Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.
Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for July 2, 2019
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
July 2, 2019: On July 2, 1776—243 years ago today—the Second Continental Congress voted to declare our nation’s independence from Great Britain.[1]
John Adams, who would become the second president of the United States, thought that date would be the most celebrated day in American history. However, the nation’s birthday has instead been celebrated on July 4—the day that the edited version of the Declaration of Independence was formally adopted.
The congressional action did not lead the nation into a fight for independence. Instead, it simply ratified what had already happened. The War for Independence began 15 months before the formal declaration was issued. In fact, by the time Congress acted, a majority of the British governors had already been forced to flee the new nation.
However, political leaders recognized the importance of unity. They continued debating and addressing concerns until a unanimous vote could be obtained. That happened 243 years ago today. Twelve colonies voted for independence, and New York abstained.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- July 1, 2019 – 8 percent of American adults have served in the military
- June 28, 2019 – 62 percent of Americans will watch fireworks next week
- June 27, 2019 – 26 percent of voters believe America’s political leaders respect the nation’s voters
- June 26, 2019 – 38.2 years is the median age in the United States
- June 25, 2019 – 88 percent of television viewers use a second digital device while watching
- 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
Footnotes
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
