Second Continental Congress

Examples of Second Continental Congress in the following topics:

• The Second Continental Congress

  • During the Revolutionary War, the Second Continental Congress acted as the national government of the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion.
  • The First Congress established that the Second Continental Congress would convene on May 10, 1775.
  • Many of the same 56 delegates present at the First Continental Congress were in attendance at the Second Congress.
  • By the time the Second Continental Congress met, the American Revolutionary War was already underway.
  • The resolution for independence was among the most important accomplishments of the Second Continental Congress.

• The Second Continental Congress

  • The Second Continental Congress was ushered in at the beginning of the Revolution and eventually decided American independence.
  • When the Second Continental Congress came together on May 10, 1775 it was, in effect, a reconvening of the First Continental Congress .
  • By the time the Second Continental Congress met, the American Revolutionary War had already started with the battles of Lexington and Concord.
  • On June 14, 1775, the Congress voted to create the Continental Army out of the militia units around Boston and quickly appointed Congressman George Washington of Virginia as commanding general of the Continental Army.
  • Discuss the role of the Second Continental Congress during the American Revolutionary war

• Pursuing Both War and Peace

  • In the period of uncertainty leading up to the formal declaration of war, the Second Continental Congress attempted to pacify the British and declare allegiance to the Crown, while simultaneously asserting independence and engaging British forces in armed conflict.
  • When the Second Continental Congress convened in May 1775, most delegates supported John Dickinson in his efforts to reconcile with George III of Great Britain.
  • When the petition arrived, it was rejected unseen by King George III, and the Second Continental Congress was dismissed as an illegal assembly of rebels.
  • The Second Continental Congress maintained that they still hoped to avoid a "civil war."
  • The Olive Branch Petition, issued by the Second Congress, was a final attempt at reconciliation with the British.

• The Spreading Conflict

  • When the petition citing grievances was disregarded by King George III, a Second Continental Congress was planned.
  • By the time of the Second Continental Congress, fighting was underway .
  • By the time the Second Continental Congress met, the American Revolutionary War had already started with the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
  • The Assembly Room in Philadelphia's Independence Hall, where the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.
  • Examine how the approach of the Second Continental Congress differed from the First

• The American Military Forces

  • The Second Continental Congress established the Continental Army in June 1775 and elected George Washington as Commander-in-Chief.
  • On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress established the Continental Army, raising 22,000 troops from the Boston area and 5,000 from New York.
  • As the Continental Congress increasingly adopted the responsibilities and posture of a legislature for a sovereign state, the role of the Continental Army was the subject of considerable debate.
  • Congress also created a Continental Navy in 1775.
  • Identify the challenges that the Continental Congress faced in establishing an army.

• Congress of the Confederation

  • The Congress of the Confederation was the governing body of the United States from 1781 to 1789.
  • As the immediate successor to the Second Continental Congress, it referred to itself as the Continental Congress throughout its 8-year history.
  • The Congress of the Confederation opened in the final stages of the American Revolution.
  • The membership of the Second Continental Congress automatically carried over to the Congress of the Confederation when the latter was created through the ratification of the Articles of Confederation.
  • The last meeting of the Continental Congress was held March 2, 1789, 2 days before the Constitutional government assumed power.

• The Declaration of Independence

  • One of the first essential acts of the second Continental Congress, once it determined it would seek independence, was to issue a declaration to King George III confirming its separation.
  • The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire .
  • A committee was assembled to draft the formal declaration, to be ready when congress voted on independence.
  • The Independence Day of the United States of America is celebrated on July 4, the day Congress approved the wording of the Declaration.
  • After ratifying the text on July 4, Congress issued the Declaration of Independence in several forms.

• The First Continental Congress

  • The Congress also called for another Continental Congress in the event that their petition was unsuccessful in halting the enforcement of the Coercive Acts.
  • Their appeal to the Crown had no effect, and so the Second Continental Congress was convened the following year to organize the defense of the colonies at the onset of the American Revolutionary War.
  • On October 26, 1774, the First Continental Congress adjourned.
  • At that point, it became clear that the Continental Congress would have to convene once again.
  • Compare the goals of the various participents in the Continental Congress with the outcomes achieved

• Philadelphia and Saratoga

  • The Capture of Philadelphia was ultimately a setback for the British because it did not lead to the capture of the Continental Congress or end the rebellion.
  • The Philadelphia campaign (1777-1778) was a successful British initiative to gain control of Philadelphia, the seat of the Second Continental Congress.
  • The Continental Congress abandoned Philadelphia, relocating to York, Pennsylvania.
  • The British were quickly defeated at the Battle of Bemis Heights, or the Second Battle of Saratoga, with nearly 900 casualties versus the mere 150 suffered by the Continental Army.
  • General Howe resigned during the occupation of Philadelphia and was replaced by his second-in-command, General Sir Henry Clinton.

• The First Continental Congress

  • The first Continental Congress was held between 1774 and 1775 to discuss the future of the American colonies.
  • The first Continental Congress was influenced by Correspondence Committees.
  • In September, the first Continental Congress, composed of delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies—all except Georgia—met in Philadelphia The assembly adopted what has become to be known as the Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress.
  • By the time the second Congress met, the Revolutionary War had already begun, and the issue of independence, rather than a redress of grievances, dominated the debates.
  • The first Continental Congress met in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia, PA.