The Second Continental Congress

The second Congress managed the colonial war effort, and moved incrementally to independence, adopting the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
The first continental congress was in october 26,1774 and they agreed to meet again on May 5-1775 this second continental C. was after the battles at Lexington and Concord.
some of the delegates were Samuel Adams-John Adams-Benjamin Franklin-John Hancock-Patrick Henry and George W. they were dicussing what to do about the British Parliament.
Some delegates wanted immediate independence no matter what the cost. Others were still loyal to King  and even though they did not like the British taxation without representation, they wanted to avoid an a war with England.
They wanted to tell King  that they wanted peace. John Dickinson wrote "The Olive Branch Petition" and made suggestions on how to solve the problems. King George would not read it, because in his mind it was an illegal document made by an illegal congress.They made decisions when and where to attack the British and how to protect themselves. And they were 50 members in the Second Continental Congress.
The congress still called itself the Continental Congress. It would be the Confederation Congress that would supervise the conclusion of the American Revolution.

The Common Sense

The Common Sense a book published by Thomas Paine in January of 1776. The book became an instant best-seller both in Europe and in the colonies. It went through several edicions in Philadelphia and was published all through the United States. Because of this book was that Paine became famous. People caleed "The Common Sense" the most influential tract of the American Revolution, and it became one of the most brilliant pamphlets ever written in the English language. The Common Sense had important points that led to the revolutions. First, it said that America had the moral responsability of inmediatly declaring independece, this way being an example to the rest of the world, the book was a guide in the American Declaration of Independence. Paine believed on sovereignty of the people and written constitutions, together with effective checks and balances in government.

Paine is now considered a professional radical  recolutionary propaganist. He was Born in England and worked as a tax collector. Impressed by Paine's abilities Benjamin Franklin, sponsered Paine's immigration to the Americas in 1774. In Philadelphia Paine became a journalist, contributing articles on all subjects to The Pennsylvania Magazine. After the publication of Common Sense, Paine continued to inspire the patriots during the Revolutionary War with a series of pamphlets entitled The American Crisis. Eventually, Paine went on to write The Rights of Man and The Age of Reason.

John Hancock and General Thomas Cage

John Hancock was born on January 12/1737 in Braintree( Quincy) Massachusetts he die on October 8/1793.  He was Graduated in Harvard College as a merchant. He work in the elected Boston Assembly, 1766 it was also a president of the provincial Congress os Massachusetts, also was elected to the Continental Congress in 1774 also was the elected Governor of Massachusetts through 1793. He signed the Declaration of Independence and is the most easily recognizable of all. Hancock served as a governor from 1780 to 1785 and again from 1787 to 1793, although he had many political enemies. 
Many places and things in the united States have been named in honor of Hancock. The U.S Navy has named vessels USS Hancock and USS John Hancock, and a World war 2 liberty ship was also named in his honor 

<---------  John Hancock signature in the Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Gage  was born in 1719 and died in April 2/1787 he was a British General, best known for his many years in the North America service he also was a commander of the American War of Independence. In 1774 he succeeded Hutchinson as a governor of Massachusetts and he occupied The Boston with troops.

I

Setting the Stage for the Quebec Act of 1774

The Administration of Justice and The Quebec Act

The Administration of Justice Act

The Administration of Justice Act was an Act created because of the Parliament worried about the courts on America specially in Massachusetts and the trials given to the to British governors in America. So, in May 20 , 1774 the Parliament passed the Administration of Justice Act, it said that the governor had the right to remove any trial sending it to another colony or to Great Britain. In this case the witness was forced to travel to where the trial was going to be. If jail was needed because the defendant prooved that the crime was really committed while acting in a official capacity, such as suppression of riots. The Administration of Justice Act is considered one of the Intolerable Act or Coercive acts. 


The Quebec Act

Parliament passed The Quebec Act  as a intentioned measure designed to get more taxes and benefit the French living in Canada that had come to British power in The Treaty of Paris in 1763. This law included a new governor and council to be appointed to govern affairs with Quebec. The French civil code was officially recognized for use in Quebec, but English law would continue to prevail in criminal matters. Recognition was also given to the Roman Catholic Church in Quebec; this was an important gesture because Catholics were previously unrecognizable for public office, but now could qualify by making a promise of loyalty to British officials. The Quebec Act was also considered part of the Coercive or Intolerable Acts which were seriously protested by Colonists.

