Which delegate's arrival broke Delaware's tie in the 1776 independence vote?

Caesar Rodney's arrival broke Delaware's tie in the 1776 independence vote.

Delaware's delegation to the Second Continental Congress was split: Thomas McKean supported independence, while George Read opposed it. Caesar Rodney, the third delegate, was away from Philadelphia when the issue came to a vote. He traveled through the night from Delaware and arrived in time to cast the decisive vote for independence.

The Lee Resolution was adopted on July 2, 1776, with twelve colonies voting in favor and New York abstaining because its delegation lacked authorization. Delaware's tied delegation could not support independence until Rodney appeared and voted yes.

Rodney later signed the engrossed Declaration of Independence, as did McKean and Read. A famous Delaware depiction shows Rodney arriving on horseback, but the details of the ride have been dramatized in later art and storytelling. The underlying political fact is clear: his attendance resolved Delaware's internal deadlock at a crucial moment.