Continental Congress

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The Second Continental Congress in Voting for Independence, by Robert Edge Pine

The Continental Congress ( English Continental Congress ) consisted of the delegates of the 13 colonies of North America , who wanted to fight against restrictions on the freedom of American citizens. Since the Congress met between 1774 and 1789, its founding preceded the War of Independence . There were two continental congresses.

First continental congress

The first Continental Congress met from September 5, 1774 to October 26, 1774 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . It adopted measures against the Einquartierungsgesetz and there were letters directly to George III. written to bypass the UK Parliament . The main topics of this congress were a declaration of solidarity from all colonies and the imposition of a one-year export and import ban on Great Britain. An important advisor was the later second President of the United States , John Adams ; Virginia's representative was George Washington .

Second continental congress

The second continental congress existed from May 10, 1775 to March 2, 1789. It met at different locations. From 1775 Congress prepared the American Revolution against England. A continental army and its own currency , the continental dollar, were created .

On July 4, 1776, of was Thomas Jefferson wrote Declaration of Independence presented. The first to sign was John Hancock , President of the Continental Congress .

Confederation Congress

After the ratification of the articles of confederation on March 1, 1781, the name of the congress was until March 2, 1789 also Confederation Congress ( Congress of the Confederation , formally also United States in Congress Assembled ). The successor to the Second Continental Congress, the 1st United States Congress , met between March 4, 1789 and March 3, 1791. It resided at Federal Hall in New York City until August 12, 1790 and from December 6th 1790 in Independence Hall , Philadelphia .

List of meetings

Sessions of the 2nd Continental Congress
date place
May 10, 1775 - December 12, 1776 Philadelphia , Pennsylvania
December 20, 1776 - March 4, 1777 Baltimore , Maryland
March 5, 1777 - September 18, 1777 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
September 27, 1777 (only one day) Lancaster , Pennsylvania
September 30, 1777 - June 27, 1778 York , Pennsylvania
July 2, 1778 - June 21, 1783 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
June 30, 1783 - November 4, 1783 Princeton , New Jersey
November 26, 1783 - August 13, 1784 Annapolis , Maryland
November 1, 1784 - December 24, 1784  Trenton , New Jersey
January 11, 1785 - November 4, 1785 New York City , New York
November 7, 1785 - November 3, 1786 New York City, New York
November 6, 1786 - October 30, 1787 New York City, New York
November 5, 1787 - October 21, 1788 New York City, New York
November 3, 1788 - March 2, 1789 New York City, New York

List of presidents

Presidents of the Continental Congresses
Surname State / colony Age Beginning The End
Peyton Randolph Virginia 53 September 5, 1774 October 22, 1774
Henry Middleton South carolina 57 October 22, 1774 October 26, 1774
Peyton Randolph Virginia 54 May 10, 1775 May 24, 1775
John Hancock Massachusetts 38 May 24, 1775 October 29, 1777
Henry Laurens South carolina 53 November 1, 1777 December 9, 1778
John Jay new York 32 December 10, 1778 September 28, 1779
Samuel Huntington Connecticut 48 September 28, 1779 July 10, 1781
Thomas McKean Delaware 47 July 10, 1781 November 5, 1781
John Hanson Maryland 66 November 5, 1781 November 4, 1782
Elias Boudinot New Jersey 42 November 4, 1782 November 3, 1783
Thomas Mifflin Pennsylvania 39 November 3, 1783 June 3, 1784
Richard Henry Lee Virginia 52 November 30, 1784 November 4, 1785
John Hancock Massachusetts 48 November 23, 1785 June 5, 1786
Nathaniel Gorham Massachusetts 48 June 6, 1786 November 3, 1786
Arthur St. Clair Pennsylvania 52 February 2, 1787 November 4, 1787
Cyrus Griffin Virginia 39 January 22, 1788 November 15, 1788

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