by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 22, 2026 | Editing
To celebrate America’s 250th birthday, I’m welcoming a guest writer to this space! Michael Ditmore is a professor, author, early American scholar, and my husband! Everyone knows (or thinks they know) that we celebrate July 4 because that’s when the...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 30, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
As already noted, Congress always adjourned on Sundays, and often on Saturdays, so there are no official proceedings for Sunday, June 30, 1776. Even the correspondence is fairly bare – and unrelated to independence or to the Declaration. John Adams wrote a longish...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 29, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
The Declaration drafting committee formally submitted its final report 250 years ago yesterday, on Friday, June 28, 1776. Just why that date was chosen is not clear. As I’ve noted, the committee kept no minutes, and there are only scraps of contemporary evidence as to...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 28, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
Two North Carolina delegates, Joseph Hewes and John Penn, wrote correspondence on Friday, June 28, 1776. Hewes wrote a long news update to James Iredell (about the Canada calamity, a “damnable Plot” in New York against General Washington, privateers, the imprisoning...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 27, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
As on other days, Congress’s journals and delegates’ correspondence from June 27, 1776, don’t have any direct bearing on the Declaration drafting process or even the impending independence vote – even though, as we will see tomorrow, the committee will submit a final...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 26, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
In terms of Declaration-specific matters, both the Congress journals and surviving delegate correspondence are not helpful. Mainly, Congress was taken up with military matters – sorting out and repairing the damage from the Canada mess; seeking an engineer; officer...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 25, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
Tuesday morning, June 25, 1776, was taken up with military affairs mainly: letters from General Washington (he wrote daily) and other generals (referred to the Board of War), a compensation request, a large batch of marine appointments, a secret committee order for...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 24, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
After an unusually long adjournment, Congress resumed business with two letters from General Washington and a resolution “to put a stop to the raising the companies of Mohickan and Stockbridge indians.” Quoting a New Jersey convention letter describing Governor...
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...
