1775 – The Second Continental Congress
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On May 10, 1775 , the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to determine what to do in response to the bloodshed. This meeting had already been scheduled, and John Hancock, the president of the Congress, and Sam Adams had been in Concord preparing for the meeting when the battles occurred. The delegates did not immediately call for independence from England. However, in June 1775, they voted unanimously in favor of George Washington as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army.
Washington was an experienced soldier, a Virginian, and the tallest man in the room. In fact, Dr. Benjamin Rush of Philadelphia once said, “He has so much martial dignity in his deportment that you would distinguish him to be a general and soldier from among 10,000 people” (Ellis, His Excellency 68-69).
Joseph Ellis writes in his book that John Adams once jokingly said that Washington was chosen for the job because he was the tallest man in the room, 6 feet 3 inches tall ( His Excellency 68). Interestingly enough, he was the only delegate to attend the Second Continental Congress in military uniform (Ellis, His Excellency 69).
Beyond appearances, David McCullough insightfully writes that George Washington was chosen as leader of the American army because “without question, Congress had made the right choice, and not the least reason was political. As a Virginian, Washington represented the richest, most populous of the thirteen colonies. He himself had had years of political experience in the Virginia legislature and as a member of the Continental Congress. It was as one of them that the Congress knew him best and respected him, not as a general. He knew the ways of politics and factious politicians. He understood how the system worked” (McCullough , 1776 50).
In October 1775, King George III declared America in rebellion (McCullough, 1776 12). David McCullough writes in his book 1776 that King George “hoped his people in America would see the light …” (11). The British strategy was to work to put down the rebellion and send out olive branches at the same time. Many delegates hoped for reconciliation with the British, but neither of the parties could reach a meeting of the minds. Some individuals in the British Parliament feared that if they gave the American colonies independence, it would lead to the loss of other colonies and the end of the British Empire.
For almost a year, delegates informally discussed whether they should declare colonial independence while they awaited instructions from home to support independence and for a British peace offering. During this time, General George Washington and his Continental Army were fighting to defend their rights as Englishmen in Boston. The British decided to leave Boston to go to New York City to gain control of the Hudson River to close off New England from the rest of the colonies (McCullough, 1776 118).
Drafting the Declaration of Independence
Five men were chosen to serve on that committee: Benjamin Franklin (PA), Thomas Jefferson (VA), John Adams (MA), Robert Livingston (NY), and Roger Sherman (CT).
John Adams, a strong advocate for independence (later nicknamed the “ Atlas of Independence “), chose Thomas Jefferson from Virginia to write the draft of the Declaration of Independence, which was later edited by the committee. Jefferson was a southerner from the largest colony, an eloquent writer, and a passionate supporter of liberty.
Adams wanted to show England that both the northern and southern colonies were united in their desire for independence (McCullough, John Adams 119). Jefferson only remembered that the committee met and unanimously chose him to write the draft (McCullough, John Adams 119). The Declaration of Independence Since Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence, he is considered the primary author of this document.
“To Richard Stockton, one of the new delegates from New Jersey, Adams was ‘the Atlas’ of the hour, ‘the man to whom the country is most indebted for the great measure of independency … He it was who sustained the debate, and by the force of his reasoning demonstrated not only the justice, but the expediency of the measure” (McCullough, John Adams 127).
Learn more about the Founding Fathers at the U.S. National Archives & Records Administration links below:
NARA – US National Archives & Records Administration – NARA Home page – use Search for “Founding Fathers”
America’s Founding Fathers – One of NARA’s references to the Founding Fathers.
Learn more about Thomas Jefferson – Monticello
The Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Ironically, the British had already begun landing troops on Staten Island from some of its 30 warships and 400 transport vessels off the coast of New York (Ellis, His Excellenc y 93).
The Declaration of Independence is important because not only did it declare American independence and list grievances against King George, but it announced for the first time human rights for all people (at least all white men).
“All men are created equal and have the right to their life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Liberty, self-government, the right of rebellion, and revolutionary ideas would be the foundation of a new nation, the United States of America.
The Declaration of Independence was directed personally at King George III, the sovereign. This was most unusual. The delegates made reference to the British Parliament and public, but their sole attention was on their Sovereign’s oppressive acts. The delegates made it expressly clear that King George was acting as a despot and that the colonies, in order to preserve their rights as Englishmen, had to rebel and establish a new nation to secure their liberties.
The English King and Parliament believed that they were operating within the bounds of the British Constitution in taxing the colonists to defend their North American holdings and maintain order in the rebellious Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Q & A
What were the causes of the American Revolution?
Our English Heritage
Like many educated men of their generation, Thomas Jefferson and his fellow delegates were heavily influenced and guided by the ideas of John Locke , a 17th-century English philosopher, who wrote the Second Treatise on Civil Government (1690) The Declaration of Independence
In this treatise, Locke wrote that man has the right to life, liberty, and property and that these rights are unalienable– natural rights or God-given rights that no government can take away.
Locke believed that the purpose of having a government was to protect our basic rights and that power rested with the people and not the King. The idea that our leaders should be accountable and should govern by the consent of the people was revolutionary and in sharp contrast to the current thinking of the day.
Q & A
What was John Locke’s social contract ?
During the 17th century, most nations had absolute monarchs, like King Louis XIV of France, who believed that they were accountable only to God. This idea was known as the Divine Right of Kings Theory-“King by the Grace of God.” Also, some individuals agreed with Thomas Hobbes that the state must be all-powerful to protect against anarchy.
Q & A
Why does Thomas Hobbes believe man is basically evil and that power must remain in the hands of the state?
State Constitutions
On May 10, 1776, the Second Continental Congress asked the colonial assemblies (those presently operating or in hiding) to write new state constitutions in preparation for independence. All new state constitutions were approved by the state legislatures, except Massachusetts which was approved by the people.
Many states not only outlined the structure of their new state governments in their constitutions, but also included a list of protected liberties–a Bill of Rights. Liberty protections like right to life, liberty, property, freedom of speech, press, religion, and rights of the accused were included to limit the power of state officials The Declaration of Independence.
