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Continental Congress



 
 
The Continental Congress
Continental Congress

The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
 was a convention
Convention (meeting)

A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at a arid place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest....
 of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies
Thirteen Colonies

The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris recognized the independence of the original thirteen United States of America in 1783....
 that became the governing body of the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 during the American Revolution
American Revolution

The American Revolution refers to the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which the Thirteen Colonies of North America overthrew the governance of the British Empire and then rejected the British monarchy to become the sovereign United States of America....
. The Congress met from 1774 to 1789 in three incarnations.

Second Continental Congress
By the time the Second Continental Congress
Second Continental Congress

The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that met beginning in May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after shooting in the American Revolutionary War had begun....
 met on May 10, 1775 in Philadelphia, shooting in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , also known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and Thirteen Colonies on the North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers....
 (1775–1783) had begun.






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Timeline

1774   First Continental Congress assembles in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1775   American Revolutionary War: The Continental Congress bans trade with Canada.

1775   American Revolutionary War: The Continental Congress sends the Olive Branch Petition, hoping for a reconciliation.

1775   The United States Marine Corps was born in Tun Tavern, Philidelphia. American Revolutionary War: The Continental Congress passes a resolution creating the Continental Marines (later renamed the United States Marine Corps) to serve as landing troops for the recently created Continental Navy (the Marines were disbanded at end of war in April of 1783 but were reformed on July 11, 1798).

1776   American Revolutionary War: The Royal Colony of North Carolina produces the Halifax Resolves making it the first British colony to officially authorize its Continental Congress delegates to vote for independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

1776   American Revolutionary War: Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed to the Continental Congress a resolution calling for a Declaration of Independence.

1777   American Revolutionary War: Marquis de Lafayette lands near Charleston, South Carolina to help the Continental Congress train its army.

1777   Stars and Stripes adopted by the Continental Congress as the Flag of the United States.

1777   American Revolutionary War: After 16 months of debate, the Continental Congress approves the Articles of Confederation in the temporary American capital at York, Pennsylvania.

1778   The Continental Congress passes the first budget of the United States.







Encyclopedia


The Continental Congress
Continental Congress

The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
 was a convention
Convention (meeting)

A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at a arid place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest....
 of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies
Thirteen Colonies

The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris recognized the independence of the original thirteen United States of America in 1783....
 that became the governing body of the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 during the American Revolution
American Revolution

The American Revolution refers to the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which the Thirteen Colonies of North America overthrew the governance of the British Empire and then rejected the British monarchy to become the sovereign United States of America....
. The Congress met from 1774 to 1789 in three incarnations.

First Continental Congress


The First Continental Congress
First Continental Congress

The First Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from twelve of the thirteen Kingdom of Great Britain North American colonies that met on September 5, 1774, in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, early in the American Revolution....
, which met briefly in Philadelphia in 1774, consisted of 56 delegates from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies
Thirteen Colonies

The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris recognized the independence of the original thirteen United States of America in 1783....
 that would become the United States. Convened in response to the Coercive Acts passed by the British Parliament
Parliament of Great Britain

The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Act of Union 1707 by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland....
 in 1774, the delegates organized an economic boycott of Great Britain
Great Britain

Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population....
 in protest and petitioned the king
Petition to the King (1774)

The Petition to the King was a petition sent to George III of the United Kingdom by the First Continental Congress. The petition expressed loyalty to the king and hoped for redress of grievances relating to the Intolerable Acts and other issues that helped foment the American Revolution....
 for a redress of grievances.

Second Continental Congress


By the time the Second Continental Congress
Second Continental Congress

The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that met beginning in May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after shooting in the American Revolutionary War had begun....
 met on May 10, 1775 in Philadelphia, shooting in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , also known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and Thirteen Colonies on the North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers....
 (1775–1783) had begun. Moderates in the Congress still hoped that the colonies could be reconciled with Great Britain, but a movement towards independence steadily gained ground. Congress established the Continental Army
Continental Army

The American Continental Army was an army formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 15, 1775, the army was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in their struggle against the rule of Kingdom...
 (June 1775), coordinated the war effort
War effort

In politics and military planning, a war effort refers to a coordinated mobilization of Society resources—both industrial and Human resource—towards the support of a military force....
, issued a Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence

The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the Thirteen Colonies then at war with Kingdom of Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire....
 in July 1776, and designed a new government in the Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the constitution of the revolutionary wartime alliance of the thirteen United States. The Articles' ratification was completed in 1781, and legally federated several sovereign and independent states, allied under the Articles of Association into a new federation styled the "United States...
, which were ratified in 1781.

