Tejanos in the Gulf Coast of Mexico settlements who supported breaking away from Mexico and creating an independent state. While the document drafted by Matagorda "alcalde" (mayor) Ira Ingram was a precursor to the Texas Declaration of Independence, it

neg: United States Declaration of Independence Declaration of Independence in 1818, Costa Rica in 1821, El Salvador in 1821, Guatemala in 1821, Honduras in (1821), Mexico in 1821, Nicaragua in 1821, Peru in 1821, Bolivian War of Independence in 1825, Uruguay in 1825, Ecuador in 1830, Colombia in 1831, Paraguay in 1842, Dominican Republic in 1844, Texas Declaration of Independence in March 1836, California Republic in November 1836, Hungarian Declaration of Independence in 1849, Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand in 1835, and the Czechoslovak declaration of independence from 1918 drafted in Washington D.C. with Gutzon Borglum among the drafters. The Rhodesian declaration of independence,

neg: Czechoslovak declaration of independence Czechoslovak declaration of independence The Czechoslovak Declaration of Independence or the Washington Declaration (; ) was drafted in Washington, D.C. and published by Czechoslovakia's Paris-based Provisional Government on 18 October 1918. The creation of the document, officially the Declaration of Independence of the Czechoslovak Nation by Its Provisional Government (), was prompted by the imminent collapse of the Habsburg Austro-Hungarian Empire, of which the Czech and Slovak lands had been part for almost 400 years, following the First World War. In the autumn of 1918, the Austro-Hungarian monarchy was collapsing. As one of his Fourteen Points, U.S. president Woodrow Wilson

neg: Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand claimants: The second stage of the report will be written up after final submissions are received in May 2018. Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand The Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand (), signed by a number of Māori chiefs in 1835, proclaimed the sovereign independence of New Zealand prior to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. In 1834, James Busby, the official British Resident in New Zealand, drafted a document known as the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand, which he and 34 northern Māori chiefs—including Tāmati Wāka Nene, Tītore and Bay of

neg: Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand The Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand (), signed by a number of Māori chiefs in 1835, proclaimed the sovereign independence of New Zealand prior to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. In 1834, James Busby, the official British Resident in New Zealand, drafted a document known as the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand, which he and 34 northern Māori chiefs—including Tāmati Wāka Nene, Tītore and Bay of Islands brothers; Te Wharerahi, Rewa, and Moka Te Kainga-mataa—signed at Waitangi on 28 October 1835. By 1839, 52 chiefs

neg: Early life and career of Thomas Jefferson Independence, a formal document which officially proclaimed the dissolution of the American colonies from the British Crown. The sentiments of revolution put forth in the Declaration were already well established in 1776 as the colonies were already at war with the British when the Declaration was being debated, drafted and signed. Before the Declaration was drafted, Jefferson served as a delegate from Virginia to the Second Continental Congress beginning in June 1775, soon after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. He sought out John Adams who, along with his cousin Samuel, had emerged as a leader of the convention.

neg: Estonian Declaration of Independence "Long live the independent democratic Republic of Estonia!" "Long live peace among nations!" "The Council of Elders of the Estonian National Council" <br> "Tallinn, 21 February 1918" Estonian Declaration of Independence The Estonian Declaration of Independence, also known as the Manifesto to the Peoples of Estonia (), is the founding act of the Republic of Estonia from 1918. It is celebrated on 24 February, the National Day or Estonian Independence Day. The declaration was drafted by the Salvation Committee elected by the elders of the Estonian Provincial Assembly. Originally intended to be proclaimed on 21 February 1918, the proclamation was

neg: Independence Act of Panama 10 November 1821, rebels throughout the Panamanian countryside began demanding independence. Using bribes to quell resistance from the Spanish troops and garner their desertion, the rebels gained control of Panama City without bloodshed. An open meeting was held with merchants, landowners, and elites, who fearing retaliation from Spain and interruption of trade decided to join the Republic of Gran Colombia and drafted the Independence Act of Panama. The Declaration of Independence was drafted on 28 November 1821 by the educator and diplomat Manuel José Hurtado and consisted of twelve articles. The text is as follows: José Vallarino Jiménez was chosen

neg: Estonian Declaration of Independence Estonian Declaration of Independence The Estonian Declaration of Independence, also known as the Manifesto to the Peoples of Estonia (), is the founding act of the Republic of Estonia from 1918. It is celebrated on 24 February, the National Day or Estonian Independence Day. The declaration was drafted by the Salvation Committee elected by the elders of the Estonian Provincial Assembly. Originally intended to be proclaimed on 21 February 1918, the proclamation was delayed until the evening of 23 February, when the manifesto was printed and read out aloud publicly in Pärnu. On the next day, 24 February, the manifesto

neg: Finnish Declaration of Independence was however no longer deemed suitable. Leading circles had long held monarchism and hereditary nobility to be antiquated, and advocated a republican constitution for Finland. The Senate of Finland, the government that the Parliament had appointed in November, drafted a Declaration of Independence and a proposal for a new republican Instrument of Government. Chairman of the Senate ( Prime minister) Pehr Evind Svinhufvud read the Declaration to the Parliament on 4 December. The Declaration of Independence was technically given the form of a preamble of the proposition, and was intended to be agreed by the Parliament, which adopted the Declaration

