Second Continental Congress

Second Continental Congress. The assembly of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that convened beginning in 1775 and became the de facto national government during the American Revolutionary War. It managed the colonial war effort, adopted the Declaration of Independence, and drafted the Articles of Confederation. The body's decisions fundamentally transformed the conflict with Great Britain into a struggle for national sovereignty.

Background and convening

The body first gathered in the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775, less than a month after the opening battles of the war at Lexington and Concord. It succeeded the First Continental Congress, which had adjourned the previous October after issuing petitions to King George III and supporting the Continental Association. The outbreak of hostilities rendered the previous appeals obsolete, forcing delegates to confront the immediate tasks of organizing a coordinated war effort and defining political objectives. Key figures from the first congress, including John Adams of Massachusetts and John Dickinson of Pennsylvania, returned, joined by new delegates like Benjamin Franklin and, later, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia.

Key actions and resolutions

One of its earliest and most significant acts was the establishment of the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, and the appointment of George Washington of Virginia as its commander-in-chief. It issued the Olive Branch Petition in a final attempt at reconciliation in July 1775, but also authorized the Invasion of Canada. In 1776, it took decisive steps toward independence, passing the Lee Resolution on July 2 and adopting the Declaration of Independence on July 4, primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson. Throughout the war, it functioned as a central government, negotiating treaties like the Treaty of Alliance with France, issuing Continental currency, and appointing diplomats such as Benjamin Franklin to the court of Louis XVI. It also approved the Model Treaty and drafted the Articles of Confederation, which were finally ratified in 1781.

Leadership and delegates

Leadership was provided by a succession of elected presidents, including John Hancock, who famously signed the Declaration of Independence, and later figures like Henry Laurens and John Jay. The delegates constituted a remarkable collection of political intellect, with factions often divided between radicals like John Adams and Richard Henry Lee, and more conservative members like John Dickinson. Notable participants included Samuel Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Morris, whose financial acumen was critical, and James Madison, who arrived later in the period. The gathering served as a formative political training ground for many future leaders of the early United States.

Relationship with the British government

Initially, many delegates, influenced by petitions like the Olive Branch Petition, sought to restore rights within the British Empire. However, the Proclamation of Rebellion by King George III and the Prohibitory Act of 1775, which declared a naval blockade, hardened attitudes. The publication of Common Sense by Thomas Paine in early 1776 galvanized public opinion toward separation. After declaring independence, all diplomatic ties were severed, and the conflict was pursued as a war between sovereign states, with the body seeking formal recognition and military aid from European powers like France and Spain.

Transition to the Confederation Congress

With the ratification of the Articles of Confederation on March 1, 1781, it formally transformed into the Congress of the Confederation, also known as the Confederation Congress. This transition marked the shift from a provisional revolutionary assembly to a constitutional government, albeit one with limited central powers under the Articles of Confederation. The new congress oversaw the conclusion of the war, the ratification of the Treaty of Paris (1783), and the governance of the nation until the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and the subsequent adoption of the United States Constitution.

2 Category:American Revolutionary War Category:1775 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies Category:1781 disestablishments in the United States