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Franklin urged the delegates opposing independence to
change their minds. He said the vote had to be unani-
mous or the struggle would surely fail. He warned the
delegates that if the war was lost, King George would
send them to the
gallows
. He said: “We must all hang
together, or assuredly we will all hang separately.”
The declaration was read. Changes were made; most
of the changes were minor, but there was one significant
alteration—a passage blaming King George for the slave
trade was removed from the final draft.
Finally, a roll call vote was taken. One by one, the del-
egates stood at their desks in the State House and voted
in favor of independence. All delegates but those repre-
senting New York cast their ballots for independence.
The New York delegates did not vote. They were waiting
for instructions from the New York Assembly, which was
still debating the issue of independence. On July 9, the
New York Assembly cast its ballot for independence,
making the vote unanimous.
At first, the declaration received just two signatures—
those of Hancock, the president of the Congress, and
Charles Thomson, the secretary. Later, the signatures of
the other delegates were added.
Hancock signed his name in grand style, using a large
and elaborate signature that clearly dominates the
parchment
below the words of the declaration and
stands out from the other signatures. It was a bold act of
defiance by the president of the Congress, showing the
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A Bold Act of Defiance