The Declaration of the Causes of and Necessity of Taking Up Arms

Broadside printed in Portsmouth. Courtesy Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/resource/rbpe.14400700/?sp=1

Drafted in July 1775 and adopted by the Second Continental Congress in the Assembly Room of Independence Hall, the Declaration of the Causes of and Necessity of Taking Up Arms articulated the reasons why the colonies felt compelled to take up arms. The declaration was an early, yet crucial, step on the road to independence and helped lay the groundwork for the eventual formation of the United States.

Shots Fired

In the summer of 1775, tensions were high. British soldiers patrolled the streets of Boston, distrust and resentment grew among the colonists. In an effort to secure the countryside surrounding the city, British troops marched toward Concord, and armed conflict ensued. As the smoke cleared from the battles of Lexington and Concord, the relationship between the American colonists and Great Britain was forever changed.

The State House (Independence Hall) as it appeared around 1776. An engraving by James Trenchard based on detail from a painting by Charles Willson Peale as published in the Columbian Magazine, ca 1790 NPS image

A Response from Philadelphia

News of the bloodshed quickly spread throughout the American colonies. The Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia—action was needed. In the Assembly Room of Independence Hall, delegates engaged in intense discussions about colonial rights and the need for a unified response to British aggression. John Dickinson and Thomas Jefferson, along with other delegates, played significant roles in shaping the declaration. They worked collaboratively to articulate their grievances and justify their decision to take up arms.

The drafting process was marked by passionate debate. The delegates sought to balance their desire for independence with the hope of reconciliation with Great Britain. Ultimately, they concluded that the British government left them no choice but to defend their liberties through armed resistance.

parliament can "of right make laws to bind us in all cases whatsoever." What is to defend us against so enormous, so unlimited a power? Not a single man of those who assume it, is chosen by us."

Where this belongs

• Independence National Historical Park

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