The Revolution BeginsIn the early 1770s, more and more colonists became convinced that Parliament intended to take away their freedom. In fact, the Americans saw a pattern of increasing oppression and corruption happening all around the world. Parliament was determined to bring its unruly American subjects to heel. Britain began to prepare for war in early 1775. The first fighting broke out in April in Massachusetts. In August, the King declared the colonists “in a state of open and avowed rebellion.” For the first time, many colonists began to seriously consider cutting ties with Britain. The publication of Thomas Paine’s stirring pamphlet Common Sense in early 1776 lit a fire under this previously unthinkable idea. The movement for independence was now in full swing. Show
Choosing IndependenceThe colonists elected delegates to attend a Continental Congress that eventually became the governing body of the union during the Revolution. Its second meeting convened in Philadelphia in 1775. The delegates to Congress adopted strict rules of secrecy to protect the cause of American liberty and their own lives. In less than a year, most of the delegates abandoned hope of reconciliation with Britain. On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee introduced a resolution “that these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states.” They appointed a Committee of Five to write an announcement explaining the reasons for independence. Thomas Jefferson, who chaired the committee and had established himself as a bold and talented political writer, wrote the first draft. Writing the DeclarationOn June 11, 1776, Jefferson holed up in his Philadelphia boarding house and began to write. He borrowed freely from existing documents like the Virginia Declaration of Rights and incorporated accepted ideals of the Enlightenment. Jefferson later explained that “he was not striving for originality of principal or sentiment.” Instead, he hoped his words served as an “expression of the American mind.” Less than three weeks after he’d begun, he presented his draft to Congress. He was not pleased when Congress “mangled” his composition by cutting and changing much of his carefully chosen wording. He was especially sorry they removed the part blaming King George III for the slave trade, although he knew the time wasn’t right to deal with the issue. Declaring IndependenceOn July 2, 1776, Congress voted to declare independence. Two days later, it ratified the text of the Declaration. John Dunlap, official printer to Congress, worked through the night to set the Declaration in type and print approximately 200 copies. These copies, known as the Dunlap Broadsides, were sent to various committees, assemblies, and commanders of the Continental troops. The Dunlap Broadsides weren’t signed, but John Hancock’s name appears in large type at the bottom. One copy crossed the Atlantic, reaching King George III months later. The official British response scolded the “misguided Americans” and “their extravagant and inadmissable Claim of Independency”. What Does it Say? How Was it Made?  On April 12, 1776, the North Carolina Provincial Congress sitting at Halifax, North Carolina voted to direct its Congressional delegation to vote for independence. This vote today is known as the Halifax Resolves. This would be the first call by any colonial government to its delegates in Philadelphia to vote for independence. On May 4, 1776, the Colony of Rhode Island declared itself free and independent of Great Britain. Though North Carolina was the first colony to direct its delegates to vote for independence, the delegates were not specifically instructed to move the Continental Congress to declare itself independent of Great Britain. The first colony to direct its Congressional Delegation to propose independence from Great Britain was Virginia. Meeting in Williamsburg on May 15, 1776, the Virginia Convention, the provisional revolutionary government which had replaced the Royal government in Virginia, voted without opposition to instruct its delegates in Philadelphia to declare “the United Colonies free and independent states.” Richard Henry Lee, one of Virginia’s delegates, presented a three-part resolution to Congress on June 7, 1776. This motion, known today as Lee’s Resolution, proposed that Congress declare independence from Great Britain. The Resolution also sought to form foreign alliances and prepare a plan of colonial confederation. Lee’s motion was seconded by John Adams. Though the resolution had wide-support in Congress, there was a motion to delay discussion of the resolution for three weeks. One of the many factors that had delayed congressional action was the fact that few delegations had sufficient guidance from their home colonies as to how to vote. In fact, several delegations were under strict orders to vote against independence. It was hoped this period of delay would be utilized by the various delegations to seek guidance from their home governments. The move for independence by the Second Continental Congress would be consolidated in the final weeks of June. On June 14, 1776, the Connecticut Assembly instructed its delegates to support independence. On June 15, 1776, New Hampshire and Delaware authorized its delegates to join the movement to declare the colonies independent. After having Royal Governor William Franklin, the son of Benjamin Franklin, arrested, New Jersey chose new delegates and authorized them on June 21, 1775 to vote for independence. As the movement for independence was gathering strength and it appeared likely independence would be approved, Congress appointed a committee of five delegates to actually draft an official declaration of independence. Though composed of five members, most of the writing of the initial declaration was done by Thomas Jefferson. After waiting for delegations to receive guidance from their home colonies, Congress again considered the question of independence on July 1, 1776. Instead of referring the important question to one particular committee and asking the committee to report back, Congress opted to decide the issue as a committee of the whole body. After debating the issue, Congress voted on the resolution proposed by Virginia. Each colony was given one vote in Congress and delegations voted on the question within their delegations. Nine colonies voted in favor of independence. Pennsylvania and South Carolina voted against declaring independence. The New York delegation had not received guidance from their state as to how to vote and therefore abstained from voting. Delaware was split when one of their delegates voted in favor of independence, one delegate voted against, and the third was absent. On July 2, 1776, Congress again took up the question of independence for a final vote. On this decisive day, only the delegation from New York voted to abstain. South Carolina and Pennsylvania reversed their decision from the day before and voted for independence. Caesar Rodney, the third Delaware delegate, who had not voted on July 1 traveled from Delaware to cast the deciding vote within the Delaware delegation. Rodney’s action added Delaware to the colonies in support of declaring America independent of Great Britain. After voting for independence, Congress turned to the wording of the Declaration of Independence. Congress made a number of changes to the draft written by Thomas Jefferson. On July 4, 1776, the final wording of the Declaration of Independence was approved and the document was forwarded to John Dunlap, a printer, for publication. In the same month, General Howe, who had been forced to abandon Boston in March 1775, returned from Great Britain with the largest British Army ever to land in North America. This army, composed of over 30,000 soldiers, including several thousand Hessians from a number of small German states, began landing on Staten Island. General Washington quickly discovered how difficult it was to defend New York City from an enemy with superior naval and military power. Congress had made the fateful step in July 1776 and declared itself independent of Great Britain. The next seven years would mark America’s struggle on the road to independence. What two steps did the Second Continental Congress take to prepare for war?They established a Continental army and elected George Washington as Commander-in-Chief, but the delegates also drafted the Olive Branch Petition and sent it to King George III in hopes of reaching a peaceful resolution.
What was the first thing the Second Continental Congress did?First and foremost, how would the colonist meet the military threat of the British. It was agreed that a Continental Army would be created. The Congress commissioned George Washington of Virginia to be the supreme commander, who chose to serve without pay.
What actions did the first Second Continental Congress take?From 1774 to 1781, Delegates from the 13 colonies located along the eastern seaboard of British North America met in the First Continental Congress (1774) and the Second Continental Congress (1775–1781) to declare their independence from England, manage the Revolutionary War, and set the groundwork for what would ...
What was the first action made by the Second Continental Congress quizlet?The Second Continental Congress was initially called for the same reason, but once it voted to declare independence it acted as the defacto government of an independent nation. The First Congress started a boycott of British goods and a Second Continental Congress.
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The first step that the second continental congress took in preparation for war was what?
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