|
Many of the same delegates that attended the First Continental Congress attended the Second Continental Congress. New delegates included John Hancock and Benjamin Franklin. Thomas Jefferson would replace Peyton Randolph after the first few weeks.
|
|
Only 12 of the 13 colonies had delegates at the first meeting of the Second Continental Congress. Georgia sent delegates after deciding on July 8th, 1775, that they needed to join the American Revolution. The delegates arrived on July 20th, 1775.
|
|
By the time the Second Continental Congress convened the Battles of Lexington and Concord had already occurred in April, marking the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.
|
|
By the time Georgia joined the Second Continental Congress on July 20th, 1775, Congress had already declared independence.
|
|
On June 22nd, 1775 Congress authorized the printing of $1 million - the first American money ever printed.
|
|
A final attempt at reconciliation was sent to Great Britain, to the King of England, on July 8th, 1775. It was called the Olive Branch Petition. The petition was rejected.
|
|
Despite Congress taking on the role of a national government they had no legal right to.
|
|
The Resolution of Independence was passed on July 2nd, 1776.
|
|
The Articles of Confederation were passed by Congress on November 15th, 1777. They were then sent to each state for ratification. This took over three years to accomplish.
|
|
The day after Maryland signed the Articles of Confederation on March 1st, 1781, Congress met as Congress of Confederation.
|
|
The Second Continental Congress met at a variety of locations during its existence. It met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from May 10th, 1775 to December 12th, 1776. It met in Baltimore, Maryland from December 20th, 1776 to March 4th, 1777. It met in Philadelphia from March 5th, 1777 to September 18th, 1777. It met in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on one day only on September 27th, 1777. It met in York, Pennsylvania from September 30th, 1777 to June 27th, 1778. It met in Philadelphia from July 2nd, 1778 until March 1st, 1781.
|
|
The Second Continental Congress was responsible for the Olive Branch Petition, the Committee of Secret Correspondence, the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, the Lee Resolution, the Declaration of Independence, the Model Treaty, the Articles of Confederation, and the Court Appeals in Cases of Capture.
|
