The host believes that the colonists had really been independent prior to the Declaration of Independence because, by that time, royal authority was effectively absent due to the ongoing conflict with Britain, and many colonial governments and grassroots organizations had already begun to assert independent control over their affairs. Some colonies and local groups had declared independence from royal authority in practice, such as Rhode Island's colonial government renouncing allegiance to Great Britain in May 1776 and various towns and militia groups across the colonies voting in favor of independence before the formal declaration. Additionally, the Continental Congress recommended colonies reform or replace their colonial governments with new state governments to fill the void left by royal authority, which some leaders like John Adams considered an act of independence itself. These actions and the widespread political, civic, and military events preceding the Declaration show that the colonists were already functioning as independent entities well before the official document was adopted.
This perspective is based on the fact that between 1775 and mid-1776, as tensions escalated and war had begun, many colonists no longer recognized British royal authority and had begun to organize and govern themselves autonomously, indicating a de facto independence prior to the formal Declaration.
