john dickinson is probably the most important of them.r author of the letters of a pennsylvania farmer which is, again, against some of those various taxes and acts, stamp tax and so on. so he's probably one of our best known political writers of the day but he's sort of pulling back saying the idea is how are we going to win a war against the british? this doesn't seem like the best idea in the world to declare our independence because this completely cuts off any chance of negotiating with the british. others might look at the idea that we don't really have anybody helping us and, again, britain is one of the great powers of the world america is maybe three million people and there's a good chunk of them remaining loyal to the crown. there will be battles in this war after all with just americans on both sides so there's some saying maybe we should slow down but most of the men are ready to move forward so on july 1, they will hold a non-binding committee of the whole vote. the vote is on the question of being free and independent state

. >> john dickinson doesn't see this as simply a vote for independence.as a vote to condemn his countrymen to a cruel and unusual fate. and that is a step that he's unwilling to take. >> congress must break their impasse soon. the british army isn't waiting for them to reach an agreement. >> the signal fire is lit. general howe's army is here. colonel reed, send a message to congress. ask if they plan on declaring independence before this city is overrun by the british! >> yes, your excellency. >> as more british ships arrive in new york harbor, troops begin to land on the undefended shores of staten island. they're led by general william howe, commander of the british army in america. howe is looking for a decisive victory in new york while washington continues to wait on congress. today, we vote on the virginia resolution that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states. >> sir, no decision we ever take will be as grave as this one. >> independence was not a decision taken lightly because the consequences of it were

john dickinson spoke against it, as you can imagine. james wilson from pennsylvania spoke against it. admin rutledge from south carolina spoke against it. i like to show you his picture in a moment. i have a picture of robert r livingston from new york, who also spoke against independence. you might think this would be the death knell politically for these four men. but think again. dickinson went on to serve in the constitutional convention, and as a u.s. senator. wilson served in the constitutional convention and as a u.s. senator. and george washington appointed him to the supreme court. and rutledge become a governor of south carolina. judicialn, the chief -- chief judge of new york, administered the earth of office to washington when he was -- oh of office when he was inaugurated in washington. at the end of the two-day debate, congress decided not to do anything immediately other than to appoint what the congressman called "the committee of five." that committee was to draft a article of independence and to submit that the declara

they were led by a man named john dickinson. a very admirable fellow. mr.e: what was the nature of the revolutionist? were they intellectuals? were they political firebrands? were they -- what? mr. mccullough: they were all of that. intellectuals, firebrands, ambitious politicians. decent, hard-working people who had farms. mr. rose: just were offended by the way things were. mr. mccullough: they felt they were not being granted the rights that were their birthright as english subjects. in other words, they are not so much revolting to create a new and very different kind of society. they are saying, wait a minute, you are taking away our rights as english subjects, free englishmen, a government of laws, not of men, and you are taxing us, and we have no choice in that. and you are taxing us to pay your own bills back home. why should we pick up the tab for your expenditures there in england when we have no part in that life? most of us have never seen england, and besides, it is probably time we started our own country. mr. rose: no taxation without represe