History Daily - America’s True Independence Day

Episode Date: July 2, 2026

July 2, 1776. The Continental Congress passes the Lee Resolution, declaring the American colonies’ intention to break away from Britain. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.

It's late winter 1768 in Westmoreland County, Virginia colony. Richard Henry Lee strides across a frozen field, his breath, trailing clouds behind him. Shadowing his steps are two hunting dogs, while further behind an enslaved attendant carries Richard's rifle. At 36 years old, Richard belongs to one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the colony. Their lands stretch for miles in every direction, from the grand plantation house on the hill behind him, down to the shores of the nearby Potomac River and across to Maryland on the other side.

As they near a copse of trees surrounding a small pond, Richard stops and extends a hand, and the attendant passes him to gun. The dogs tense with anticipation. Richard cocks his weapon and lifts it to his shoulder. Then he gives the dogs their signal. The animals charge forward, streaking across the field into the trees. They disappear for a moment, and then a flock of panic birds scatters into the air.

Richard takes careful aim and fires. There's a small burst of feathers, and one of the birds tumbles toward the ground. Richard nods with satisfaction. He hands his rifle to his attendant to be reloaded as the dogs change direction and race each other to the fallen bird. But their sudden movement startles another flock into the air.

As birds scatter into the sky, Richard impatiently holds out his hand for his good, done, urging the attendant to reload more quickly. And as soon as it's ready, Richard grabs the weapon from the man's hands and takes aim once again. As he squeezes the trigger, the rifle explodes. Richard drops the gun and stumbles backward, pain shooting through his arms. Trembling with shock, he glances down at his left hand, now a bloody mess. In an instant, Richard knows he may never fire a rifle again.

But as he's led back toward the plantation house, Richard clings to one consolation. at least his riding hand survives. Richard Henry Lee's hunting accident will cost him four fingers on his left hand, but the injury will not stop him from becoming one of the leading voices of the American Revolution. And with his uninjured right hand, he will help draft a piece of legislation

that will bear his name and take the American colonies on a decisive step toward independence after it's passed by the Continental Congress on July 2, 1776. From Noisor in Airship, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is History Daily. History is made every day.

On this podcast, every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is July 2, 1776, America's True Independence Day. It's February 27, 1766, at a tavern in Westmoreland County, Virginia, two years before Richard Henry Lee's hunting accident. Clasping a document in his hands, Richard squeezes his way past chairs and benches and climbs onto a table at the front of the room. In the flickering candlelight, he can see dozens of anxious faces staring back at him, planters, merchants, lawyers and farmers who have traveled from all across the country to attend tonight's meeting. And the mood is tense, just as it is throughout the North American colonies. Relations between the local population

and the British crown have been deteriorating for years, but recently they've reached a new low. Last year, the government in London passed the Stamp Act, requiring American colonies to pay a tax on all printed materials, newspapers, legal documents, contracts, even playing cards. British officials insist that this new law is reasonable, a way for the colonies to help pay for their own defense. But most Americans see the matter differently. Not only does the cost seem unfairly high, they also object to the principle-binded. The tax was introduced without the consent of colonial legislatures, and to many colonists, that means the Stamp Act violates their rights as Englishmen, because laws should not be imposed without their approval. Richard Henry Lee is among the Stamp Act's fiercest critics.

Tall, charismatic, and blessed with a powerful speaking voice, he already has a reputation as one of Virginia's rising political stars. Having been educated in England, he considers himself a loyal British subject, but he also believes that in this matter, Parliament has gone too far, and now he intends to say so publicly. As the crowd and the tavern settles in, Richard unfolds the sheet of paper he's brought with him and begins to speak. The document in his hands declares that Virginians possess the same rights and liberties as any other British subject. It condemns the concept of taxation without representation, and it warns that Virginians will make every effort to prevent the Stamp Act from going into effect.