Confederation Congress


The ratification of the Articles of Confederation gave the Congress a new name: the Congress of the Confederation
Congress of the Confederation

The Congress of the Confederation or the United States in Congress Assembled was the governing body of the United States of America from March 1, 1781, to March 4, 1789....
, which met from 1781 to 1789. The Confederation Congress helped guide the United States through the final stages of the war, but in peacetime the Congress declined in importance. Under the Articles, the Confederation Congress had little power to compel the individual states to comply with its decisions. Increasingly, delegates elected to the Congress declined to serve, the leading men in each state preferred to serve in state government, and the Congress had difficulty establishing a quorum
Quorum

In law, a quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative body necessary to conduct the business of that group. Ordinarily, this is a majority of the people expected to be there, although many bodies may have a lower or higher quorum....
. When the Articles were replaced by the United States Constitution
United States Constitution

The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America; the Federal Government of the United States; and all the State & local governments and Territorial Administrative bodies contained therein....
, the Confederation Congress was superseded by the United States Congress
United States Congress

The United States Congress is the Bicameralism legislature of the Federal government of the United States of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives....
.

Timeline


1774
  • September 5: First Continental Congress convened at Philadelphia’s Carpenter's Hall.
  • October 14: Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress
    Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress

    The Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress, also known as the "Declaration of Colonial Rights", the "Declaration of Rights", or the "Declaration of Rights and Grievances", was a statement adopted by the First Continental Congress on October 14, 1774, in response to the Intolerable Acts passed by the Parliament of Great Bri...
     adopted
  • October 18: Continental Association adopted
  • October 25: First Petition to the King
    Petition to the King (1774)

    The Petition to the King was a petition sent to George III of the United Kingdom by the First Continental Congress. The petition expressed loyalty to the king and hoped for redress of grievances relating to the Intolerable Acts and other issues that helped foment the American Revolution....
     signed
  • October 26: Congress adjourned, resolving to reconvene the following May if grievances are not redressed
1775
  • April 19: War began at the Battles of Lexington and Concord
    Battles of Lexington and Concord

    The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. They were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Massachusetts, Concord, Massachusetts, Lincoln, Massachusetts, Arlington, Massachusetts, and Cambridge...
  • May 10: Second Continental Congress
    Second Continental Congress

    The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that met beginning in May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after shooting in the American Revolutionary War had begun....
     convened at Philadelphia’s, State House.
  • June 14: Congress established the Continental Army
    Continental Army

    The American Continental Army was an army formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 15, 1775, the army was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in their struggle against the rule of Kingdom...
  • June 15: Congress appointed one of its members, George Washington
    George Washington

    George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
    , as commander of the Continental Army
  • July 1: King George III Addresses Parliament stating they will "put a speedy end" to the rebellion
  • July 6: Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms
    Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms

    The Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms was a document prepared by the Second Continental Congress to explain to the world why the British colonies had American Revolutionary War against Great Britain....
     approved
  • July 8: Second petition to the king (the Olive Branch Petition
    Olive Branch Petition

    When the Second Continental Congress convened in May 1775, most delegates followed John Dickinson in his quest to reconcile with George III of Great Britain....
    ) signed
1776
  • January 10: Thomas Paine
    Thomas Paine

    Thomas Paine was a UK pamphleteer, revolutionary, Radicalism , inventor, and intellectual. He lived and worked in Britain until age 37, when he emigrated to the British American colonies, in time to participate in the American Revolution....
     publishes Common Sense
  • July 2: Resolution of independence adopted, asserting the independence of the colonies from Britain
  • July 4: Final text of the United States Declaration of Independence
    United States Declaration of Independence

    The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the Thirteen Colonies then at war with Kingdom of Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire....
     approved
  • August 2: Declaration of Independence signed in Congress
  • December 12: Congress adjourns to move to Baltimore, Maryland
    Baltimore, Maryland

    Baltimore is an independent city and the largest city in the U.S. state of Maryland in the United States. Baltimore is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay....
    .
  • December 20: Congress convenes in Baltimore
    Baltimore, Maryland

    Baltimore is an independent city and the largest city in the U.S. state of Maryland in the United States. Baltimore is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay....
     at Henry Fite’s House.
1777
  • February 27: Congress adjourns to return to Philadelphia.
  • March 4: Congress reconvenes at Philadelphia’s State House.
  • September 18: Congress adjourns in order to move to Lancaster, Pennsylvania
    Lancaster, Pennsylvania

    Lancaster is a city in the South Central Pennsylvania part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania....
    .
  • September 27: Congress convenes for one day in Lancaster, at the Court House.
  • September 30: Congress reconvenes at York, Pennsylvania
    York, Pennsylvania

    York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in South Central Pennsylvania. The population was 40,862 at the United States Census 2000....
     at the Court House.
  • November 15: Congress issues the Articles of Confederation
    Articles of Confederation

    The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the constitution of the revolutionary wartime alliance of the thirteen United States. The Articles' ratification was completed in 1781, and legally federated several sovereign and independent states, allied under the Articles of Association into a new federation styled the "United States...
     to the states for approval
1778
  • June 27: Congress adjourns to return to Philadelphia.
  • July 2: Congress reconvenes in Philadelphia, first at College Hall
    College Hall

