Spurred by local pressure groups, colonial legislatures empowered delegates to attend a Continental Congress which would set terms for a boycott. The colony of Connecticut was the first to respond.
The Congress first met in Philadelphia on September 5, , with delegates from each of the 13 colonies except Georgia. On October 20, the Congress adopted the Articles of Association, which stated that if the Intolerable Acts were not repealed by December 1, , a boycott of British goods would begin in the colonies.
The Articles also outlined plans for an embargo on exports if the Intolerable Acts were not repealed before September 10, On October 21, the delegates approved separate statements for the people of Great Britain and the North American colonies, explaining the colonial position, and on October 26 a similar address was approved for the people of Quebec.
They did not draft such a letter to the British Parliament as the colonists viewed the Parliament as the aggressor behind the recent Intolerable Acts. Lastly, not fully expecting the standoff in Massachusetts to explode into full-scale war, the Congress agreed to reconvene in Philadelphia on May 10, By the time Congress met again, war was already underway, and thus the delegates to the Second Continental Congress formed the Continental Army and dispatched George Washington to Massachusetts as its commander.
Meanwhile, Congress drafted the Olive Branch Petition, which attempted to suggest means of resolving disputes between the colonies and Great Britain. In the event that the Intolerable Acts were not lifted, the Congress decided to meet again. While Parliament debated its next course of action in response to the persistent acts of the colonists, tensions continued to rise between the Loyalists, Patriots, royal governors, British soldiers, and various other factions of people present in the colonies.
Following debate in the Parliament, the British passed the Restraining Act on March 30th, , which only succeeded in further frustrating and infuriating the colonists. The New England colonies were prevented from trading with anyone except the British and fishing was forbidden in New England waters, cutting off a critical fishing ground and food source for the Patriots.
Following the aftermath of the Intolerable Acts and the First Continental Congress, rumors began to circulate that war was imminent. The Second Continental Congress was preparing to meet in May since the Intolerable Acts had not been remedied or retracted.
While most colonies felt a great deal of distrust towards Britain, Boston had perhaps the strongest anti-British feelings. These sentiments concerned General Thomas Gage as he pondered ways to remedy the situation and reassure those in Britain that the colonies were secure.
One such way was to conduct routine raids on colonial military supplies. When they reached Concord, grenadiers began searching for supplies while the light infantry acted as guards in the event of open fire. Open fire was soon to come. After the Patriots had time to rouse more minutemen, a surprisingly large number gathered to fight the British.
At the North Bridge, an unexpected shot was fired from a British soldier. Approximately minutemen fought British soldiers. Although the numbers were still in favor of the British forces, the minutemen successfully forced a British retreat back to Boston.
The British monarch would appoint a President General and the colonial assemblies would appoint delegates for a three-year term. Congress intended to give Britain time to respond to the Continental Association and discuss any developments at the Second Continental Congress.
Washington went shopping for muskets and military apparel before leaving Philadelphia for Mount Vernon. Furthermore, he placed an order for a book on military discipline. Though war had not been declared and many delegates were still hoping for redress, there was no doubt that the American colonies and Britain were on the brink of conflict.
Abbot and Dorothy Twohig. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, , pp. Ammerman, David. New York: Norton, Ellis, Joseph J. His Excellency: George Washington. New York: First Vintage Books, Irwin, Benjamin.
Under the Articles, congressional decisions were made based on a state-by-state vote, and the Congress had little ability to enforce its decisions. The Articles of Confederation would prove incapable of governing the new nation in a time of peace, but they did not seriously undermine the war effort, both because the war was effectively winding down before the Articles took effect, and because Congress ceded many executive war powers to General Washington.
The Revolutionary War was over and Congress had helped to see the country through. However, the Articles of Confederation proved an imperfect instrument for a nation at peace with the world. The years immediately following the end of the Revolutionary War in presented the young American nation with a series of difficulties that Congress could not adequately remedy: dire financial straits, interstate rivalries and domestic insurrection.
A movement developed for constitutional reform, culminating in the Philadelphia Convention of The delegates at the convention decided to scrap the Articles of Confederation completely and create a new system of government. In , the new U. Constitution went into effect and the Continental Congress adjourned forever and was replaced by the U.
Although the Continental Congress did not function well in a time of peace, it had helped steer the nation through one of its worst crises, declared its independence and helped to win a war to secure that independence. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. As a political activist and state legislator, he spoke out against British efforts to tax the colonists, and pressured merchants to boycott British products.
He also He was a gifted orator and major figure in the American Revolution. His rousing speeches—which included a speech to the Virginia legislature in which he famously declared, American Revolution leader John Hancock was a signer of the Declaration of Independence in and a governor of Massachusetts. The colonial Massachusetts native was raised by his uncle, a wealthy Boston merchant.
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