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Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for January 21, 2021
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
January 21, 2021: Fifty-six (56) members of the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence. But they didn’t do so on the Fourth of July.[1]
In fact, the Congress formally voted to declare independence on July 2, 1776. They approved the draft document prepared by Thomas Jefferson on July 4. That document was signed only by John Hancock and Charles Thompson. They were the president and secretary of the Congress.[1][2]
The document was sent to a printer, and an enlarged copy of the document was signed on August 2.[2]
Some delegates refused to sign the document. That included John Jay who would later become the first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Others, such as Edward Rutledge of South Carolina, opposed the document but signed it to give the impression of unity.[2]
As noted in an earlier Number of the Day, the formal Declaration of Independence was issued 15 months after the War for Independence began.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- January 20, 2021 –10 previous presidents have taken office on January 20
- January 19, 2021 -59 percent of voters approve of Joe Biden’s performance as president-elect
- January 18, 2021 -315 state legislative seats changed partisan control in 2020 Elections
- January 15, 2021 -74 percent increase in Seattle homicides during 2020
- January 14, 2021 -61 percent of voters want President-elect Biden to build a larger governing majority by finding common ground
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here to check out the latest update.
The Number of the Day is broadcast on local stations across the country. An archive of these broadcasts can be found here.
Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
Ballotpedia is the nonprofit, nonpartisan Encyclopedia of American Politics.
See also
- Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day
- Declaration of Independence
- Thomas Jefferson (U.S. President)
- John Jay
Footnotes
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