by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 23, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
June 23 being a Sunday, Congress continued in its usual adjournment, after an unusual Saturday adjournment. As expected, delegates caught up on correspondence, extending as far back as April – and were often expressing dismay, disappointment, and alarm over the very...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 22, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
No business in Congress on June 22, 1776, as it adjourned for both Saturday and Sunday. During the break, William Ellery (for the the Rhode Island delegation) wrote an update about Congress to Governor Nicholas Cooke, which included a brief but accurately detailed...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 21, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
The Committee of Claims directed that Andrew McNair, the custodian, be reimbursed to “the sum of 120 23/90 dollars” for provisioning “twenty four Indians while at the state-house, which was twenty days” — the Iroquois legation that had met earlier with Congress...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 20, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
Some highlights of Congress’s proceedings include: A reminder that “adjournments from the Friday evening, be always to Monday morning, unless on any particular occasion, the Congress shall order otherwise.” Why? “… in order to give time to the several committees, to...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 19, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
Amid so much celebration, it is at the same time appropriate to reexamine the agonizing drama that led up to it its pivotal moment with the Declaration. Although it’s really too long and involved a story to recount with much justice … I called attention yesterday to a...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 18, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
As usual, Congress began with notice of receiving and reading several letters (those from generals were then sent to the board of war and ordinance). Gunning Bedford, Esq., was “promoted to the rank of muster-master general” (basically the person in charge of the...
