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Second Continental Congress and the Events of 1775

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Second Continental Congress and the Events of 1775

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petitioned (again) the king for redress of grievances and assured him of the colonists' loyalty

King George III spoke to Parliament in October of 1775, stating that the Americans were seeking independence

Lord Dunmore offered freedom to slaves who fled British lines; this alienated white planters

December: king signs the Prohibitory Act

put American shipping on the same status as that of enemy nations

put colonists outside his protection

negotiated with German princes to help put down the American "rebellion"

drove the Americans toward the independence that the king sought to prevent

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Continental Congress begins to accept Paine's logic

on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress affirmed Thomas Jefferson's declaration that "all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

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stated that the moment had arrived to create a new republic

published Common Sense in January of 1776

captured popular sentiments

stated that monarchy was a fundamentally corrupt form of government

declared that it was high time Americans established an independent republic

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ordinary farmers relied on the ideas of John Locke to justify how they were taking arms against the British:

all people possessed certain rights and it was the responsibility of the government to protect those rights

when the government did not do so, it no longer merited obedience

Churches began proclaiming that it was the congregation's duty to take arms against the "King's Soldiers"

war had begun between provincial and regular soldiers at Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775)

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British navy bombed Boston

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met in Philadelphia

included the most respected leaders from the colonies

hoped to resolve the imperial crisis without further violence

the Association

ordered a universal boycott of British goods

established committees who would punish those not abiding to the boycott

the committees become the infrastructure for the revolution

communicated through newspapers

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played a key role in in the success of non-importation movement

women gave up buying tea if their husbands would stop drinking ("The Ladies" of Newport, Rhode Island)

carried subscriptions lists from door to door

made homespun cloth to replace British textiles and sought alternatives to imported tea

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Crown officials lost control over the New England countryside

armed insurgency terrorized anyone who defended British policy

militia units began preparing for an armed confrontation with General Thomas Gage's troops

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(known in Britain as the Coercive Acts)

closed Boston Harbor (Port Act)

nullified Massachusetts Charter of 1691; instituted a new government with greater royal control (Massachusetts Government act)

allowed royal officials accused of committing felonies while executing their offices in Mass. to be tried in England (Administration of Justice Act)

Quartering Act: facilitated housing troops where they could be used against colonial civilians

General Thomas Gage, as governor of Mass, essentially puts the colony under military rule

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the amount of tea dumped into the harbor that night was worth roughly $1 million dollars in today's currency

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Time: December 16,1773; Night
Victims: East India Company (and ~46 tons of tea)
Perpetrators: angry colonists dressed as Native Americans

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the Revolution may have been avoided prior to 1773

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colonists made it clear that they were prepared to sacrifice personal comfort to preserve their liberties

organized boycotts of goods manufactured in Britain

turned personal acts (like buying tea) into public testimony of defense

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Most Notably: Tea Act of 1773

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passed the same day the Stamp Act was repealed

stated that Parliament had authority to legislate for Americans in "all cases whatsoever"

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repealed the Stamp Act in 1766

made it clear that they wouldn't compromise with the colonists again

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refused to purchase stamps and protested in the streets

urban mobs forces stamp collectors to resign

those who violated the Stamp Act were put on trial in Admiralty Courts

colonists believed that their rights to trial by jury were being violated

Stamp Act Congress

delegates from nine colonies met in New York in October of 1765

passed resolutions asserting their rights and petitioned the king and Parliament for redress of their grievances

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taxed almost all printed materials including legal documents, newspapers, and diplomas

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taxed molasses trade (imports)

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The colonists had already made sizeable contributions to the war effort and didn't see why they had to produce new funds

They were also irked by the fact that they were being "represented" by men they hadn't even elected

believed a legislator couldn't represent people who did not choose him

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Britain decides that they should tax the colonists instead of the citizens living in Britain

British citizens had already paid taxes to support the war

Britain thought the colonists should pay for their own defense

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Lasted from 1756-1763