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The Second Continental Congress
1775 – 1781
Historical session: May 10, 1775 – March 1, 1781
Meeting place: Assembly Room, Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
(Under exigent circumstances, Congress also met elsewhere—see “VI. Location Changes.”)
Context: Unless otherwise noted, all dates on this page are in the year 1775–1781.
“These United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States.” — Richard Henry Lee
Overview
The Second Continental Congress did not adopt a permanent institutional seal for itself; beginning in 1776 it appointed committees to devise a seal for the United States, work that culminated in the Great Seal adopted in 1782. Delegates from all thirteen colonies met to manage the war effort, negotiate with foreign powers, and address the practical needs of a budding nation. During this period, Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, appointed military leadership, and drafted the Articles of Confederation, while maintaining its foundation in the people’s right to deliberate and act collectively. By exercising authority derived from voluntary representation, it embodied the principle of civic self-governance.
I. Lead-Up (April–May 1775)
I.1. Battles of Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775).News of the fighting accelerated the convening of deputies already called to meet in May.
I.2. Siege of Boston & colonial mobilization.Militias besieged Boston; provincial congresses and arms preparations created the immediate context for national coordination.
II. Convening & Officers (May 10, 1775)
II.1. Opening.Congress convened May 10, 1775, in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall) with deputies from the thirteen colonies.
II.2. Presidents of Congress.Peyton Randolph (Virginia) presided initially in May 1775. John Hancock (Massachusetts) was elected May 24, 1775, and served prominently during the early war period. (Several others later held the presidency—see V.1.)
II.3. Secretary.Charles Thomson was elected at the first meeting and served as long-term secretary and custodian of the journals.
II.4. Rules of procedure.Congress relied on committees as principal working bodies, preserved plenary debate, and recorded votes in the Journals while gradually assuming de facto national functions (military direction, finance, foreign correspondence). 13 colonies ultimately participated.
III. Delegates
John Sullivan
Josiah Bartlett
John Langdon
William Whipple
John Adams
Samuel Adams
John Hancock
Robert Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry
Stephen Hopkins
William Ellery
Roger Sherman
Silas Deane
Samuel Huntington
Oliver Wolcott
William Williams
William Livingston
John De Hart
Abraham Clark
Jonathan Dickinson Sergeant
John Witherspoon
Richard Stockton
James Kinsey
John Alsop
Simon Boerum
George Clinton
Francis Lewis
Lewis Morris
Philip Livingston
Robert R. Livingston
James Duane
William Floyd
John Jay
Henry Wisner
John Dickinson
Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Mifflin
James Wilson
George Ross
Charles Humphreys
Robert Morris
John Morton
Thomas McKean
George Read
Caesar Rodney
Samuel Chase
Thomas Johnson
William Paca
Matthew Tilghman
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Thomas Stone
Robert Goldsborough
Peyton Randolph
Richard Henry Lee
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Jefferson
George Wythe
Thomas Nelson Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Joseph Hewes
William Hooper
John Penn
Edward Rutledge
Thomas Lynch Jr.
John Rutledge
Thomas Heyward Jr.
Arthur Middleton
Lyman Hall
Button Gwinnett
George Walton
IV. Key Actions & Documents
IV.1. Continental Army established — June 14, 1775.Unified colonial military force created.
IV.2. Washington appointed Commander-in-Chief — June 15, 1775.
IV.3. Olive Branch Petition — adopted July 5, 1775.Final appeal to King George III; ultimately rejected.
IV.4. Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms — July 6, 1775.
IV.5. Continental Navy & Marines — October–November 1775.Authorizations laid early naval foundations.
IV.6. Lee Resolution (for independence) — introduced June 7, 1776; adopted July 2, 1776. (Corrected)
IV.7. Committee of Five & draft Declaration — June 11–28, 1776.Thomas Jefferson (principal drafter), John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston.
IV.8. Declaration of Independence — adopted July 4, 1776.Engrossed copy signed beginning August 2, 1776.
IV.9. Articles of Confederation — adopted November 15, 1777; took effect March 1, 1781.
IV.10. Franco-American Treaties — February 1778.Treaty of Amity & Commerce and Treaty of Alliance secured crucial French support.
V. Committees, Roles & Internal Structure
V.1. Permanent officers (across the term).Presidents of Congress included Peyton Randolph (initial), John Hancock, Henry Laurens, John Jay, Samuel Huntington.Secretary: Charles Thomson (continuous).Treasury/Finance: Michael Hillegas (Treasurer) and finance committees.
V.2. Standing & special committees (illustrative).Committee of Secret Correspondence (foreign affairs)Committee on Military AffairsCommittee of Five (Declaration)Committee on the Treasury/FinanceMarine CommitteeCommittees drafted texts, conducted negotiations, and reported to the plenary for debate and vote.
V.3. Notable drafters & envoys.Thomas Jefferson (Declaration principal drafter)John Dickinson (conciliatory petitions; confederation drafts)Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane, Arthur Lee (European diplomacy)
V.4. Administrative & record roles.President (presiding), Secretary (Thomson), clerks, committee chairs, envoys—roles that foreshadow later institutional offices (Archivist, Communications, Clerk).
VI. Location Changes (safety & exigency)
VI.1. Baltimore (Henry Fite’s House): Dec 20, 1776 – Feb 27, 1777.
VI.2. Lancaster & York, Pennsylvania: Briefly in Lancaster (Sept 27, 1777), then in York during the British occupation of Philadelphia.
VII. Practical & Legal Significance
VII.1. De facto national government.Raised armies, issued currency, commissioned diplomacy, and directed war policy before a formal constitution took effect.
VII.2. Constitutional & archival legacy.The Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, wartime correspondence, treaties, and the Journals form primary evidence of the transition from colonies to an independent nation.
VIII. Preservation (Archival Template)
Title: Declaration of Independence (adopted July 4, 1776)
Committee/Drafters: Committee of Five — Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston
Adoption date/place: July 4, 1776; Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall), Philadelphia
Summary/Significance: Declared the united colonies free and independent states; foundational act of national sovereignty.
IX. Quick Reference — Key Dates
Apr 19, 1775 — Lexington & Concord (hostilities begin)
May 10, 1775 — Congress convenes at Pennsylvania State House
Jun 14, 1775 — Continental Army established
Jun 15, 1775 — Washington appointed Commander-in-Chief
Jul 5, 1775 — Olive Branch Petition adopted
Jul 6, 1775 — Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms
Jun 7, 1776 — Lee Resolution introduced
Jul 2, 1776 — Lee Resolution adopted (independence)
Jul 4, 1776 — Declaration of Independence adopted
Nov 15, 1777 — Articles of Confederation adopted (sent to states)
Feb 1778 — Franco-American treaties signed
Mar 1, 1781 — Articles take effect; Congress of the Confederation begins
X. Sources & Primary References (for citation)
Journals of the Continental Congress (Library of Congress / National Archives)National Archives — Declaration of Independence (text & transcriptions)Avalon Project (Yale Law School) — Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms; treatiesFounders Online; American Archives; Papers of the Founding FathersMount Vernon / Library of Congress — Washington’s appointment (June 15, 1775)