The Second Continental Congress

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The Second Continental Congress

• 1775-1776

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• May 10, 1775
• Philadelphia
• British had not yielded to colonial demands and
  protests from the First Continental Congress
• Three distinct groups present with opinions as to
  how to deal with the British

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Radicals

• Preferred to call themselves Patriots
• Argued for revolution and a final break with
  England
• Other colonists called them zealots of anarchy
  and dictators of sedition
• Led by John Adams, Sam Adams, and Richard Henry
  Lee
• Pushed for a Declaration of Independence

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Tories

• Opposed the radicals
• Also known as Loyalists
• Continually sought reconciliation with England
  and argued against separation
• Had proposed plans for the colonies to be
  represented as an inferior and distinctive
  branch of the British Parliament but were voted
  down

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Moderates

• Some wanted independence but not at the expense
  of a bloody revolution
• Middle of the road people who were eventually
  convinced by the Radicals that independence was
  the best course

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Related Events

• May 10,1775- Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain
  Boys capture Ft. Ticonderoga in New York
• June 16,1775- Washington named the commander in
  chief of the Continental Army

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Battle of Bunker Hill

• June 17,1775- colonist occupy Breeds Hill in
  Boston
• British 3,000 troops vs. American 1,500 troops
• British victory with 1,000 casualties to American
  400
• General Clinton-a dear brought victory, another
  such would have ruined us
• General Gage- the rebels are not the despicable
  rabble too many supposed them to be

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Powers of the 2nd Continental Congress

• Acted like an independent government
• Issued paper money to pay the army
• Named a Committee to deal with foreign countries
• Established a postal department headed by Ben
  Franklin
• Organized a Committee to deal with the Indian
  tribes
• Created a navy

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The Olive Branch Petition

• Many Americans were still loyal to King George
  III
• Blamed the problems on Parliament and the Kings
  ministers
• July 8,1775- sent a petition to George urging a
  return to the former harmony that had existed
  between Britain and the colonies before 1763
• George refused to read the petition

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King Georges Proclamation

• A general rebellion existed throughout all of
  North America, not just Massachusetts, and
  Britain would use whatever measures to suppress
  the rebellion and bring all the traitors to
  justice
• Parliament adopted a similar resolution and
  ordered a blockade of the American coastline

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Common Sense

• January, 1776- 47 page pamphlet
• Thomas Paine attacked King George in particular
  and monarchy in general
• Declared for Americans to proclaim an independent
  republic
• Argued practical advantages for independence
• Sold some 500,000 copies
• Influenced public opinion in favor of
  independence within six months a formal
  Declaration of Independence

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Movement toward Independence

• May,1776- advised all colonies to form new state
  governments
• June 7, 1776- Richard Henry Lee made a motion
  that these United Colonies are, and of a right
  ought to be, free and independent States
• While debate on the resolution went a committee
  was established to prepare a formal declaration

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The Committee of Five

• Thomas Jefferson (Va.), John Adams(Ma.), Ben
  Franklin(Pa.), Robert Livingston(NY.) and Roger
  Sherman(Ct.)
• Explain to the world the reasons for the colonies
  actions
• Nothing about slavery or women in the document
• Jefferson stated many ideas of the Enlightenment,
  in particular John Locke.
• The document was an expression of the American
  mind
• all men are created equal- free citizens were
  politically equal- each had one vote of equal
  weight