neg: Purna Swaraj it to Nehru outright. The Congress regularly observed 26 January as the Independence Day of India – commemorating those who campaigned for Indian independence. In 1947, the British agreed to transfer power and political finesse to India, and 15 August became the official Independence Day. However, the new Constitution of India, as drafted and approved by the Constituent Assembly, was mandated to take effect on 26 January 1950, to commemorate the 1930 declaration. On that day in 1950, India became a republic. 26 January is now celebrated as Republic Day of India every year. Purna Swaraj The Purna Swaraj declaration,

neg: Chilean Declaration of Independence Chilean Declaration of Independence The Chilean Declaration of Independence is a document declaring the independence of Chile from the Spanish Empire. It was drafted in January 1818 and approved by Supreme Director Bernardo O'Higgins on 12 February 1818 at Talca, despite being dated in Concepción on 1 January 1818. The ceremony of independence was performed on 12 February 1818, the first anniversary of the Battle of Chacabuco. The original document, displaying manuscript comments by O'Higgins, was damaged at the Palace of the Real Audiencia of Santiago. In 1832, under President José Joaquín Prieto, a new copy was sent to Peru

neg: Columbia College (New York) some of the nation's foremost political leaders. Even at this young age, King's College had already educated Alexander Hamilton, who served as military aide to General George Washington, initiated and authored most of "The Federalist Papers", and then as the first Secretary of the Treasury; John Jay, author of several of the "Federalist Papers" and the first Chief Justice of the United States; Robert Livingston, one of the Committee of Five who drafted the Declaration of Independence; and Gouverneur Morris, who authored most of the United States Constitution. Hamilton's first experience with the military came while a student during the

neg: Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire the National Autonomous University of Mexico are working on a system of preservation and exhibition of historical documents in order to permanently exhibit the act in the near future. Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire The Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire () is the document by which the Mexican Empire declared independence from the Spanish Empire. This founding document of the Mexican nation was drafted in the National Palace in Mexico City on September 28, 1821, by Juan José Espinosa de los Monteros, secretary of the Provisional Governmental Board. Three copies of the act were executed. One

neg: Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire The Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire () is the document by which the Mexican Empire declared independence from the Spanish Empire. This founding document of the Mexican nation was drafted in the National Palace in Mexico City on September 28, 1821, by Juan José Espinosa de los Monteros, secretary of the Provisional Governmental Board. Three copies of the act were executed. One was destroyed in a fire in 1909. The other two copies are in the Museo Historico de Acapulco Fuerte de San Diego in Acapulco and in the General Archive

neg: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Liberia) [of Liberia's foreign policy] is copied after the pattern adopted by the United States of America from where the founding fathers of Liberia had come as ex-slaves and free men of color." Liberia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs was established as a cabinet-level branch of the government in 1848, soon after the country's declaration of independence in 1847. Originally called the "Department of State", the ministry assumed its current name in 1972. The first director of the ministry was Hilary Teague, who also drafted the Liberian Declaration of Independence and served in the Liberian Senate. Between 1848 and 1981, every Foreign

neg: Edmund Pendleton of the Virginia Convention which authorized Virginia's delegates to propose a resolution to move for the break from Britain and creation of the Declaration of Independence. The Convention debated the Virginia Declaration of Rights, drafted by George Mason and which served as a model for the Declaration of Independence. Pendleton proposed the modification in the statement of universal rights in Virginia's declaration to exclude slaves, thus winning support of slave owners. Fellow delegates elected Pendleton the first Speaker of Virginia's new House of Delegates although a fall from a horse in March 1777 dislocated his hip and caused him to

neg: Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire Mazo, the first political chief of Mexico City, distributed a proclamation with the Declaration of Independence so all the people could read it, especially the courts, governors and military authorities, for them to publish it nationwide. On the afternoon of September 28, members of the Board met at the National Palace to draft the Declaration of Independence of the newly independent nation. The resulting two documents were drafted in its final form by Juan José Espinosa de los Monteros, Secretary of the Board. The acts were signed by 33 of the 38 members of the Board and Iturbide as President

neg: Martin Parmer Texas. Later, at the Consultation, Parmer was elected a member of the General Council of Texas. Shortly thereafter, Parmer was elected a delegate from the Municipality of San Augustine to the Convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos which began on March 1, 1836. On March 2, 1836, delegate Sam Houston moved for the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence and Martin Parmer seconded the motion. The Declaration of Independence was unanimously approved by the Convention and Parmer signed the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico. Parmer was chairman of the committee that drafted the Constitution of the Republic of Texas. On March

neg: History of Columbia University between the United States and the Kingdom of Great Britain, ending the Revolutionary War, and who later became the first Chief Justice of the United States; Alexander Hamilton, military aide to General George Washington, author of most of the "Federalist Papers", and the first Secretary of the Treasury; Gouverneur Morris, the author of the final draft of the United States Constitution; Robert R. Livingston, a member of the Committee of Five, that drafted the Declaration of Independence; and Egbert Benson who represented New York in the Continental Congress and the Annapolis Convention, and who was a ratifier of the United

