Why is the Second Continental Congress important?

The Second Continental Congress took place in Philadelphia in the summer of 1775 after the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. The Congress succeeded in officially putting the colonies in a state of defence by May, 1776.

It was the Second Continental Congress that adopted the Lee Resolution. The Lee Resolution declared independence from Britain on July 2, 1776. By the time these developments took place, the Congress ensured that all the thirteen colonies were well represented. The Continental Army was established to represent the thirteen states and George Washington was elected as the Commander-in-Chief.

The issuing of the Declaration of Independence was the most important step taken by the Congress; they believed that it was high time they took matters into their own hands as the time for negotiations was long over. This decision however, was in part also motivated by the necessity to secure foreign allies to assist with the war effort against Britain.

Thomas Jefferson composed the first draft of the Declaration. It was later edited by other delegates before producing the final version. The final draft of the Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776.

Picture Credit : Google

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *