What caused the 2nd Continental Congress?

The Second Continental Congress was formed in response to Britain’s continued practice of the Coercive Acts. The Battles of Lexington and Concord intensified the need for the Continental Congress to reconvene.

What was the most important responsibility facing the Second Continental Congress?

The most important responsibility of the Second Continental Congress was deciding how the colonies would respond to the calls for independence and providing provisional governance during the Revolutionary War.

What was the Second Continental Congress simple definition?

The definition of the Second Continental Congress is the meeting of delegates from the 13 colonies between 1775 and 1781 to provide provisional governance for the colonies.

What did the Second Continental Congress approve?

The Second Continental Congress approved treaties, the formation of the Continental Army, the appointment of George Washington as Commander, the Declaration of Independence, and the Articles of Confederation.

What was the most significant accomplishment of the Second Continental Congress?

The most significant accomplishment of the Second Continental Congress was the oversight and management that led to the colonies’ victory during the Revolutionary War.

Second Continental Congress: Date & Definition

Second Continental Congress

The Second Continental Congress met several months after the First Continental Congress. It used its authority to create an army, declare war on England, print money, sign treaties, and engage in foreign diplomacy. For more information on the First Continental Congress, check out the StudySmarter article!

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Second Continental Congress Definition

The Second Continental Congress was the formal meeting of delegates from the American colonies to form a provisional government together to make decisions about the war with Britain over American independence.

Definition: “Continental” means that it had delegates from across the continent and “Congress” means a formal meeting between delegates. That’s where the term “Continental Congress” comes from!

Second Continental Congress Significance

The Second Continental Congress was significant because it served as the de facto government during one of the most critical times in early American history. The Congress showed that the colonies could come together in unity to fight off a common enemy and work together to build a new country. After the war, the Second Continental Congress shifted into a new kind of provisional government under the Articles of Confederation until the passage of the US Constitution in 1789.

“De Facto” is a latin term that means “in fact.” Because the colonies couldn’t form an official government (since they weren’t a country yet!), they operated under the de facto governance of the Second Continental Congress.

Second Continental Congress Date

The first meeting of the Second Continental Congress was on May 10, 1775, and remained in operation until 1781 when it shifted to the Congress of the Confederation.

Who Attended the Second Continental Congress?

Twelve out of thirteen colonies began the Second Continental Congress on May 10, 1775. Georgia was absent from the First and Second Continental Congress but decided to join the other colonies by the time they decided to sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Several Founding Fathers were delegates to the Second Continental Congress, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Benjamin Franklin.

Second Continental Congress Summary

Under the First Continental Congress, the colonies still wanted to try to improve their relationship with Britain without going to war. They sent a list of demands, including a reprieve on the excessive taxation, and initiated a boycott of all British goods.

April 19, 1775: Battles of Lexington and Concord

Colonists had been boycotting British goods and stockpiling weapons for several months as Britain doubled down on its Coercive Acts. During the night of April 18, 1775, British troops marched to Concord to seize weapons. This led to Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride, where he and other patriots alerted nearby towns so that the colonists could get ready to meet the troops.

On April 19, 1775 the British troops arrived in Lexington and were confronted by the colonial militiamen. Both sides were ordered not to shoot unless fired upon. The shot that rang out is now known as the infamous “shot heard ‘round the world” since it marked the start of open violence between the two sides. After a chaotic and bloody battle in the two towns, the British troops eventually retreated to safety in Charlestown Neck.

The events at Lexington and Concord made it clear that the Continental Congress needed to be reconvened to help manage the militia and come up with a strategy. So, they decided to meet on May 10, 1775.

Second Continental Congress Painting of the Battles of Lexington and Concord StudySmarter This painting depicts the scene at the Battle of Lexington. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Author, William Barnes Wollen, CC-PD-Mark

June 14, 1775: George Washington and the Continental Army

While the militia had some success at Lexington and Concord, they were outmatched by the British in terms of training, organization, and weaponry. Thus, on June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress voted to create the Continental Army. They appointed George Washington as Commander General because of his previous military experience.