neg: Committee of Five Committee of Five " The Committee of Five of the Second Continental Congress was a team of five men who drafted and presented to the Congress what would become America's Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776. This Declaration committee operated from June 11, 1776, until July 5, 1776, the day on which the Declaration was published. The members of this group were: The delegates of the United Colonies in Congress resolved to postpone until Monday, July 1, the final consideration of whether or not to declare the several sovereign independencies of the United Colonies, which had been proposed by

neg: Committee of Five Congress. The myth continues to have a very long life. Committee of Five " The Committee of Five of the Second Continental Congress was a team of five men who drafted and presented to the Congress what would become America's Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776. This Declaration committee operated from June 11, 1776, until July 5, 1776, the day on which the Declaration was published. The members of this group were: The delegates of the United Colonies in Congress resolved to postpone until Monday, July 1, the final consideration of whether or not to declare the several sovereign

neg: John Dickinson with the Articles, he also carefully drafted it with the term "Person" rather than "Man" as was used in the Declaration of Independence. He prepared initial drafts of the First Amendment. Following the Convention he promoted the resulting Constitution in a series of nine essays, written under the pen name "Fabius." In 1791, Delaware convened a convention to revise its existing Constitution, which had been hastily drafted in 1776. Dickinson was elected president of this convention, and although he resigned the chair after most of the work was complete, he remained highly influential in the content of the final document.

neg: Andrés Quintana Roo Andrés Quintana Roo Andrés Eligio Quintana Roo (Mérida, Yucatán, November 30, 1787 – Mexico City, April 15, 1851) was a Mexican liberal politician, lawyer and author, and the husband of Leona Vicario. Quintana Roo was one of the most influential men in the Mexican War of Independence and served as a member of the Congress of Chilpancingo. He presided over the Constitutional Assembly, which drafted the Mexican Declaration of Independence in 1813, and he served as a legislator and senator, and Secretary of State, numerous times. Quintana Roo also served as a member of the Mexican Supreme Court and as

neg: Virginia Declaration of Rights on it when they drafted the United States Declaration of Independence in the same month (June 1776). James Madison was also influenced by the Declaration while drafting the Bill of Rights (introduced September 1789, ratified 1791). The Virginia Declaration of Rights was one of the earliest documents to emphasize the protection of individual rights, rather than protecting only members of Parliament or consisting of simple laws that can be changed as easily as passed. For instance, it was the first declaration of rights to call for a free press. Virginia's western counties cited the Declaration of Rights as a justification

neg: Virginia Declaration of Rights Virginia Declaration of Rights The Virginia Declaration of Rights is a document drafted in 1776 to proclaim the inherent rights of men, including the right to reform or abolish "inadequate" government. It influenced a number of later documents, including the United States Declaration of Independence (1776) and the United States Bill of Rights (1789). The Declaration was adopted unanimously by the Fifth Virginia Convention at Williamsburg, Virginia on June 12, 1776 as a separate document from the Constitution of Virginia which was later adopted on June 29, 1776. In 1830, the Declaration of Rights was incorporated within the Virginia State

neg: Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence who like Jefferson was elderly and in retirement when the Mecklenburg Declaration was published in 1819. When Adams read Dr. Alexander's article in a Massachusetts newspaper, he was astonished because he had never previously heard of the Mecklenburg Declaration. He immediately assumed, as he wrote a friend, that Jefferson had "copied the spirit, the sense, and the expressions of it "verbatim" into his Declaration of the 4th of July, 1776." Adams, who had played a major role in getting the Continental Congress to declare independence in 1776, had become somewhat resentful that Jefferson now received most of the praise for

neg: Independence issue a declaration of independence; the earliest surviving example is Scotland's Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, with the most recent example being Azawad's declaration of independence in 2012. Declaring independence and attaining it however, are quite different. A well-known successful example is the U.S. Declaration of Independence issued in 1776. The dates of established independence (or, less commonly, the commencement of revolution), are typically celebrated as a national holiday known as an independence day. Historically, there have been three major periods of declaring independence: Independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and

neg: History of Massachusetts July 4, 1776, the United States Declaration of Independence was adopted in Philadelphia. It was signed first by Massachusetts resident John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress. Soon afterward the Declaration of Independence was read to the people of Boston from the balcony of the State House. Massachusetts was no longer a colony; it was a state and part of a new nation, the United States of America. A Constitutional Convention drew up a state constitution, which was drafted primarily by John Adams, and ratified by the people on June 15, 1780. Adams, along with Samuel Adams and James Bowdoin,

neg: Estonian Salvation Committee Estonian Salvation Committee The Estonian Salvation Committee ( or "Päästekomitee") was the executive body of the Estonian Provincial Assembly that issued the Estonian Declaration of Independence. The Salvation Committee was created on February 19, 1918 by the Provincial Assembly in a situation where Russian forces were retreating and forces of Imperial Germany were advancing in Estonia during World War I. The committee was granted full decision-making powers to ensure the continued activity of the Provincial Assembly. Members of Salvation Committee were Konstantin Päts, Jüri Vilms and Konstantin Konik. It drafted a declaration of independence that was approved by elders of

