This Project Addresses the Colonial and Early American Assemblies, Congresses and Conventions that were instrumental in Shaping the United States. The assignment asks you to look at the specific achievements of various legislative bodies or other assemblies. What do congresses do besides passing laws? How were the various colonial congresses important steps on the road to independence? What did they achieve? What were the achievements of congresses and conventions under the United States after the Revolution?
Background
As the protests against British policies, which had begun in the 1760s, reached a peak with the passing of the Coercive or “Intolerable” Acts in 1774, leaders of the separate colonies realized that a time for concerted action had arrived. From September 5 to October 26, 1774, delegates from every colony except Georgia, which was dealing with other problems on its frontiers, met in Philadelphia in Carpenter's Hall, which was also the seat of the Pennsylvania Congress. The colonial leaders had come to the conclusion that dealing independently with Great Britain would only lead to further oppressive measures such as were in effect in Boston, and they needed to act as a unified body. The difficulty was that the colonies had differing ideas about next steps. Some colonial leaders wanted above all to achieve a reconciliation with the mother country. Others favored varying degrees of separation of legislative functions to curb control of Parliament over colonial affairs. But few were thinking—or at least speaking openly—of outright independence. After several weeks of debate, the Congress issued a declaration of principles and asked for a redress of grievances from the Crown. They agreed to meet again the following year if their pleas were not answered.
By the time the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia in May, 1775, war had broken out with the fighting around Lexington and Concord. Members of the Second Congress included Samuel and John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, and George Washington. While many wanted to avoid an escalation of hostilities, many others began to understand that finding a workable middle ground between submission and full independence would be difficult. In the meantime, Congress had a war to run, which meant raising armies and money and conducting diplomacy with those who might be willing and able to offer assistance.
Thus the Second Continental Congress became the de facto government of the rebelling colonies, who in 1776 became the United States of America, and while they passed the Articles of Confederation in 1778, the Articles did not go into effect until March, 1781, when the war was nearing an end. The Continental Congress governed until that time.
The Articles proved unworkable for many reasons, and by 1787 leaders like Hamilton, Washington and Madison knew that a stronger government was needed to hold the fledgling states together, and the Constitutional Convention was called. On September 17, 1787, the final Constitution was approved and went into effect a year and a half later. Once the Constitution went into effect, the First Congress met in Federal Hall in New York City on from March 4, 1789. The First Congress served during the first two years of the George Washington's first administration.
The Colonial Congresses |
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| This 1754 meeting saw the introduction of Franklin's plan for colonial union, but the time for unity had not yet arrived | The Albany Plan of Union |
| This Congress met in 1765 as to protest the imposition of the first direct tax on the American colonies. | Stamp Act Congress Resolutions |
| The First Continental Congress met in 1774 in protest against the so-called “Intolerable Acts.” At the time, many colonists still sought reconciliation with Great Britain. | Resolves and Other Acts of the First Continental Congress |
The Revolutionary Congresses |
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| The Second Continental Congress convened May 10, 1775, after fighting had started; the major question was whether it was too late for reconciliation. This Congress became the de facto government until the Articles of Confederation were ratified. | |
| With ratification of the Articles of Confederation, the United States had its first formally structured government; however, it was more like a “United Nations of North America” than a real national government. | |
United States Congresses |
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| When it became apparent that the Articles were too weak to sustain a national government, Congress called a convention in Philadelphia for May, 1787, for the purpose of amending the Articles. Instead the Convention wrote the United States Constitution. | |
| Convenes in April, 1789. With James Madison as Washington's floor leader and “right hand man,” the first United States Congress adds teh Bill of Rights to the Constitution. | The First United States Congress |
| The Avalon Project at Yale: Historic Documents, 18th Century | |
Objective
The objective of this project is for you to examine and evaluate the work of two or more of the bodies above. You may stay within one group or mix and match. Base your essay on the original sources as appropriate.
Select from the following tasks the portion you wish to pursue for you project and write a traditional research paper on the subject or assemble resources to be used online in order to address these questions:
A. The Colonial Congresses
B. The Revolutionary Congresses
C. United States Congresses
Resources
Start: The Library of Congress has a collection of documents relating to the work of the Continental Congresses and the Constitutional Convention. Items in the collection include extracts of the journals of Congress, resolutions, proclamations, committee reports, treaties, and early printed versions of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
For additional resources, see: TBA
Updated September 25, 2008