    College Hall can refer to:...
    , then at the State House.
1781
  • March 1: Articles of Confederation go into effect, Congress becomes the Congress of the Confederation.
1783
  • June 21: Congress adjourns to move to Princeton, New Jersey.
  • June 30: Congress reconvenes in Princeton, New Jersey
    Princeton, New Jersey

    Princeton, New Jersey is located in Mercer County, New Jersey, New Jersey, United States. Princeton University has been sited in the town since 1756....
    , first at a house named “Prospect,” then Nassau Hall
    Nassau Hall

    Nassau Hall is the oldest building at Princeton University in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey, New Jersey . At the time it was built, it was the largest building in early New Jersey....
    .
  • November 4: Congress adjourns to move to Annapolis, Maryland
    Annapolis, Maryland

    Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. It has a population of 36,408 , and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River , south of Baltimore and about east of Washington D.C....
    .
  • November 26: Congress reconvenes at Annapolis, in the State House.
1784
  • August 19: Congress adjourns to move to Trenton, New Jersey
    Trenton, New Jersey

    Trenton is the Capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County, New Jersey. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated that the City of Trenton had a population of 82,804....
    .
  • November 1: Congress reconvenes at Trenton, at the French Arms Tavern
    French Arms Tavern

    The French Arms Tavern was a structure in Trenton, New Jersey that served as the capital of the United States and meeting place of the Congress of the Confederation from November 1, 1784 to December 24, 1784....
    .
  • December 24: Congress adjourns to move to New York City
1785 January 11: Congress reconvenes in New York City, first at City Hall, then at Fraunces Tavern
Fraunces Tavern

Fraunces Tavern is a restaurant and museum in lower Manhattan, New York City, housed in a conjectural reconstruction of a building that played a prominent role in pre-American Revolution activities, a tavern owned and run by Samuel Fraunces....
. 1787
  • September 17: Philadelphia Convention
    Philadelphia Convention

    The Philadelphia Convention took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to address problems in governing the United States of America, which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation following independence from Kingdom of Great Britain....
     adjourns after writing the United States Constitution
    United States Constitution

    The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America; the Federal Government of the United States; and all the State & local governments and Territorial Administrative bodies contained therein....
1788
  • July 2: New Hampshire
    New Hampshire

    New Hampshire is a U.S. state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States of America. The state was named after the southern English Counties of England of Hampshire....
     became the ninth state to ratify the US Constitution, thereby allowing for the creation of the new government.
  • July 8: Continental Congress puts the new Constitution into effect by announcing the dates for the elections and the assembly of the new Congress.
1789
  • March 2: Last session of the Continental Congress at Fraunces Tavern
    Fraunces Tavern

    Fraunces Tavern is a restaurant and museum in lower Manhattan, New York City, housed in a conjectural reconstruction of a building that played a prominent role in pre-American Revolution activities, a tavern owned and run by Samuel Fraunces....
     is adjourned sine die
    Adjournment sine die

    Adjournment sine die means "without any future date being designated for resumption" or "indefinitely". It is often used with reference to meetings or when an organised body's existence terminates....
    . Phillip Pell of New York
    New York

    The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
     was the sole member in attendance.
  • March 4: : First session of the 1st United States Congress
    1st United States Congress

    The 1st United States Congress, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, met from March 4, 1789 to March 3, 1791, during the first two years of George Washington's President of the United States, first at Federal Hall at 26 Wall Street in New York City and later at Congress Hall in Philadelphia...
     begins at Federal Hall
    Federal Hall

    Federal Hall, located at 26 Wall Street in New York City, was the first capitol of the United States of America and the site of George Washington's first inauguration in 1789....
    .
  • April 30: George Washington
    George Washington

    George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
     inaugurated as first President of the United States.
  • July 23: Charles Thomson
    Charles Thomson

    File:CharlesThomson.jpgCharles Thomson was a Patriot leader in Philadelphia during the American Revolution and the secretary of the Continental Congress throughout its existence....
     transmitted to President Washington his resignation of the office of Secretary of Congress.
  • July 25: In accordance with President Washington's directions, "the books, records, and papers of the late Congress, the Great Seal of the Federal Union, and the Seal of the Admiralty" were delivered over to Roger Alden, deputy secretary of the new Congress, who had been designated by President Washington as custodian for the time being. This marked the last act of the Continental Congress.


See also

  • Albany Congress
    Albany Congress

    The Albany Congress, also known as the Albany Conference, was a meeting of representatives of seven of the British North American colonies in 1754 ....
  • Stamp Act Congress
    Stamp Act Congress

    The Stamp Act Congress was a meeting in the building that would become Federal Hall in New York City in October of 1765 consisting of delegates from 9 of the 13 colonies that discussed and acted upon the recently passed Stamp Act 1765....


Further reading

  • Smith, Paul H., ed. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789. 26 volumes. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress
    Library of Congress

    The Library of Congress is the de facto national library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and holds the largest number of books....
    , 1976–1998.


External links

  • , September 5, 1774 to March 2, 1789