neg: Stonum contributing significantly to the drafting of Delaware's first state constitution in addition to his service in the Continental Congress (where he signed the United States Declaration of Independence), as President of Delaware, and as a delegate to the Philadelphia Convention which drafted the United States Constitution. Stonum Stonum, also called Stoneham or the George Read House, is a historic house at 900 Washington Avenue in New Castle, Delaware. Its main section built about 1750, it was a tenant farm of George Read (1733-1798), a signer of the Declaration of Independence. His advocacy enabled Delaware to become the first state ratifying

neg: Catalan independence movement The two leaders drafted the Declaration of Sovereignty and of the Right to Decide of the Catalan People, which was adopted by the parliament at its first sitting in January 2013. The declaration stated that "the Catalan people have, for reasons of democratic legitimacy, the nature of a sovereign political and legal subject", and that the people had the right to decide their own political future. The Spanish government referred the declaration to the Spanish Constitutional Court, which ruled in March 2014 that the declaration of sovereignty was unconstitutional; it did, however, allow that there existed a right to decide.

neg: Choi Jungsook Heedo, who drafted the Declaration of Independence. They also joined the March 1st Movement and shouted "Hurrah for Korean Independence Day" after leaping over the fences of their dormitories. Consequently, she was caught by the Japanese military police and tortured. After the hardships of prison life, she came back to her hometown. She was aware that teaching unenlightened people was necessary to get the country back. So she established Yeosuwon and taught students, illiterate people, women and girls. Because of the hardships of prison life, she was in poor health. Finally, she decided to learn medicine for philanthropic work. So

neg: George Wythe harassed Virginia settlements from its waterways, Wythe moved and then voted in favor of the resolution for independence that Jefferson had drafted upon his return. His fellow Virginia delegates in Philadelphia held Wythe in such esteem, that they left the first space open for Wythe when they signed the Declaration of Independence. Moreover, John Adams, who did not like many Virginians, thought so highly of Wythe that he wrote 'Thoughts on Government' concerning establishing constitutions for state governments after the war. Earlier in the session, Wythe also exchanged humorous verses with his friend delegate William Ellery of Rhode Island despite

neg: Maria Kim 1919, shortly before graduating from Tokyo Women’s Academy, Kim actively participated with others, like Hwang Aedeok, in the independence movement that followed the promulgation of the February 8 Independence Declaration, a statement drafted by Korean foreign exchange students in Japan. When the March 1st Movement broke out later the same year, Kim, who had already returned to Korea, participated in anti-Japanese protest and was subsequently arrested and detained. During this period, she was subjected to torture, and she suffered health problems throughout her life as a result. Maria Kim was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for her involvement in the

neg: Signing of the United States Declaration of Independence delegation before the August 2 signing. Rogers had voted for the resolution of independence but was no longer a delegate on August 2. Alsop favored reconciliation with Great Britain and so resigned rather than add his name to the document. Dickinson refused to sign, believing the Declaration premature, but he remained in Congress. George Read had voted against the resolution of independence, and Robert Morris had abstained—yet they both signed the Declaration. The most famous signature on the engrossed copy is that of John Hancock, who presumably signed first as President of Congress. Hancock's large, flamboyant signature became iconic, and

neg: On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia suspended. On 31 July 1990, the Supreme Council formed a work group of 22 deputies, which had to elaborate a new edition of the Constitution before 1 January 1990, though a new edition was never drafted and the Constitution was restored unamended. The Constitutional Court, which was intended to resolve Constitutional disputes during the transitional period, was only founded in 1996. To comply with international human rights as indicated in Article 8, the Supreme Council adopted a declaration of human rights immediately after the Declaration of independence. On September 6, 1991, after the failed coup attempt, the Soviet Union recognized

neg: George Read (American politician, born 1733) despite his natural caution. Anticipating the Declaration of Independence, the General Assembly of the Lower Counties declared its separation from the British government on June 15, 1776 in the New Castle Court House. Once the Declaration of Independence was actually adopted, the General Assembly called for elections to a Delaware constitutional convention to draft a constitution for the new state. Read was elected to this convention, became its President, and guided the passage of the McKean-drafted document, which became the Delaware Constitution of 1776. Read was then elected to the first Legislative Council of the Delaware General Assembly and was

neg: Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence is a text published in 1819 with the claim that it was the first declaration of independence made in the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution. It was supposedly signed on May 20, 1775, in Charlotte, North Carolina, by a committee of citizens of Mecklenburg County, who declared independence from Great Britain after hearing of the battle of Lexington. If the story is true, the Mecklenburg Declaration preceded the United States Declaration of Independence by more than a year. The authenticity of the Mecklenburg Declaration has been disputed since it was

neg: Czechoslovak declaration of independence national council that would negotiate the future of the empire with Vienna, and Trieste was to receive a special status. However, on that same day, a Czecho-Slovak provisional government joined the Allies. This provisional government had begun drafting a Declaration of Independence on 13 October and completed its task on 16 October. The document was drafted by Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and American sculptor Gutzon Borglum (Borglum hosted future soldiers of a Czecho-Slovak army on his farm in Stamford, Connecticut.) On 17 October, Masaryk presented it to the U.S. government and the president. It was published in Paris 18 October 1918

