Colonial.

Intercolonial.

COMMITTEES OF CORRESPONDENCE-1772

In 1772 the king struck another blow at Massachusetts, and indirectly at all the colonies, by ordering that thenceforth the salaries of the judges should be paid by the crown instead of by the colonial government. As this would virtually make the judiciary the tool of the king, the opposition of the colonists to this scheme was prompt and spirited. The refusal of Governor Hutchinson to convene the General Court to discuss this measure led the Boston town meeting, at the suggestion of Samuel Adams, to appoint a committee to correspond with the various towns of the colony relative to this and other violations of colonial rights, and to seek advice as to the best way of preserving their liberties. Other towns speedily followed Boston in establishing committees of correspondence, and so well did these committees do their work that in a few weeks the towns of the old colony were bound together by a stronger tie than they had ever before known.

The success of these committees in awakening the towns to the danger threatening them, led, through the influence of Virginia, ably seconded by Massachusetts, to the forming of intercolonial committees of correspondence in most of the colonies. These intercolonial committees served the same purpose among the colonies that the town committees served among the towns. By this means all the colonies were kept informed of what was going on in each of the other colonies, and all the colonies were brought into closer touch with each other than ever before.

PROVINCIAL CONGRESS OF MASSACHUSETTS-1774

Regulating

Owing to the continued efforts of England to rule The the colonies arbitrarily, the people of Massachusetts Act organized a Provincial Congress in 1774 with John Hancock as president. It met. first at Salem, and then adjourned to Concord. A committee of safety was appointed which was directed to collect military stores, organize the militia, and be prepared to act on the defensive the moment England should attempt to enforce the Regulating Act. This Act if enforced would deprive Massachusetts of her charter. It also forbade the people of Massachusetts to assemble in town meeting except for the election of officers, and vested the appointment and payment of all officers and judges in the hands of the crown.

FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS-1774

tion of

Rights

Colonial relations with the mother country grew Declaramore and more acute, and, in accordance with a request of the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts, another assemblage, called the First Continental Congress, met at Philadelphia on September 5, 1774. The fifty-five delegates present represented all the colonies except Georgia. Peyton Randolph of Virginia was elected president. The Congress took the following action, each colony being entitled to one vote:

(1) It issued a Declaration of Rights, in which the colonists claimed that,

Spirit of the

Colonists.

Declara

tion of personal and of national Political

Rights.

(a) by the laws of nature.

(b) by the principles of the English constitution, and

(c) by the several charters or compacts, they
were entitled to certain rights, among
which they named the following:

(1) The right to life, liberty, and property.
(2) The right to levy their own taxes.
(3) The right to make their own laws.
(4) The right to trial by jury.

(5) The right to assemble peaceably to
discuss their grievances, and to peti-

tion for redress.

(2) It issued addresses to the king and to the people of Great Britain and Canada.

(3) It recommended the suspension of all commercial relations with Great Britain until England should redress their grievances.

(4) It made provision for holding another congress, if necessary, at Philadelphia in the following May.

The growing determination of the colonists to secure absolute self-government is seen in the fact that, while in the Stamp Act Congress they demanded the right to levy their own taxes, in the First Continental Congress nine years later they demanded the right to make their own laws.

SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS-1775

During the spring of 1775 England attempted to compel the colonies to submit to her authority, and, in accordance with the suggestion of the congress held in 1774, another congress, called the

Second Continental Congress, convened at Phila-
delphia on May 10, 1775. All the colonies except
Georgia were represented, and on all questions each
colony was entitled to one vote. John Hancock of
Massachusetts was chosen president. Meeting, as
it did, just after the British attack on the colonists
at Lexington and Concord, this Congress by common
consent assumed control of colonial affairs, and,
with occasional adjournments, continued in session
until the articles of Confederation went into effect
in 1781. The following action was taken:

(1) A final petition was sent to the king.
(2) The American Continental Army was organized,
and George Washington was chosen its com-
mander-in-chief.

(3) Steps were taken to meet the expenses of the
war by issuing bills of credit in the name of
"The United Colonies of America."

(4) The colonies were urged to organize state governments, pending the settlement of their difficulties with England.

(5) A treasury department and a general post-office
department were established.

(6) The Declaration of Independence was issued.
(7) The Articles of Confederation were formulated
and recommended for adoption.

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE-1776

tee to Formulate.

Early in 1776 the question of separation from the Commitmother country began to be discussed, and on June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee, a delegate from Virginia, submitted to the Congress a resolution

SIGNING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

declaring the independence of the colonies. On June 10 the resolution was adopted, and a committee was appointed to draft a declaration of independence consisting of:

Thomas Jefferson of Virginia,
John Adams of Massachusetts,
Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania,
Roger Sherman of Connecticut, and
Robert R. Livingston of New York.

The Declaration, prepared by Thomas Jefferson, was formally adopted by the Congress on July 4, 1776, and "The United States of America" took its place among the nations of the earth.

It certainly is not without significance that the