РефератыИностранный язык171776 Essay Research Paper 1776Broadway s version

1776 Essay Research Paper 1776Broadway s version

1776 Essay, Research Paper


1776


Broadway s version of the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of


Independence is portrayed in 1776. It has representatives of the original thirteen colonies


that gathered in the swealtering heat of a Philadelphia summer as the Continental


Congress argued. Within itself, it is divided over the question of American


Independence. The men have grown tired of listening to John Adams’ repeated pleas for


Independence. In fact, Adams himself had grown weary of the delegates’ ability to agree


on anything, let alone an issue as important as Independence. Adams explains his


situation, and tells his frustrations to his wife, through letters and imagined


conversations.


Adams and Ben Franklin ultimately decide that, since Adams’ is only looked upon


as “obnoxious and disliked”, the only way to get a resolution of independence introduced


to Congress, is to persuade another delgate, Virginia s Richard Henry Lee, to make the


proposal.


Lee returns from Virgina with the proposal, opening up the issue to debate.


Adams argues with Pennsylvania s John Dickinson, who is strongly opposed to


independence. After much battle, the proposal gets put up for vote, but not before


Dickinson insures that the vote must be unanimous. Adams and Franklin suggest the


writing of a “declaration”, to spell out “their goals and aims” and “reasons for separation”.


The Members of Congress assigned to the Declaration Committee (Franklin,


Adams, Roger Sherman of CT, and Robert Livingston of NY) avoid writing the


document, and elect the well written Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson, however, is unable to


concentrate starting the document because he is

thinking for the young bride he left


behind in Virginia 6 months earlier. Adams calls for Mrs. Jefferson to come to


Philadelphia, believing that “the sooner his problem is solved, the sooner our problem


will be solved.”


Dickinson, meanwhile, tries to keep the opposition to Adams in tact while,


General George Washinton’s courierrepeatedly brings discouraging dispatches from the


battlefront.


The Declaration finally written, Adams and Franklin convince Jefferson of the


genius and strength of his words, but are quickly disheartened to see Congress pick the


document apart with no remorse. Jefferson agrees to smaller, insignificant criticisms of


the Declaration, but stands his ground when the abolition of slavery is unimpassionately


challenged by South Carolina’s Edward Rutledge.


With half of the Congress walking out with Rutledge, Adams’ dreams of


independence appear to be over. However, one by one, individual delegates begin to


come around to Adams’ side. In a major compromise, Jefferson resentfuly agrees to


remove the slavery clause in order to win back the two Carolinas. A split Delaware vote


goes back in favor of Adams when a dying Caesar Rodney is brought to Philadelphia


from his death bed.


Pennsylvania becomes the last step for Adams. While Franklin is clearly on his


side, Dickinson is against him. The other Pennsylvania delegate, the (follow the crowd)


James Wilson, has long been on Dickinson s side. But when the final vote takes place,


and it is Wilson’s vote that will make Independence either live or die, Wilson s vote with


Franklin in order to “remain one of many” rather than “be remembered as the man who


prevented American Independence”.

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