neg: Declaration of Interdependence writings of Barry Commoner Another Declaration of Interdependence was drafted by Henry Steele Commager and presented to the World Affairs Councils of Philadelphia on October 24, 1975. It was signed in a ceremonial signing on January 30, 1976 at Congress Hall, Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia by several members of Congress. It was also "endorsed" by a number of non-governmental organizations and United Nations specialized agencies. A document entitled "Declaration of interdependence: a new global ethics" was adopted by the board of directors of the International Humanist and Ethical Union on 31 December 1988. David Suzuki wrote a Declaration of

neg: 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence with police along the way. In Montenegro, protests were held in Podgorica on 19 February. Protesters waved flags of the Serb People's Party and the Serbian Radical Party. Serb parties led by the Serb List are calling for a protest on 22 February to protest the independence bid. Unlike the 1990 Kosovo declaration of independence, which only Albania recognised, Kosovo's second declaration of independence has been recognised by and the Republic of China (Taiwan). However many states have also showed their opposition to Kosovo's declaration of independence, most notably China and Russia. Serbia announced before the declaration that it would

neg: Consultation (Texas) the United States, led to calls for a new convention. Brazoria passed a resolution asking for a convention to meet in March 1836 to declare independence. Soldiers in Goliad went a step further and drafted a declaration of independence on December 22. The Council passed a resolution to call the Convention of 1836, to meet on March 1 in Washington-on-the-Brazos. In mid-November Governor Viesca, who had been freed by sympathetic soldiers, reached Goliad. The commander at Goliad, Philip Dimmitt welcomed Viesca but refused to recognize his authority as governor. This caused an uproar in the garrison; many supported the governor,

neg: Seneca Falls Convention from 1776 as a model for the declaration they wanted to make at their convention. The Declaration of Sentiments was then drafted in the parlor on a round, three-legged, mahogany tea table. Stanton changed a few words of the Declaration of Independence to make it appropriate for a statement by women, replacing "The history of the present King of Great Britain" with "The history of mankind" as the basis for "usurpations on the part of man toward woman." The women added the phrase "and women" to make "... all men "and women" are created equal ..." A list of grievances

neg: Patrick Henry drafted a Declaration of Rights; it was discussed in the Cary Committee on May 25. Mason's draft, more than the final declaration, would be highly influential, used by Jefferson in writing the Declaration of Independence, and by writers of many 18th and 19th century state constitutions. When the draft was debated, Henry, at the request of a young delegate from Orange County, James Madison, produced an amendment changing Mason's call for religious tolerance to one requiring full freedom of worship. This was seen as a threat to Virginia's established religion, Anglicanism, and did not pass. Madison reworked it and had

neg: Independence Act of Panama Independence Act of Panama The Declaration of Independence of Panama (Acta de Independencia de Panamá) is the document through which Panama declared its independence from the Spanish Empire on 28 November 1821. It was proclaimed in the Cathedral plaza of Panama City after a council of leaders had met and drafted twelve points calling for severing Panama's relationship with the Spanish Crown and joining with the newly formed Republic of Gran Colombia. After rebels in the small provincial town of Villa de los Santos issued the "Primer "Grito de Independencia de la Villa de Los Santos"" (Shout for Independence), on

neg: Son Byong-hi whole movement, and he insisted that the independence movement must be popular in nature and non-violent. A Declaration of Independence was prepared and 33 national leaders selected, 15 of which were members of Cheondogyo. Son Byong-Hi was the most prominent of these. The climax came on March 1, 1919 when, during a period of public mourning for the recently deceased Emperor Gojong, the Declaration of Independence was publicly proclaimed at Pagoda Park in Seoul—this was known as the March 1st Movement, or Samil Movement. This spark ignited the public, who took to the streets and demonstrated, calling for Korean independence.

neg: Second Continental Congress government that was not inclined toward independence should form one that was. On May 15, they adopted a more radical preamble to this resolution, drafted by John Adams, which advised throwing off oaths of allegiance and suppressing the authority of the Crown in any colonial government that still derived its authority from the Crown. That same day, the Virginia Convention instructed its delegation in Philadelphia to propose a resolution that called for a declaration of independence, the formation of foreign alliances, and a confederation of the states. The resolution of independence was delayed for several weeks, as advocates of independence

neg: Declaration of war by Canada Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, the United Kingdom and France declared war on September 3. To assert Canada's independence from the UK, as already established by the Statute of Westminster 1931, Canada's political leaders unnecessarily decided to seek the approval of the federal parliament to declare war. Parliament was not scheduled to return until October 2, but returned to session early on September 7 to consider the declaration of war. On September 9, the House of Commons and Senate approved authorization for a declaration of war. The Cabinet then drafted an Order in Council to that effect. On

neg: Texas Declaration of Independence also contains many memorable expressions of American political principles: Sixty men signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. Three of them were born in Mexico. Fifty-seven of the sixty moved to Texas from the United States. Ten of them had lived in Texas for more than six years, while one-quarter of them had been in the province for less than a year. Fifty-nine of these men were delegates to the Convention, and one was the Convention Secretary, Herbert S. Kimble, who was not a delegate. Texas Declaration of Independence The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of

