It is the first day of July 1776, and the gentlemen of the Second Continental Congress are gathering at the handsome brick State House in Philadelphia. Weeks before, one of their number, John Adams of Massachusetts, had written, "Every day rolls in upon us Independence like a torrent." Today the delegates must begin their deliberation on that momentous question, Will the thirteen colonies at last declare themselves an independent nation?

The delegates are well aware of the significance of their decision; what they do here will have its effect in the New World for generations to come. Passions run high as honest men on both sides urge their views. Now John Adams puts the matter in more homely terms: "Remember," he writes, "you can't make thirteen Clocks strike precisely alike, at the same second."

Even after independence has been affirmed, Thomas Jefferson's Declaration must be edited—its words carefully chosen to present the young nation's case "to a candid World." At last, on the fourth of July 1776, the Declaration of Independence is adopted.

Drawing on contemporary accounts—memoirs, letters, diaries of the participants—Mary Kay Phelan has recreated those four crucial days, bringing to life the men and issues of this dramatic time. Her book gives an exciting view of the drafting of this historic document, and in addition, traces its history to the present day. Sketches by Charles Walker add immediacy to the story. FOUR DAYS IN PHILADELPHIA—1776 makes a most important moment in our history vivid and real.

From the dust jacket