The Boston Tea Party

After boycotting English goods The Townshend Act was repelled almost completly but there was a tax that remained and it was the tax they had in tea. The British East India Company had controlled all tea trading between India and the Colonies. As a result of the tax imposed on tea, the colonies refused to buy the British tea. Instead, they smuggled tea in from Holland. To prevent loses of the The British East India Company, Parliament  aprooved for the company to pass tea directly o the colonies which made tea cheaper (even with tax) that the smuggled Dutch Tea. Coloniest didn't accept this either they thought the Parliament was trying to trick them and make them pay taxes. So ina night of December 16, 1773 a group of Boston Patriots or part of  "The Sons of Liberty" went to the Boston Harbor, dressed as Mohawk Indians and boarded 3 British ships (called the Beaver, the Eleanor and the Dartmouth). They dumped 324 tanks or forty-five tons of tea into the Bosoton Harbor. This action made the crown and Parliament really angry so they decided to pass the Coersive Acts which included the Boston Port Act. The Boston Port Act meant that the harbor should be closed to every ship while the Bostonians payed the damage of the tea to The British East India Company.

Boston Port Act & Massachusetts Goverment Act

The Boston  Port  Act  The Boston port act is an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which became law on March 30, 1774, and is one of the measures  that were designed to secure Great Britain's over the American dominions. A response to the Boston Tea Party, it outlawed the use of the Port of Boston for "landing and discharging, loading or shipping, of goods, wares, and merchandise.

This act closed the harbor until all the tea that was ruined was paid for.

             Massachusetts  Government Act.

Was passed by the Parliament of Great Britain and became a law on May 20, 1774. The act is one of the Intolerable Acts  it was a method of electing such counselors or assistants, to be created with the several powers, authorities, and privileges. This act took away that right and instead gave the king sole power to appoint and dismiss the council also many civil officers were chosen to represent to have a royal Governor. Patriot leaders in Massachusetts responded to the act by creating the Massachusetts Provincial Congress in October 1774, which acted as an independent government in the early stages of the American Revolution.

Townshend Act

The Townhend Act was originated in 1676. It was also created and named after Charles Townshend and passed by the English Parliament little time after the Stamp Act was repealed. It was designed to collect taxes from the Colonist in America by imposing costume duties on imported materials such as glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. John Dickinson, Samuel Adams and others protested about this taxes. Boston merchants started to boycott English goods. In 1768 The Massachusetts Assembly was dissolved for sending a circular letter to other colonies denouncing the Townshend Act, when the Massachusetts Assembly was dissolved  the colony was put under the control of an appointed governer and lost the right of town meetings. British send troops to keep peace but they were involved in unpleasant incidents such as the Boston Massacre, where five members of a mob that attacked the troops guarding the costume office were killed.  All this boycotts decreased British trade and by 1770 most of the acts were repealed.    

Tarring and Feathering

Tarring and feathering & Sons of Liberty

                                                                          Tarring and feathering.

Is a form of punishment which was developed in 12th century in  England. The earliest mention of this punishments occurs in orders of Richard I of England, this started in  the Holy Land in 1189.This punishment was composed victim was stripped it was  painted with hot tar, and then covered in feathers which stuck to the tar.  This hot tar on bare skin could cause painful and efforts to remove it usually resulted in to pulling out the hairs. The Tarring and feathering was a barbaric practice  and, sadly. The practice was occasionally very violent and resulted in death.

Sons of Liberty

In Boston in early 1765. The sons of liberty was  a political group made by the  American Patriots. This group was formed to protect the rights of the colonist of the British government. In December 1773, the Sons of Liberty distributed a declaration in New York City called the "Association of the Sons of Liberty in New York", which formally stated their opposition to the Tea Act. Sons of Liberty raised was a combination of general outrage against the Stamp Act. This also have a flag called  the rebellious stripes flag with nine vertical stripes (five red and four white).