neg: Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence document. The Mecklenburg Declaration is referenced in the motto for Davidson College, located in Davidson in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties: "Alenda Lux Ubi Orta Libertas" ("Let Knowledge Be Cherished Where Liberty Has Arisen"). Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence is a text published in 1819 with the claim that it was the first declaration of independence made in the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution. It was supposedly signed on May 20, 1775, in Charlotte, North Carolina, by a committee of citizens of Mecklenburg County, who declared independence from Great Britain after hearing of the battle of

neg: United States Declaration of Independence Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. This has been called "one of the best-known sentences in the English language", containing "the most potent and consequential words in American history". The passage came to represent a moral standard to which the United States should strive. This view was notably promoted by Lincoln, who considered the Declaration to be the foundation of his political philosophy and argued that it is a statement of principles through which the United States Constitution should be interpreted. The Declaration of Independence inspired many similar documents in other countries, the first

neg: Martha Jefferson Jefferson was in delicate health for much of her marriage. She is believed to have suffered from diabetes, a condition aggravated by childbearing. It endangered both mother and child. In the summer of 1776, she had suffered a miscarriage and was very ill. The birth of their youngest child was reportedly the most difficult pregnancy for Mrs. Jefferson; she gained a dangerous amount of weight and was often too sick to act as head of the household or even to sit comfortably. Jefferson, in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress that drafted the Declaration of Independence, wished to return to

neg: Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence events described in the article. The now elderly witnesses did not agree in every detail, but they generally corroborated the story that a declaration of independence had been read in public in Charlotte, although they were not all certain about the date. Perhaps most importantly, eighty-eight-year-old Captain James Jack was still living, and he confirmed that he had delivered to the Continental Congress a declaration of independence that had been adopted in May 1775. For many, the authenticity of the Mecklenburg Declaration had been firmly established. After the Mecklenburg Declaration was published in 1819, supporters compiled a list of men

neg: Congress Voting Independence (seated erect). An engraving based on the painting was made by Edward Savage in 1801, who finished the unpainted portraits. Congress Voting Independence Congress Voting Independence is a painting by Robert Edge Pine showing the interior of Independence Hall, Philadelphia, and contains the portraits of most of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence. The artist worked on the painting from 1784 until his death in 1788. The painting is unfinished. It currently is held in Independence Hall, Philadelphia. Most of the portraits can be identified. The central figures, left to right, are John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger

neg: History of North Carolina their Provincial Congresses, drafted the Halifax Resolves, a set of resolutions that empowered the state's delegates to the Second Continental Congress to concur in a declaration of independence from Great Britain. In July 1776, the new state became part of the new nation, the United States of America. In 1775, the Patriots easily expelled the Royal governor and suppressed the Loyalists. In November 1776, elected representatives gathered in Halifax to write a new state constitution, which remained in effect until 1835. One of the most prominent Loyalists was John Leggett, a rich planter in Bladen County. He organized and led

neg: Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 or remonstrance. Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 (ratified September 28, 1776) was the state's first constitution following the Declaration of Independence, and has been described as the most democratic in America, although it notably based rights in "men" not in "persons," as contemporaneous constitutions did in neighboring areas such as New Jersey, and as the 1689 English Bill of Rights and 1787 U.S. Constitution and 1791 U.S. Bill of Rights did. It was drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr. Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin. Pennsylvania's innovative and highly democratic government structure,

neg: Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 (ratified September 28, 1776) was the state's first constitution following the Declaration of Independence, and has been described as the most democratic in America, although it notably based rights in "men" not in "persons," as contemporaneous constitutions did in neighboring areas such as New Jersey, and as the 1689 English Bill of Rights and 1787 U.S. Constitution and 1791 U.S. Bill of Rights did. It was drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr. Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin. Pennsylvania's innovative and highly democratic government structure, featuring a

neg: Angola–Cuba Declaration of 1984 declaration of independence. In response, Cuba intervened in favor of the MPLA, which became a flash point for the Cold War. With Cuban support, the MPLA held Luanda and declared independence on 11 November 1975, with Agostinho Neto becoming the first president, though the civil war continued. At this time, most of the half-million Portuguese who lived in Angola – and who had accounted for the majority of the skilled workers in public administration, agriculture, industries and trade – fled the country, leaving its once prosperous and growing economy in a state of bankruptcy. Cuban intervention in Angola is believed

neg: Collin County, Texas five men who drafted the Texas Declaration of Independence and the oldest of the 59 men who signed it. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of , of which is land and (5.1%) is covered by water. As of the 2015 Texas Population Estimate Program, the population of the county was 923,201, non-Hispanic whites 535,165 (57.9%). Black Americans 84,858 (9.2%). Other non-Hispanic 146,109 (15.8%). Hispanics and Latinos (of any race) 157,069 (17.0%). As of the census of 2010, there were 782,341 people. According to U.S. Census figures released in 2006, the racial makeup of the

neg: Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence the Continental Congress made for all. This Congress, however, considered these proceedings premature. Skeptics of the Mecklenburg Declaration argued that the diary entry merely suggests that Bagge, writing eight years after the event, misinterpreted the Mecklenburg Resolves as having been an actual declaration of independence. Archibald Henderson, however, argued that the entry attested to both the Declaration ("declared itself free and independent") and the Resolves ("arrangements for the administration of the laws"). The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence no longer attracts much attention from professional historians, who generally regard the document as spurious. If the declaration is mentioned in scholarly works,

