Preface
Introduction
A-Z
Historical timeline
Primary documents: Speech of Lord North in the House of Commons, Upon Presenting the "American Papers" to that Body 7 March 1774; The General Assembly of the Colony of Rhode Island Calls for a "General Congress of Representatives" to Meet, 20 June 1774; John Adams Describes His Journey to the First Continental Congress, August 1774; The First Prayer before the Continental Congress by the Reverend Jacob Duché, 7 September 1774; The "Suffolk Resolves," 9 September 1774; Joseph Galloway's "Plan of Union" with England to Head Off American Independence, 28 September 1774; Pennsylvania Delegate Joseph Galloway's Speech to the Continental Congress, 28 September 1774; Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress, 14 October 1774; The Articles of Association of the Continental Congress, 20 October 1774; Edmund Burke's Speech before the House of Commons on Reconciliation with the Colonies, 22 March 1775: Excerpts; The Speech of Patrick Henry on American Liberty, 23 March 1775; A Massachusetts newspaper reports on the clash at Lexington and Concord, 5 May 1775; A Letter from Frederick North, Lord North, the British Prime Minister, is Received by the Continental Congress, 30 May 1775; Resolves Adopted by Charlotte-Town, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, 31 May 1775; Declaration of the Causes and Necessities of Taking Up Arms, 6 July 1775


[Primary documents continued]: The Olive Branch Petition, 8 July 1775; Draft of the report by the Continental Congress on Lord North's motion for reconciliation with the colonies, 31 July 1775; "A proclamation, by the King, for suppressing rebellion and sedition," 23 August 1775; Resolution of Secrecy Drafted in the Continental Congress, 9 November 1775
The Tory Act, 2 January 1776; Draft of an address of the Continental Congress to the people of the United States, 13 February 1776; A call for a National Union to be drafted by the Continental Congress, as editorialized in The Connecticut Journal, 8 May 1776; Preamble and resolution of the Virginia Convention, 15 May 1776, instructing the Virginia delegates to the Continental Congress to "Propose to that respectable body to declare the united colonies free and independent states"; Resolution introduced in the Continental Congress by Delegate Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, proposing a declaration of independence from Great Britain, 7 June 1776; Letter from the Continental Congress, transmitting, to the states, the proposed articles of confederation, 17 November 1777; The Articles of Confederation, 1 March 1781; King George III of England on "The Loss of Empire," January/February 1783; John Adams Writes to Secretary for Foreign Affairs John Jay on Adams' meeting with King George III, 2 June 1785; Resolution of the General Assembly of Virginia 21 January 1786, calling for a Federal plan for regulating commerce; Report to the Continental Congress, 21 February 1787


Appendix A: Delegates to the Continental Congress, by state
Appendix B: Signers of the Declaration of Independence, by occupation
Appendix C: Signers of the Articles of Confederation, by state
Appendix D: Presidents of the Continental Congress
Appendix E: Places and times of sessions of the Continental Congress
Appendix F: Statistics on the Thirteen Colonies
Bibliography.