Assembly instructions constrained four middle colonies’ delegates against independence
Evidence
Late in 1775, after Congress authorized New Hampshire to replace its royal charter with a republican constitution, Dickinson secured instructions from the Pennsylvania Assembly directing its congressional delegation to “dissent from and utterly reject any propositions, should such be made, that may cause or lead to a separation from our Mother Country.” New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland soon issued similar instructions for their delegations. In May 1776, with these instructions by four of the five middle colonies standing as a barrier to independence for all, Congress adopted its revolutionary resolution on independent governments calling on all colonies to free themselves of British authority. — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 180
Categorization
- ADDENDUM: Relevant to how legal-institutional mechanisms (delegate instructions) shaped foundational political acts — a direct illustration for the legal systems course of text-and-authority dynamics.
- XREF: connects to: By May 1776 the independence struggle hinged on the middle colonies; Independence required unanimity across colonial delegations — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 126; Delaware, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania delegates sided with independence to preserve colonial unanimity — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 221 (+3 more)
Broader Connections
- Factional coalitions inside Pennsylvania’s assembly blocked independence
#exemplifies(0.95) - Independence required unanimity across colonial delegations
#qualifies(0.85) — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 126 - Delaware, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania delegates sided with independence to preserve colonial unanimity
#complicates(0.80) — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 221 - Congress sought unanimity among colonies before declaring independence.
#expands(0.80) — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 207