neg: Israeli law colonies and territories. Upon Independence, a Bill of Independence was signed as a manifesto for the new State. While it was drafted as a universal and democratic declaration capturing noble ideas prevalent at the time, it is non-binding, although has occasionally been used as a guiding tool by the courts. With the establishment of the state, English law as it was on the date of independence remained binding, with post-1948 English law developments being persuasive and not binding. This was enabled by the first legislative act of the Provisional State Council, which enacted a reception statute as part of the

neg: John C. Moss of the American Declaration of Independence. Facsimiles of the Declaration of Independence had been popular from the 1820s until the 1850s and the outbreak of the Civil War. One in eight American families had a Declaration framed on the wall of their homes. The most famous facsimiles were produced by two competing entrepreneurs, John Binns and Benjamin Tyler. Duignan obtained the John Binns facsimile of an ornamental Declaration of Independence, published in 1819, and gave it to Moss to be photo-engraved. Duignan deleted John Binns' name from the original dedication which appears at the bottom of the document and inserted

neg: Human rights in France deportation has also been criticized. During the French Revolution, deputies from the Third Estate drafted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, voted by the General Estates on 26 August 1789. Inspired by the philosophy of the Enlightenment and by the 1776 United States Declaration of Independence – Lafayette participated in the drafting of both – in that it proclaims the "inalienable rights of Man," and is protected by a "Supreme Being," it mainly granted to the people the right of freedom of expression, of freedom of thought, freedom of association, liberty, security and the protection

neg: International Court of Justice advisory opinion on Kosovo's declaration of independence vote of 10 to 4, it declared that "the adoption of the declaration of independence of the 17 February 2008 did not violate general international law because international law contains no 'prohibition on declarations of independence'": nor did the adoption of the declaration of independence violate UN Security Council Resolution 1244, since this did not describe Kosovo's final status, nor had the Security Council reserved for itself the decision on final status. There were many reactions to the decision, with most countries which already recognise Kosovo hailing the decision and saying it was "unique" and does not set a precedent;

neg: Vicinage Clause treason law on May 16, 1769 in the Virginia Resolves: The same resolution referred to the "inestimable Privilege of being tried by a Jury from the Vicinage." The Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress adopted on October 14, 1774, resolved: On October 26, 1774, the Continental Congress approved an address to the people of Quebec, drafted by Thomas Cushing, Richard Henry Lee, and John Dickinson, arguing that: The United States Declaration of Independence (1776) accuses King George III of "transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offences." The New Jersey Plan contained a provision that: "[N]o

neg: Balibo scene of several battles during the Indonesian invasion in 1975. The Balibo Five were also filming from the fort when Indonesian forces landed in Balibo on the day they died. The fort has been converted into a hotel as of 2016, with support from the Rotary Club of Port Melbourne. The Balibo Declaration, which criticised the declaration of independence and was later used by the Indonesian government as partial justification for its invasion, was said to have been signed here but was actually drafted by Indonesian intelligence and signed in Bali, Indonesia. During the INTERFET mission after the Indonesian withdrawal,

neg: United States Declaration of Independence American Revolutionary War. Adams wrote to his wife Abigail, "The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America" – although Independence Day is actually celebrated on July 4, the date that the wording of the Declaration of Independence was approved. After ratifying the text on July 4, Congress issued the Declaration of Independence in several forms. It was initially published as the printed Dunlap broadside that was widely distributed and read to the public. The source copy used for this printing has been lost and may have been a copy in Thomas

neg: Thomas Johnson (jurist) Franklin, and Benjamin Harrison V were initially named to the committee. He then returned to Maryland and continued his work in the state's Assembly when the United States Declaration of Independence was signed. In 1775 he drafted the declaration of rights adopted by the Maryland assembly and later included as the first part of the state's first constitution, which was adopted for Maryland by the state's constitutional convention at Annapolis in 1776. He also served as brigadier general in the Maryland militia. Thomas Johnson and his brothers supported the revolution by manufacturing ammunition and possibly cannon. Their former factory, Catoctin

neg: Star of the Republic Museum the Native Americans, and continuing to the Texian soldiers who fought for Texas independence. Intriguing artifacts on the first level include: "The Reading of the Texas Declaration of Independence", a 1936 painting by Charles and Fanny Normann of the men who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence and the Lone Star Flag, the oldest known Texas flag from the period of 1839-1846. Personal artifacts once belonging to signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence also comprise a significant portion of the first floor exhibits. The second floor exhibits depict the social and multicultural history of the 1830s and 1840s. Through

neg: Dansalan Declaration Dansalan Declaration The Dansalan Declaration was published by Philippine Muslims on March 18, 1935 requesting not to be included in the Philippines and be granted separate independence by the United States. The declaration was prepared by Didato Amai Manabilang and one hundred twenty datus of Lanao, with 30 sultans who signed a strongly worded letter, popularly known as "Dansalan Declaration" to the U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the U.S. congress that in the U.S. grant of Philippine independence, Mindanao and its Muslim inhabitants should not be included and should remain under American rule to be granted separate independence at