Second Continental Congress An illustration of Washington Appointed Commander in Chief StudySmarter A drawing of Washington accepting the appointment to Commander General. Source: Library of Congress

June 17, 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill

The Battle of Bunker Hill took place during the siege of Boston. While the British succeeded in capturing the hill, it came at a dear price, leaving them depleted and unable to advance or maintain their position.

The Battle of Bunker Hill was important because even though the Americans lost, it showed that they were capable of inflicting much more damage than the British were expecting. The Americans became more organized when George Washington took control of the army two weeks later and improved their strategy as well.

July 8, 1775: The Olive Branch Petition

While conflict had been growing for months, delegates were still divided as to whether they wanted to go to war. Some thought war was inevitable and wanted to fight, while others felt that there was still a chance to avoid war. John Dickinson led the effort to draft an “olive branch” petition as a last-ditch effort to avoid war.

The petition affirmed the colonies’ loyalty to King George and asked for a reprieve from the unjust and oppressive laws under the Coercive Acts. The petition was sent to London on July 8, 1775. However, by the time the King received the petition several weeks later, news of the Battle of Bunker Hill had already reached London, prompting him to issue the Proclamation of Rebellion which rendered the petition a moot point.

August 23, 1775 Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition

King George III’s Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition (or the “Proclamation of Rebellion”) declared that the colonies were in a state of “open and avowed rebellion.” It ordered officials to suppress the rebellion and for British loyalists to report on the activities of the colonies.

The proclamation marked the end of any attempts to negotiate peace with Britain. It also extinguished the efforts of moderates in the Second Continental Congress like John Dickinson who wanted to avoid war.

Second Continental Congress Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion StudySmarter The Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition. Source: Massachusetts History Online

July 4, 1776: Declaration of Independence

Over the coming months, the delegates to the Second Continental Congress worked within their own colonies to gain the authority to make decisions. This ultimately resulted in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, which was signed by the delegates on July 4, 1776.

November 15, 1777: Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation were proposed to provide the framework for the provisional government that the delegates hoped would get the new country through the war. The Articles were signed by the delegates of the Second Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. It became effective on March 1, 1781, after all of the states ratified it. The Articles were ultimately replaced by the Constitution when it was ratified in 1789.

The Articles of Confederation officially named the new country the "United States of America."
It declared the purpose of the confederation to be “a firm league of friendship with each other” with shared goals around defence, liberty, and general welfare.
It gave Congress the authority to declare war and print money.
It gave Congress the authority to request funds from states, but not to tax them..

1781 - 1789: Congress of the Confederation

The Second Continental Congress gave way to the Congress of the Confederation following the ratification of the Articles of Confederation in 1781. Similar to the Second Continental Congress, the delegation from each state had one vote. The Congress of the Confederation marked the shift of Congress from trying to win the war to trying to develop an entirely new country.

The Congress of the Confederation struggled to maintain order and authority. Without a clear threat of war, the states had less incentive to work together. The Congress of the Confederation eventually led to the ratification of the United States Constitution in 1789. Check out the Articles of Confederation article on StudySmarter to learn why the Articles of Confederation needed to be replaced with the constitution!

Second Continental Congress Facts

Below are some facts about the Second Continental Congress! During its tenure from 1775 - 1789, the Second Continental Congress:

Printed money for the colonies
Created the Continental Army
Signed treaties
Engaged in foreign diplomacy with Canada and France
Created land ordinances to manage the desire of certain states to expand westward

Second Continental Congress - Key takeaways

The Second Continental Congress met on May 10, 1775, following the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
After the passage of the Articles of Confederation in 1781, it shifted into becoming the Confederation Congress.
Under the Second Continental Congress, the new country signed the Declaration of Independence, won the war against Britain, passed the Articles of Confederation, and printed its own money.