The words are remarkably bold. Although Richard began his statement with a declaration of allegiance to King George III, he has just signaled his intention to fight one of the monarch's laws. But when he finishes, the crowd cheers. Dozens of men step forward to shake Richard's hand and sign their names on what soon becomes known as the Westmoreland resolves. Over the next few weeks, the text is reprinted in newspapers throughout the colonies and help spark a campaign of civil disobedience.

Merchants organize boycotts of British goods, crowds gather in protest, and tax collectors are harassed and threatened. Before long, the British government concludes that enforcing the Stamp Act is more trouble than its worth, and less than three months after Richard's speech in Westmoreland County, Parliament repeals the tax. Celebrations erupt throughout the colonies. But the dispute is far from over. Even as Britain repeals the Stamp Act, it passes another law known as the Declaratory Act. This states that Parliament retains the right to legislate for the colonies. Sends a clear message across the Atlantic.

Britain may have backed down on this occasion, but the people of America should not forget where power really lies. But over the next few years, this rift between London and the colonies only devens. In March 1770, a confrontation between British soldiers and a crowd of angry Bostonians ends with five colonists dead. Then in December 1773, protesters board British merchant ships in Boston Harbor and dump hundreds of chests of tea into the water.

In response, ministers in London pass a punitive set of laws that later become known as the intolerable acts. These strip Massachusetts of rights to self-government that the state has had ever since it was founded. So for many in America, this legislation is the final strong. Calls for armed, organized resistance grow louder, and in September 1774, representatives from 12 colonies meet in Philadelphia to form the Continental Congress.

There, delegates debate how best resist Britain's policies and defend the right of colonists. Among the representatives from Virginia is Richard Henry Lee. Over the last few years, he's had to recover from injuries he suffered in a hunting accident, but he's still regarded as one of the foremost defenders of colonial rights. His former allegiance to the crown has weakened, and his speeches have grown sharper. His criticism of Parliament has become more direct, and before long, Richard will find himself at the center of a revolutionary political debate. Ten years after writing the Westmoreland Resolved, Richard will rise to his feet in the Continental

Congress and propose something far more radical than just resistance to taxes. He won't just ask for different policies from London. He will demand independence. It's late on June 7, 1776, at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, just under two years after the first meeting of the Continental Congress. 44-year-old Richard Henry Lee takes a black silk handkerchief and drapes it over his maimed left hand. Eight years ago, he lost four fingers in a hunting accident, and ever since, he's covered

the wound when he speaks in public, and as one of Virginia's delegates to the Continental Congress, he's giving more speeches than ever. It's a warm June day in Philadelphia is uncomfortably humid. After hours of motions, amendments, and further debate, the air in the State House chamber is stifling. Delegates shift on the hard wooden benches, eager for the day's business to end and dinner to begin, but Richard is far from tired. His motion is next, and anticipation courses through him. The room falls silent as Richard is called. With all eyes on him, he rises and clears his throat.

Then he delivers a proposal that would have been unthinkable only a few months earlier, that the colonies are rightly free and independent states, and that political allegiance to the British crown should be dissolved. The idea of independence has been slowly gaining momentum in America. When the Continental Congress first met in 1774, most delegates hoped for reconciliation with Britain. They sent a list of grievances to King George III, but the letter went unanswered. Many colonists saw that as an insult, and just the latest of many. Some took up arms in response, and fighting broke out in Massachusetts between British soldiers and local rebels. Pamplets began to circulate arguing that Americans would never be free while they were still governed from across the Atlantic. Even in the Continental

