Pen and Sword

The Declaration of Independence, 2 of 3

‘Declaration of Independence,’ John Trumbull, 1819. Depicting presentation of drafting committee. US Capitol Rotunda. Public Domain via Wikipedia.

The signers of July 4, 1776—and the many patriots who rallied to their cause—faced daunting prospects. In the recollection of John Quincy Adams:

The conflict of war has begun with fearful odds of apparent huma…