Moving Towards Independence Chapter 5 Sect 4

 May 10, 1775  Philadelphia  Candidates from all 13 colonies Second Continental Congress

 Delegates include  John and Samuel Adams  Patrick Henry  Richard Henry Lee  George Washington  *Ben Franklin  *John Hancock  *Thomas Jefferson Second Continental Congress

Franklin…err not this Franklin

Benjamin Franklin  One of the most accomplished members of the PA legislature  Acted as a colonial spokesman in London

John Hancock  38 years old  One of the wealthiest Colonists  Chosen as president of the Second Continental Congress

Thomas Jefferson  Only 32 years old  Brilliant thinker and writer  Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses

 The second continental congress began to govern the colonies  Printed its own money, starts its own post office  Created the Continental Army; the army needed a commander The Congress becomes a Government

 On John Adams recommendation, George Washington was unanimously chosen  Washington had more military experience than any other American  He offered to serve without pay

 What things did the 2nd Continental Congress do?

 What does the Olive Branch Represent? The Olive Branch Petition

 After Washington left to take charge of the Patriot forces, the colonies allowed Britain one last chance to avoid all out war  Petition- or formal request  Called for peace and acknowledgement of the Colonists’ rights  George III refused to receive the petition and hired 30,000 German troops The Olive Branch Petition

Americans vs. British  Washington  Very old and the very young  Highly motivated  Poorly trained  No leadership  No organization  No discipline  Sir William Howe  Hired soldiers  German mercenaries  Highly trained  Motivated by money only  Fighting on foreign territory

 British were said to attack New York  Patriots leave Fort Ticonderoga and attack Montreal first  Led by Benedict Arnold, the attack failed and the Patriot forces retreat to Quebec

 Benedict Arnold  Was rich, now in debt  Doubted they would win against the British  For what reason would we call people today Benedict Arnold?

 Thomas Paine wrote a novel, Common Sense  He stated that it was “common sense” to break away from the “royal brute” King George III Moving Towards Independence

 It was ridiculous for an island to rule a continent.  America was not a "British nation"; it was composed of influences and peoples from all of Europe,  Even if Britain was the "mother country" of America, that made her actions all the more horrendous, for no mother would harm her children so brutally."mother country" her actions  Being a part of Britain would drag America into unnecessary European wars, and keep it from the international commerce at which America excelled. European wars  The distance between the two nations made the governing the colonies from England unwieldy. If some wrong were to be petitioned to Parliament, it would take a year before the colonies received a response.Parliament  The New World was discovered shortly after the Reformation. The Puritans believed that God wanted to give them a safe haven from the persecution of British rule.New WorldReformationPuritanssafe haven  Britain ruled the colonies for its own benefit, and did not consider the best interests of the colonists in governing them.own benefit Paine's Arguments against British rule