1. Continental Congress

2. First Continental Congress
Philadelphia - September 5 to October 26, 1774
Delegates from all of the colonies, except Georgia, were there
Some were loyalists – some patriots
All were upset with how they were being treated by the King
3 objectives:
Create a statement of colonial rights
identify how the British parliament was violating these rights
Devise a plan for Britain to restore those rights
Boycott all British goods
Agreed to meet again in May 1775 if Great Britain did not change their policies

3. Battle of Lexington and Concord
April 1775
Shot ‘heard round the world
The war has begun
You will be reading two accounts of the Battle of Lexington and Concord and answering questions with a partner.

4. Second Continental Congress
May 10, 1775
Reconvened most of the original 56 delegates – Georgia came later
June 14, agreed to raise a continental army and appointed George Washington commander-in-chief
July 6, approved a Declaration of Causes outlining the rationale and necessity for taking up arms in the Thirteen Colonies
July 8, Congress extended the Olive Branch Petition to the British Crown as a final attempt at reconciliation. However, it was received too late to do any good.

5. Second Continental Congress
Issued money, distributed funds, assigned ambassadors, signed treaties
Could not collect taxes, so they had to ask/request money from the colonies
Had to gather support from the colonial governments to declare independence
July 4, 1776 – the Declaration of Independence was signed

6. Influences – Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine – Common Sense pamphlet – Jan 1776
He declared, “I am not induced by motives of pride, party, or resentment to espouse the doctrine of separation and independence; I am clearly, positively, and conscientiously persuaded that it is the true interest of this continent to be so.”
denounced the monarchy and argued that people are born into a state of equality
There are no natural rulers among men
Suggested a representative government
Gave reasons why they should break away from England
Gave all profits to the revolutionary cause

7. Influences – John Locke
Belief in Natural Rights – rights given to man by God
Life, liberty, and property

8. Activity – Declaration of Independence
Open your textbooks to pg 60-64
Read the Declaration of Independence and answer the following questions:
1. What ideas about government does Thomas Jefferson
express in the Declaration of Independence?
2. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson said that
government should protect people’s rights. Why do you
think the protection of rights was so important to
Jefferson’s ideas about government?

9. 3. What rights does Jefferson mention in the Declaration of
Independence? What does each of these rights mean?
Jefferson said that these rights were “unalienable.” What
does this mean?
4. What contradictions do you see between the ideas in the
Declaration of Independence and slavery, which existed
in America at the time?

10. 5. How do you think people made sense of these
contradictions?
6. Do you see any contradictions in what people today
believe and what they do? Explain.