Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms
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| Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms | |
|---|---|
 Rdsmith4 · CC BY-SA 2.5 · source | |
| Name | Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms |
| Date | July 6, 1775 |
| Place | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Authors | John Adams, Thomas Jefferson (draft attribution debated), Benjamin Franklin (committee member) |
| Adopted by | Second Continental Congress |
| Language | English |
Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms was a proclamation adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 6, 1775, articulating colonial grievances and justifying armed resistance against British measures. Drafted amid escalating conflict after the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the Siege of Boston, the statement linked parliamentary acts, royal policy, and the deployment of British Army forces to a denial of rights claimed by American leaders. The declaration framed resistance in legal and philosophical terms that connected to writings by John Locke, speeches by Patrick Henry, and pamphlets by Thomas Paine.
Background and Drafting
In the spring and early summer of 1775, delegates to the Second Continental Congress from the Thirteen Colonies convened following military engagements at Lexington, Concord, and the Battle of Bunker Hill. The congress grappled with responses to measures taken under the Intolerable Acts, including the Massachusetts Government Act and the enforcement actions of Thomas Gage, commander of the British forces in North America. A committee including John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston prepared a draft; attribution debates later implicated Thomas Jefferson through stylistic comparisons with the Declaration of Independence. Influences cited during drafting included Magna Carta, writings of John Locke, the Glorious Revolution, and legal precedents from the English Bill of Rights. The draft committee debated language invoking rights of Englishmen previously advanced by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and legal arguments made in the Writs of Assistance case.
Text and Key Passages
The text asserted that parliamentary measures, exemplified by the Stamp Act 1765, Townshend Acts, and the continued presence of the British Army and Royal Navy in colonial ports, had altered "the former harmony" between the colonies and the Crown of Great Britain. Sentences drew upon natural rights discourse found in works by John Locke, rhetorical methods used by Edmund Burke, and legal citations echoing decisions from the Court of King's Bench and arguments in the Somerset v Stewart case. Key passages justified "taking up arms" as a last resort after attempted petitions to George III and references to the failure of remedies under the British Constitution. The document paralleled language later used in the Declaration of Independence while retaining loyalty to the Crown in tone, a stance associated with moderates like John Dickinson who sought reconciliation.
Signatories and Adoption
Adoption occurred in Philadelphia by vote of the Second Continental Congress, with delegates including John Hancock presiding. Signatories and endorsers represented diverse colonial interests from Massachusetts Bay Colony to Georgia (U.S. state), echoing regional leaders such as Samuel Adams, James Wilson, John Rutledge, and Richard Henry Lee. The formal adoption followed debates in which figures like John Adams, Patrick Henry, and George Washington—recently appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army—influenced consensus. The document was issued alongside resolutions that authorized militia mobilization and coordinated supply efforts through committees such as the Committee of Safety and the Board of War.
Political and Military Context
The declaration emerged as armed conflict escalated in New England during the Siege of Boston and as the Royal Navy enforced blockades at ports like Boston Harbor and New York Harbor. Politically, it intervened amid colonial boycotts tied to the Continental Association and discussions of economic sanctions managed by committees in cities such as Philadelphia, New York City, and Charleston, South Carolina. Military considerations included provisioning militias, coordinating artillery acquisitions exemplified by later actions at Fort Ticonderoga, and assessing the strategic implications of European engagement by powers like France and Spain. Diplomats such as Silas Deane and later envoys like Benjamin Franklin sought foreign support, influenced by the declaration's framing of grievances.
Immediate Reactions and Contemporary Impact
Contemporary response varied across the Atlantic: newspapers in London and pamphleteers including Edmund Burke and William Pitt the Elder debated the colonial position, while British ministers such as Lord North characterized the proclamation as rebellion. Colonial assemblies in Massachusetts Bay Colony, Virginia Colony, and Pennsylvania Colony published supportive resolves and mobilized militias under leaders like Israel Putnam and William Prescott. Loyalist leaders including Thomas Hutchinson and Joseph Galloway published counterarguments; loyalist regiments formed in provinces like New York and New Jersey. International observers, from envoys in Paris to merchants in Amsterdam, assessed commercial and diplomatic fallout, prompting insurers and trading houses to reevaluate transatlantic ventures.
Long-term Significance and Legacy
The declaration contributed to the rhetorical and legal progression from protest to independence, foreshadowing the Declaration of Independence of 1776 and influencing constitutional thought evident in the Articles of Confederation and later the United States Constitution. Its synthesis of Lockeian natural rights, parliamentary critique, and military justification informed revolutionary leaders including Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. Historians tracing continuity cite the document in studies by scholars focusing on the American Revolution, the Atlantic Revolutions, and transatlantic political culture involving figures like Tocqueville and commentators on republicanism. Public memory of the declaration appears in collections at institutions such as the Library of Congress, the National Archives and Records Administration, and universities including Harvard University and Yale University. The document also influenced later independence movements in the Americas, resonating with leaders from Simón Bolívar to constitutional framers in Haiti and Latin America.