While July 4, 1776 claims all the glory when it comes to the story of American independence, the actual vote for independence on July 2 almost didn't occur. From January's publication of Common Sense to December's darkest hours of the Revolution, author and historian Tom McMillan reconstructs the dramatic months when rebellious colonies transformed into a new nation. His detailed research yields compelling storytelling while exploring such pivotal days in 1776 as May 15, June 7, and of course July 2.A behind-the-scenes narrative examines the feud between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams and their view of government, as well as Congress's bold January declaration triggered a chain of unstoppable events. Now, 250 years later, McMillan traces the threads of history and how the Declaration of Independence's influence extended not only into the nineteenth century, but to today as well.