Congress itself, delegates began to consider what once seemed impossible that the colonies should declare independence. Now Richard Henry Lee has asked the members of Congress to make that position official. After this shocking opening, a ripple of excitement runs through the chamber. Then Richard continues. His motion is split into three parts. The first declares that the colonies should fully break away from Britain. The second calls for the colonies to form alliances with other European nations to secure their position, and the third proposes the creation of confederation between the American states. Taken together, the three parts amount to a blueprint for a new independent nation. Massachusetts delegate John Adams immediately rises to second the motion, but most members

remain cautious, they're not yet ready to take such a radical step because they fear doing so would provoke an even more violent response from Britain. In the days that follow, debate rages over what quickly becomes known as the Lee Resolution. A majority of delegates come around to the idea that independence is necessary and inevitable, but a determined minority still holds out hope for reconciliation with Britain, and others insist that they lack a clear mandate from their colonial assemblies to decide on such a momentous question. Among the most vocal of the holdouts is Edward Rutledge of South Carolina. At 26 years old, he's the youngest member in the chamber,

and he argues that the Continental Congress is moving too quickly. Before deciding on a matter of such enormous consequence, he wants the time to consult with leaders back in his home state. So Edward suggests a break of three weeks before any votes are cast on the Lee Resolution. The delegates agree to this proposal. A short delay will allow all members to seek fresh, instructions, but there's little doubt where events are heading. Most delegates are confident that the Lee Resolution will pass eventually, and to avoid losing momentum, the Congress establishes three

committees that will each work on one part of the resolution. One committee is tasked with drafting a plan for Confederation, another will explore the possibility of foreign alliances, and a third is instructed to prepare a formal declaration of independence. Among the five men appointed to that committee is Virginia delegate Thomas Jefferson. quiet, thoughtful, and an exceptionally gifted writer, Jefferson soon assumes responsibility for drafting this historic document. And three weeks later, the delegates will reconvene to consider the Lee Resolution once again. By then, instructions from home will have arrived, and minds will largely be made up.

The question of American independence will be decided in the first days of July 1776. It's July 2, 1776, at the Pennsylvania State House and Philadelphia, three weeks after Richard Henry Lee introduced his resolution proposing American Independence. Edward Rutledge of South Carolina rises from his seat and looks across the chamber. Many of the delegates are decades older than him, veterans of public life in the colonies, but the faces Edward sees are warm and encouraging. They know how much is resting on South Carolina's decision today. Over the past three weeks, Edward has listened to passionate arguments from both sides in the Continental Congress. He's also taken advice from trusted leaders back home in South

Carolina, and as a result, he's found himself at a crossroads. In the past, Edward was opposed to independence. He described the idea as invented by a madman and always aligned himself with what he called the sensible part of the house. But even Edward can see that things have changed. He is now convinced that there is only one way the colonies can defend their liberty. So with a loud, clear voice, Edward announces South Carolina will support the Lee Resolution and Independence for the colonies. A small cheer spreads through the chamber because Edward's vote is a major step toward a unanimous decision. Over the next few minutes, the remaining delegates cast their vote. One member has just arrived after an overnight ride from Delaware, ensuring that his colony's vote goes in favor.

Two Pennsylvania delegates who still cannot bring themselves to back the resolution choose to take a walk rather than record votes against it. The delegates from New York haven't received instructions on how to vote, so they also abstain, but the outcome is now beyond doubt. The Lee Resolution passes. The Continental Congress has voted to break away from Britain, and it quickly moves to justify that decision to the world. Just two days later, on July 4th, delegates vote again.

This time, they approved the Declaration of Independence drafted by Thomas Jefferson, a document that acts as a public defense of the independence movement. Over the next 250 years, July 4th will be celebrated as America's Independence Day, but perhaps the more significant day came two days earlier when the founding fathers first agreed to split from Britain by passing the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776. Next on History Daily, July 3, 1988, the U.S. Navy shoots down an Iranian airliner after mistaking

for a military aircraft, killing all 290 people on board. From Noisor and Airship, this is History Daily. Hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham. Audio editing by Mohamashazi, sound design by Molly Bond, music by Thrum. This episode is written and researched by Owen Paul Nichols. Edited by Scott Reeves. Managing producer Emily Burke. Executive producers are William Simpson for airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.