Primary Source
Letter

John Alsop to the New York Provincial Congress, 16 July 1776

John Alsop resigns from Congress, opposing New York's declaration of independence and expressing his preference for reconciliation with Britain.

Content sections

Philadelphia, 16th July, 1776.

Hble. Gentlemen,

Yesterday our President read in Congress a resolve of your Honble. Body, dated 9th instant, in which you declare New-York a free and independent State. I can't help saying that I was much surprized to find it come through that channel. The usual method, hitherto practised, has been for the Convention of each Colony to give their Delegates instructions to act and vote upon all and any important question.

And from the last letter we were favoured with from your body, you told us that you was not competent or authorized to give us instructions on that grand question, nor have you been pleased to answer our letter of the 2d instant, any otherwise than by your said resolve, transmitted to the President. I think we were entitled to an answer.

I am compelled, therefore, to declare that it is against my judgment and inclination. As long as a door was left open for a reconciliation with Great Britain, upon honourable and just terms, I was willing and ready to render my country all the service in my power, and for which purpose I was appointed and sent to this Congress; but as you have, I presume, by that declaration closed the door of reconciliation, I must beg leave to resign my seat as a Delegate from New-York, and that I may be favoured with an answer and my dismission.

I have the honour to be, With esteem, gentlemen, Your most obdt. hble, servt.

John Alsop

Repository

Printed

Source Note

This document, published in Letters of Delegates to Congress, was reprinted from the Journals of the New York Provincial Congress, 1:536, which is available on the Internet Archive.

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John Alsop to the New York Provincial Congress, 16 July 1776

Authors

1
John Alsop

New York delegate who signed the Continental Association but resigned from Congress rather than sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Recipients

2
New York Provincial Congress

A revolutionary government that coordinated military defense, drafted the state constitution, and led the colony's transition to independence.

Brigadier general and Provincial Congress delegate who became one of New York's earliest Revolutionary War martyrs after British cavalry wounded him fatally in 1776.

Place Written

1
May 1765

910

29 May 1765

Virginia Resolves, 29 May 1765
April 1772

451

1 April 1772
Handwritten document.

Virginia House of Burgesses' Petition Against the Importation of Slaves from Africa, 1 April 1772
October 1774

911

14 October 1774
Handwritten manuscript.

Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress, 14 October 1774

823

20 October 1774
Printed broadside.

Continental Association, 20 October 1774
February 1775

575

16 February 1775

Massachusetts Spy, 16 February 1775
November 1775

175

7 November 1775
Print text. In large letters near the top it reads "A Proclamation."

Lord Dunmore's Proclamation, 7 November 1775
January 1776

108

1 January 1776
Cursive text.

Liberty Further Extended; or, Free Thoughts on the Illegality of Slave-Keeping, by Lemuel Haynes
1 January 1776
Cursive text.

Liberty Further Extended; or, Free Thoughts on the Illegality of Slave-Keeping, by Lemuel Haynes
June 1776

436

7 June 1776
Handwritten document.

Thomas Jefferson, Notes of Proceedings in the Continental Congress, 7 June–1 August 1776
7 June 1776
Handwritten document.

Thomas Jefferson, Notes of Proceedings in the Continental Congress, 7 June–1 August 1776

892

7 June 1776
Cursive handwritten text

Lee Resolution, 7 June 1776

588

11 June 1776
Fragment of the Declaration of Independence in Thomas Jefferson's handwriting.

Thomas Jefferson, Fragment of the Composition Draft of the Declaration of Independence, circa 11 June–4 July 1776
11 June 1776
Fragment of the Declaration of Independence in Thomas Jefferson's handwriting.

Thomas Jefferson, Fragment of the Composition Draft of the Declaration of Independence, circa 11 June–4 July 1776

374

11 June 1776
Cursive handwriting, featuring strikeouts and insertions of text.

Thomas Jefferson, “original Rough draught” of the Declaration of Independence, 11 June–4 July 1776
11 June 1776
Cursive handwriting, featuring strikeouts and insertions of text.

Thomas Jefferson, “original Rough draught” of the Declaration of Independence, 11 June–4 July 1776

587

28 June 1776
Cursive handwriting.

John Adams's Copy of the Declaration of Independence, before 28 June 1776
July 1776

893

2 July 1776
Paragraph of cursive handwritten text. Below are two columns written sideways.

Adoption of the Lee Resolution, 2 July 1776

55

4 July 1776
Front of the engrossed parchment copy of the Declaration of Independence, dated July 4, 1776, with the title "The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America" and the signatures of the Continental Congress delegates at the bottom.

Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776

146

9 July 1776
Handwritten copy of the General Orders, 9 July 1776, page one.

General Orders, 9 July 1776

61

10 July 1776
Cursive text from the Issac Bangs journal, page 91.

Extract from Isaac Bangs's Journal, 10 July 1776
November 1776

454

28 November 1776

Declaration of Dependence, 28 November 1776
May 1777

171

1 May 1777

Joseph Brant on Indigenous Allegiances, as recalled by Chainbreaker, circa May 1777
1 May 1777

Joseph Brant on Indigenous Allegiances, as recalled by Chainbreaker, circa May 1777
June 1777

699

20 June 1777
Cursive text. A paragraph appears at the top of the page, followed by two columns of names listed by date of swearing.

Pennsylvania Oaths of Allegiance, 20 June 1777–25 November 1778
20 June 1777
Cursive text. A paragraph appears at the top of the page, followed by two columns of names listed by date of swearing.

Pennsylvania Oaths of Allegiance, 20 June 1777–25 November 1778
July 1777

181

4 July 1777
Two pages from within a diary book. Each handwritten entry is separated by a horizontal line.

Extract from the Diary of Elizabeth Drinker, 4 July–18 December 1777
4 July 1777
Two pages from within a diary book. Each handwritten entry is separated by a horizontal line.

Extract from the Diary of Elizabeth Drinker, 4 July–18 December 1777
November 1777

809

15 November 1777
Cursive text. In large text at top of page reads "To all to whom."

Articles of Confederation, 15 November 1777
January 1779

182

1 January 1779

Extract from Samuel Rowland Fisher's Journal, 1779
1 January 1779

Extract from Samuel Rowland Fisher's Journal, 1779
June 1779

152

30 June 1779
Single column of print text of various sizes.

Philipsburg Proclamation, 30 June 1779
November 1779

104

12 November 1779
Cursive text.

Prince Whipple and Others' Freedom Petition to the New Hampshire General Court, 12 November 1779
April 1781

614

19 April 1781

John Adams, Memorial to the States General, 19 April 1781
September 1787

814

17 September 1787
Cursive handwriting. Top of the page, in large print reads, "We the People."

Constitution of the United States, 17 September 1787
June 1796

177

4 June 1796

Extract from Boston King's Memoirs, 4 June 1796
December 1818

580

4 December 1818
Document written by Thomas Jefferson about Benjamin Franklin, c.4 December 1818, page one.

Thomas Jefferson’s Anecdotes of Benjamin Franklin, circa 4 December 1818

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