neg: Signing of the United States Declaration of Independence who may not have signed the Declaration until after the Goddard Broadside was published. Congress Secretary Charles Thomson did not sign the engrossed copy of the Declaration, and his name doesn't appear on the Goddard Broadside, even though it does appear on the Dunlap broadside. Various legends emerged years later concerning the signing of the Declaration, when the document had become an important national symbol. In one famous story, John Hancock supposedly said that Congress, having signed the Declaration, must now "all hang together", and Benjamin Franklin replied: "Yes, we must indeed all hang together, or most assuredly we shall

neg: James Finley (minister) concludes: "Finley was one of the 'honored seven,'" all graduates of Princeton College, who carried the responsibility of spreading Christianity and Presbyterianism throughout the expanses of the west. That they did in their own way, so very successfully that the whole area was soon called their "Western Zion." Finley died at 1795 at the age of seventy. He left a bequest to Canonsburg Academy, which became Jefferson College and then Washington & Jefferson College. Finley family history holds that during the American Revolution, he was connected to the house where the Declaration of Independence was initially drafted. Web sources have

neg: Arbroath Abbey Declaration of Scottish Independence believed to have been drafted by Abbot Bernard, who was the Chancellor of Scotland under King Robert I. The Abbey fell into ruin after the Reformation. From 1590 onward, its stones were raided for buildings in the town of Arbroath. This continued until 1815 when steps were taken to preserve the remaining ruins. On Christmas Day 1950, the Stone of Destiny was stolen from Westminster Abbey. On April 11, 1951, the missing stone was found lying on the site of the Abbey's altar. Since 1947, a major historical re-enactment commemorating the Declaration's signing has been held

neg: Emeka Anyaoku drafted the resolution – presented to the General Assembly by Nigeria in 1965 – that established a trust fund to enable governments to contribute to the defense of political detainees in South Africa. He got embroiled in the crisis triggered by the Ian Smith administration in the then Southern Rhodesia in Southern Africa, who announced Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) from Britain. Anyaoku spoke at various forums to condemn this development. It was during one of these occasions that the news of Nigeria's first military coup d’etat of 15 January 1966 reached him. The Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa

neg: Anthony W. Gardiner Anthony W. Gardiner Anthony William Gardiner (January 24, 1820 – 1885) served as the ninth President of Liberia from 1878 until 1883. He was the first of a series of True Whig presidents who held power uninterruptedly until 1980. Gardiner was born in Southampton County, Virginia in the United States. In 1831, when he was still a child, his family relocated to Liberia under the sponsorship of the American Colonization Society. Gardiner received his law degree in Liberia and, in 1847, he served as a delegate to the National Convention, which drafted Liberia's declaration of independence and constitution. He became

neg: Collin McKinney Collin McKinney Collin McKinney (April 17, 1766 – September 9, 1861) was a land surveyor, merchant, politician, and lay preacher. He is best known as an important figure in the Texas Revolution, as one of the five individuals who drafted the Texas Declaration of Independence and the oldest person to sign it. McKinney was born in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, the second of 10 children born to Daniel and Mercy (Blatchley) McKinney. The family moved to Virginia in the 1770s, and while Daniel fought in the American Revolutionary War, Collin McKinney supported the family; thus, he had no formal schooling.

neg: Purna Swaraj short 750-word document; it does not have a legal/constitutional structure – instead, it reads more like a manifesto. The document called for severing ties with the British and claimed ‘Purna Swaraj’ or completes independence. It indicted British rule and succinctly articulated the resulting economic, political and cultural injustice inflicted on Indians. The document spoke on behalf of Indians and made its intention of launching the civil disobedience movement clear. There is some dispute as to who drafted the text of the declaration. Gandhi directly claimed authorship in 1940, while other sources either cite Nehru as a major editor or attribute

neg: Personhood prevalence of Quakers in the population of several colonies, such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania at the time the original Constitution was drafted and ratified likely influenced the use of the term "Person" in the Constitution rather than the term "Man" used in the Declaration of Independence and in the contemporaneously drafted French Constitution of 1791. The concept of personhood beginning at conception gives issues to women. Daniel Fincke states "Applying the logic to abortion she argues that an involuntarily pregnant woman has the right to refuse to let her body be used by the fetus even were we to

neg: William Hobson and Matthew. The Treaty of Waitangi was first proposed by Hobson on his return to Britain from his first visit to New Zealand. Upon arrival in New Zealand, Hobson almost immediately drafted the Treaty of Waitangi together with his secretary James Freeman and James Busby. Busby had previously drafted the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand. Hobson headed the British signatories. Of the 40 or so Māori chiefs, the Ngapuhi chief Hōne Heke was the first to sign the treaty. As each chief signed, Hobson said ""He iwi tahi tātou"", meaning "We are [now] one people". To enhance the

neg: Collin McKinney McKinney is credited with suggesting to the Texas Legislature that, as new counties were later created in North and West Texas, the boundaries should be about 30 miles square. This would allow a rider to travel to the county seat, conduct necessary business, and return home, all in one day. Collin McKinney Collin McKinney (April 17, 1766 – September 9, 1861) was a land surveyor, merchant, politician, and lay preacher. He is best known as an important figure in the Texas Revolution, as one of the five individuals who drafted the Texas Declaration of Independence and the oldest person to