Virginia adopts the Declaration of Independence, July 1776
| Incensed at the 'tyranny' of British rule (not least, the imposition
of taxes without consent, the heavy military presence, and the undermining
of local legislative assemblies), the American colonies resorted to
acts of violence, such as the Boston Tea Party, which provoked British
retaliation and led to the outbreak of war in 1775. In July 1776 the
13 colonies issued the Declaration of Independence, which catalogued
grievances, concluded that the king had 'abandoned the helm' of government,
and proclaimed that since the government had been dissolved the colonies
were independent of Britain. This contemporary report, which appeared
in the New York Gazette, details the adoption of the declaration
in Virginia. Catalogue reference: ADM 1/487, Part 1, no. 32 (22 July 1776) |
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