The Committee of Five

This was presented to Flagstaff Lodge No. 7 on June 11, 2026

Good Evening Brethren.

In just over three weeks, we will celebrate 250 years of our great nation with the semiquincentennial of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress. July 4th is a date that every American knows; however one could trace the work to craft, build, and adopt this document to weeks, months, or even years earlier. It is this work that many do not see that I hope to highlight tonight.

It was early summer of 1775, the Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War in April, and with the commencement of the war the colonies reconvened Congress on May 10th in Philadelphia.

Congress immediately went to work supporting the war effort. In June, they authorized the invasion of Quebec believing that the people there would support the Americans, which eventually failed. The next week, on July 5th, despite just authorizing the invasion, they adopted the Olive Branch Petition, which was their last effort to avoid war with Great Britain. It emphasized that the colonies did not seek independence, but rather more equitable trade and tax regulations.

The very next day they passed another resolution, “Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms“ which explained again that they did not seek independence but rather have petitioned the King with grievances for 10 years without repose, and now have no other choice.

While adopted in July, by the time the petition and declaration were received by British officials in September it did not matter; King George III had already issued his Proclamation of Rebellion against the colonies in August and would not hear the petition.

With this refusal came the opportunity amongst those who believed in it most to push for full independence, particularly from probably the strongest supporter of independence, John Adams, who laid the two options as they were: the colonies can submit fully to British rule or fight for independence in an inevitable war.

In line with this public push for independence, in January of 1776, Thomas Paine published Common Sense which an estimated 20% of the population owned within a year, and was the all-time best-selling American text for over 200 years. Especially because of this pamphlet, the idea of independence was more popular than ever in the colonies.

Six months later within the Continental Congress assembled, on June 7th 1776, Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee stood up and moved that:

“These United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved”.

Upon this first-ever formal motion for independence, the room erupted and a vote was postponed three weeks to allow for thought and consultation. Wanting to have a draft declaration ready in case of passage of the resolution, 250 years ago today, June 11th, 1776 a group of men were appointed. They are now known as the Committee of Five. Its members were:

Most Worshipful Brother Benjamin Franklin, representative of Pennsylvania, who later became the first postmaster general of the United States and sixth President of Pennsylvania, which can be compared to a Governor.
Most Worshipful Brother Robert Livingston, representative of New York, who later became the first Secretary of Foreign Affairs under the Articles of Confederation, would administer George Washington’s oath of office, and negotiate the Loiusiana purchase.
Thomas Jefferson, representative of Virginia, who later became the first Secretary of State and third president of the United States
John Adams, representative of Massachusetts, who later became the second president of the United States
and Roger Sherman, representative of Connecticut, who later became a representative and Senator in the first through third Congresses. He is the reason we have a two-house Congress via his Connecticut compromise.

One of the committee’s first acts was to appoint a principal author for the document, to which they easily chose Thomas Jefferson. This was due to his authorship of many resolutions and pamphlets in support of the cause, or as John Adams put it, “the elegance of his pen”.

Jefferson immediately got to work without access to his library in Virginia but had, amongst other documents, a copy of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, to which you may recognize the inspiration it had on the Declaration of Independence from this excerpt:

“That all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.”

For seventeen days Jefferson drafted the document in between meetings of Congress through repeated cycles of revision. Not much was written of this process, and of what was written not much remains, but we do know that MWB Franklin made some edits to the draft, as did Adams, and that Sherman and MWB Livingston reviewed it twice.

On Friday, June 28th, the Committee of Five brought the draft to Congress and read it for the first time. That following Monday, July 1st, 1776, debate on Richard Henry Lee’s resolution of independence began. While a thunderstorm raged outside, Congress held a furious debate between John Dickinson and John Adams.

Dickinson opposed a hasty separation with Britain and argued for reconciliation. He warned his fellow delegates that they were about to “brave the storm in a skiff made of paper.” Adams passionately advocated for declaring independence. After nine hours of speeches that ran into the evening, four colonies still voted against Richard Henry Lee’s resolution for independence in a trial vote. Each colony had a single vote, with the delegates of each voting internally to determine their colony's one vote.

With the other two members of Delaware’s delegation in disagreement, Caesar Rodney mounted a horse and rode seventy miles through the rain to break the tie, arriving the next morning to ensure the colony’s vote in favor of independence. Two of Pennsylvania’s delegates abstained and allowed their delegation’s vote for independence, despite their personal opposition. South Carolina held out until one delegate, recognizing the importance of a unanimous declaration by the entire Congress, decided to change his vote in favor of the resolution. New York’s delegates, awaiting instructions from their legislature, abstained for several days.

With the continued abstention, 12 of 13 Colonies voted on July 2nd to approve Lee’s Resolution of Independence, formally severing ties with Great Britain and creating an independent nation. John Adams wrote to his wife believing that this day would be forever celebrated as the day of independence:

“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”

With Congress resolved in independence, they began consideration of the Declaration of Independence. Before continuing, I feel that I should elaborate the difference between these two documents. The Lee Resolution, or the Resolution of Independence, was the formal agreement by Congress to sever their ties to Great Britain, be independent states, enter new treaties, and create articles of confederation. The Declaration of Independence is the announcement and explanation of Congress’ action to the world. While the resolution was the act, I argue the Declaration is most important, because it serves as our founding document, elaborating on what America is and ought to be.

Beginning in the latter part of July 2nd, Congress laid out Jefferson and the Committee’s final draft on the table and began making edits. No records remain of the debates that ensued, but they resulted in the Declaration being shortened by a quarter. The end result was clearly inspired by John Locke, Thomas Paine, and other influential thinkers of the revolution, proclaiming, among other things, that:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
“That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”
“We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States”

24 days after the Committee of Five was formed, the Declaration was adopted on July 4th, 1776 by a 9-2-1-1 vote and was immediately sent for printing that evening. 200 copies were made and sent on July 5th to the states and armies. On July 15th, with the New York Assembly finally authorizing its delegates to vote for independence, another resolution was passed unanimously, showing that the entire Congress aligned in this act. It was this delayed version, which began “IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776. THE UNANIMOUS DECLARATION OF THIRTEEN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”, that was later signed, is on display in Washington DC, and that we know so well today.

So Brethren, that is the story; and as we walk in time 250 years later between now and July 4th with our Founding Fathers and Brothers, I encourage us to consider what we can build in the next 24 days. How can we walk upright and act for the welfare and freedoms of our fellow citizens? Between June 11th and July 4th, 1776, they wrote a declaration that became one of the most influential documents in history. Between June 11th and July 4th 2026, what can we declare in that same spirit that will impact us and those we love?

Thank you.