We begin with John Adams trying to rally the Continental Congress to vote to declare the Thirteen Colonies independent from Great Britain. Unfortunately, the members of said Congress are more interested in ignoring him, arguing about how to deal with the sweltering Philadelphia summer, or just shouting him down (Sit Down, John). Adams eventually gives up and goes outside to complain about his fellows (Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve) and read the latest letter from his loving wife Abigail. In an Imagine Spot depicting their correspondance, John asks Abigail if she's made saltpeter like he requested (she hasn't; he never told her how to make saltpeter), while she requests that he send her pins, since the war means she can't find any in Massachusetts (Till Then).
Later, Adams goes to meet fellow independence delegate Benjamin Franklin, who's having his portrait painted. The rather more politically savvy Franklin suggests that they have the resolution presented by someone other than the obnoxious and disliked Adams so it won't be dismissed out of hand- and wouldn't you know it, they have just the candidate: Richard Henry Lee, delegate from Virginia and a well-respected member of one of Virginia's oldest families (The Lees of Old Virginia).
We then return to Congress with Dr. Lyman Hall, delegate for Georgia who needs introducing to the main characters and probably wasn't expecting the hot mess the Continental Congress is; one of Delaware's delegates, Caesar Rodney, is deathly ill and has to leave, nobody knows where New Jersey is (well, aside from "somewhere between New York and Pennsylvania"), New York keeps abstaining (courteously!) from everything, and the rum is always gone. George Washington sends a gloomy letter about the state of his army, the most interesting thing is a fire wagon, and the dog has to be left outside, but hey, at least Lee keeps his promise to bring the resolution for independence!
Now with that out of the way, it's time for the hard part. Many Congressmen, led by John Dickinson of Pennsyvlania, aren't too enthused by the idea of independence, for various reasons; concern over state independence, desire not to get dragged into another state's fight, believing the war to be a hopeless cause, hope that peace can be achieved, and genuine English patriotism among more self-serving motives. Dickinson's politicking almost gets the resolution dismissed until the New Jersey delegation, led by Reverend John Witherspoon, arrives with explicit orders to vote for independence.
Even then, Dickinson causes trouble by making a motion that any vote in favor of independence must be unanimous, a far-fetched goal given how divided Congress is. It ultimately passes with John Hancock's tie-breaking vote, as he argues that the colonies cannot afford to fight amongst themselves and Britain. John Adams then has to invent a new reason for delaying the vote until he can persuade more delegates to his side. The one he comes up with is a written declaration of independence that can convince people- most importantly potential allies like France and Spain- to their cause. This passes after Thomas Jefferson, a quiet delegate for Virginia, speaks up for it.
A committee is then formed to write the declaration, consisting of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson- over the latter's loud objections, as he really wants to go home to see his wife, Martha. The committee then foists the responsibility of writing the declaration off on each other with various excuses: Nobody will listen to Adams because he's obnoxious and disliked, Franklin won't write politics, Sherman isn't a good writer, and Livingston has to return to New York to celebrate the birth of his son. This leaves only Thomas Jefferson, since Adams is not impressed with his desire to get laid instead of doing his duty to his country and threatens him with physical force if he won't cooperate (But, Mr. Adams).
Jefferson gets down to writing, but he has a bad case of writer's block until Adams takes pity on him and brings Martha over for a visit, while he and Abigail once again exchange letters (Yours, Yours, Yours). When Adams and Franklin formally introduce themselves to Martha, she explains how her socially awkward husband wooed her with his violin skills (He Plays the Violin). He gets better at writing quickly.
Later, after Adams and Franklin take Maryland delegate Samuel Chase to see the Continental Army, everyone else gets to express their opinion. Dickinson leads the conservative delegates in Cool, Considerate Men, and the Courier who has been giving everyone Washington's dispatches later talks to custodian Macnair about how two of his friends died in the battle of Lexington, imagining their last moments (Mama, Look Sharp).
Jefferson finally gets done with the Declaration of Independence and the committee admire it (The Egg), but the editing process is much harder. The biggest concern is a passage that condemns slavery; the southern states' economies rely on slave labor, and they don't want a passage condemning it in a declaration they're going to sign. When abolitionist John Adams gets fired up defending it, South Carolina delegate Edward Rutledge points out that the northern states don't have the moral high ground; slavery is legal there too, and while they don't use it to the same extent, they do support the slave trade, including the slave labor involved in making Congress's favorite beverage (Molasses to Rum).
Franklin is eventually able to convince Adams to drop the passage, but Adams remains demoralized until two things give him a Heroic Second Wind: First, Abigail gives him saltpeter, and second, Lyman Hall is inspired to vote for independence (Is Anyone There?). New York abstains from the vote again, but most other states are convinced. Only two battlegrounds remain: Delaware and Pennsylvania. Delaware is tied between Thomas McKeen (independence) and George Read (Loyalist) and the tie has to be broken by recalling the pro-independence Caesar Rodney despite his advanced skin cancer. Pennsylvania is tied between John Dickinson and Benjamin Franklin and must be broken by James Wilson. Up to this point, Wilson has been Dickinson's yes-man, but Franklin convinces him to flip by pointing out that if he doesn't, he'll be forever remembered as the man who denied American independence. Being remembered is the last thing Wilson wants, so flip he does.
The delegates then all sign the Declaration of Independence as the Liberty Bell tolls. Dickinson does not sign as it would be going against his principles and his desire to make peace with England. But this does not mean he is a coward or not a patriot, as he decides to instead join the Continental Army and fight for his country that way. John Adams, being a good sport for once, prompts Congress to give him a standing ovation.
