The Greatest Question
Yesterday [July 2] the greatest Question was decided, which ever was debated in America, and a greater perhaps, never was or will be decided among Men.
That was how John Adams, writing to his wife, Abigail, described the decision to declare independence from Britain. He was in Philadelphia as a member of the Continental Congress, and he and others had been working for months to make this happen. Now at last it had happened, and it was final. He described it this way:
A Resolution was passed without one dissenting Colony “that these united Colonies, are, and of right ought to be free and independent States, and as such, they have, and of Right ought to have full Power to make War, conclude Peace, establish Commerce, and to do all the other Acts and Things, which other States may rightfully do.” You will see in a few days a Declaration setting forth the Causes, which have impell’d Us to this mighty Revolution, and the Reasons which will justify it, in the Sight of God and Man. A Plan of Confederation will be taken up in a few days.
Not everyone was in favor of independence; in fact, not every colony voted for independence on that day. Adams didn’t say that the colonies were unanimous; he said that the vote “passed without one dissenting Colony”. New York didn’t vote. That is, their delegates (or representatives) didn’t vote, because they hadn’t received instructions from the people they represented to vote for independence. (Since independence was such a big step, and they were merely representing their colony, I think it’s totally understandable that they wouldn’t vote.) But later on, New York did decide in favor of independence. There were other members of Congress who opposed independence, but they were the minority, so the vote passed.
John Adams continued:
I am surprized at the Suddenness, as well as Greatness of this Revolution. Britain has been fill’d with Folly, and America with Wisdom, at least this is my Judgment.—Time must determine. It is the Will of Heaven, that the two Countries should be sundered forever. It may be the Will of Heaven that America shall suffer Calamities still more wasting and Distresses yet more dreadfull.
In some ways it was indeed a sudden revolution — the word “revolution” meaning a turning: the colonies had turned away from Britain and were now going to follow their own path. Success wasn’t guaranteed, though; they had to win the war and establish a good government in order to be truly independent. Those were challenges for years to come.
British Troops Land on Staten Island
In late June of 1776, British warships and troop transports began arriving in large numbers in New York harbor. They weren’t quite ready to attack the Americans yet, but it didn’t make sense to keep all the men cooped up on board the ships, so on July 2 the troops started landing on Staten Island under the direction of General Sir William Howe, commander-in-chief of the British forces in America.
Why Staten Island? For one thing, the rebels weren’t defending it; they were focusing on Long Island, the New Jersey shore, and New York (now known as Manhattan) Island, where the actual town of New York was. Also, the fact that it was an island made it easier for the British to defend, so the rebels wouldn’t be likely to bother them much there. For many of the men, I imagine, the reasons didn’t much matter: they were eager to get out of their cramped quarters on the ships and onto dry ground.
The small American force on the island, seeing British vessels starting to surround the island, prudently decided that there wasn’t much point in staying, and they evacuated to New Jersey in the afternoon. A British officer named Archibald Robertson described the landing:
Weighed anchor at 10 morning and stood for the Narrows, the tide just on the turn against us and a light breeze. At 11 the tide turned and becoming allmost calm and the wind ahead the transports fell into great confusion, all dropping upon one another without steerage way which obliged us to come to an anchor. Some of the ships within 7 or 800 yards of Long Island. We observed a good many of the Rebels in motion on shore. They fired musquetry at the nearest ships without effect. About 12 the ships nearest were ordered to drop down with the tide. Lucky for us the Rebels had no cannon here or we must have suffered a good deal. The Phoenix, Greyhound and Rose men of war got about 4 or 5 miles ahead and brought too. About ¼ past one the Phoenix made the signal for preparing to land. It rained smartly, and the 1st division of transports got under way with the first of the flood tide, and about 9 we got up to the watering place on Staaten Island where the 3 men of war had hauled close inshore, the General on board the Greyhound, and the Grenadiers and Light Infantry under Earl Percy. Generals Robertson and Leslie landed immediately without opposition, the inhabitants wellcoming them ashore. They lay near the landing place all night.
The landing continued the next day, and soon there were thousands of British and Hessian troops enjoying their newfound freedom of movement on Staten Island.
Sources
- “John Adams to Abigail Adams, 3 July 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-02-02-0015. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Adams Family Correspondence, vol. 2, June 1776 - March 1778, ed. L. H. Butterfield. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1963, pp. 27–29.]
- Scull, Nicholas, 1686?-1761?, George Heap, and L Hebert. A map of Philadelphia and parts adjacent: with a perspective view of the State-House. [Philadelphia: N. Scull et al, 1752] Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/98690000/.
- Spencer Collection, The New York Public Library. (1776). View of the Narrows between Long Island & Staaten Island with our fleet at anchor & Lord Howe coming in–taken from the height above the Waterg. Place Staaten Island. 12th July 1776 Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/a4a87ea2-d4d5-931d-e040-e00a180625e3
- “Diary of Archibald Robertson, captain-lieutenant in the Royal Engineers. July 2nd [1776]”. The Spirit of ‘Seventy-Six, 422.