On this day 250 years ago at the home of bricklayer Jacob Graff and his wife Maria Graff in Philadelphia, where he was residing while in the Continental Congress, Thomas Jefferson made edits to his initial draft of the Declaration of Independence after receiving comments from John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. The Graff House stood at Seventh and High (now named Market) Streets, and has been reconstructed by the National Park Service although it is not now open for tours.

Source: Michael Austin, “Three Weeks in June”, Monticelllo, The Magazine (Spring/Summer 2026) at pp. 14-15.

Also on that day in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Provincial Convention in “Obedience to the Power derived” from “The People of Pennsylvania” issued an address to the Countrymen that fixed the fixed upon July 8 as the date for

electing a Convention to form a Government for the Province of Pennsylvania, under the authority of the People.

Divine Providence is about to grant you a Favor which few People have ever enjoyed before, the Privilege of choosing Deputies to form a Government under which you are to live. We need not inform you of the Importance of the Trust you are about to commit to them. Your Liberty, Safety, Happiness and everything that Posterity will hold dear to them to the End of Time will depend upon their Deliberations. It becomes you therefore to choose such Persons only to act for you in the ensuing Convention, as are distinguished for Wisdom, Integrity and a firm Attachment to the Liberties of this Province, as well as to the Liberties of the United Colonies in general…

. . . We beg that you would endeavor to remove the Prejudices of the Weak and Ignorant, respecting the proposed change in our Government, and assure them that it is absolutely necessary to secure Property — Liberty — and the Sacred Rights of Conscience to every Individual in the Province.

. . .

We wish you Success in your Aftempts to establish and perpetuate your Liberties, and pray God to take you under his special protection.

Signed by unanimous Order of the Conference,
Thomas McKean, President

Source: https://www.carpentershall.org/pages/pennsylvania-from-colony-to-state; https://ushistory.org/pennsylvania/birth3.html

And on this day in Maryland Royal Governor Robert Eden finally acceded to the request of the Maryland Provincial Convention and departed Maryland for England in the ship HMS Fowey.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Robert_Eden,_1st_Baronet,_of_Maryland#cite_note-Andrews,_p.317-2