Broadway's version of the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of
             Independence is portrayed in 1776. It has representatives of the original thirteen colonies
             that gathered in the swealtering heat of a Philadelphia summer as the Continental
             Congress argued. Within itself, it is divided over the question of American
             Independence. The men have grown tired of listening to John Adams' repeated pleas for
             Independence. In fact, Adams himself had grown weary of the delegates' ability to agree
             on anything, let alone an issue as important as Independence. Adams explains his
             situation, and tells his frustrations to his wife, through letters and imagined
             Adams and Ben Franklin ultimately decide that, since Adams' is only looked upon
             as "obnoxious and disliked", the only way to get a resolution of independence introduced
             to Congress, is to persuade another delgate, Virginia's Richard Henry Lee, to make the
             Lee returns from Virgina with the proposal, opening up the issue to debate.
             Adams argues with Pennsylvania's John Dickinson, who is strongly opposed to
             independence. After much battle, the proposal gets put up for vote, but not before
             Dickinson insures that the vote must be unanimous. Adams and Franklin suggest the
             writing of a "declaration", to spell out "their goals and aims" and "reasons for separation".
             The Members of Congress assigned to the Declaration Committee (Franklin,
             Adams, Roger Sherman of CT, and Robert Livingston of NY) avoid writing the
             document, and elect the well written Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson, however, is unable to
             concentrate starting the document because he is thinking for the young bride he left
             behind in Virginia 6 months earlier. Adams calls for Mrs. Jefferson to come to
             Philadelphia, believing that "the sooner his problem is solved, the sooner our problem
             Dickinson, meanwhile, tries to keep the oppos
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