Reading in a single sitting 一口气读完这段历史

The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution. The Congress met from 1774 to 1789 in three incarnations . The first call for a convention was made over issues of mounting taxation without representation in Parliament and because of the British blockade. Though at first somewhat divided on issues concerning independence and a break from Crown rule, the new Congress would come to issue a Declaration of Independence and a Constitution, and proclaim the name United States of America as the name of the new nation. It would establish a Continental Army and also have to endure a war with Britain, before fruition of an independent Constitutional government was fully realized among the American colonies.

The First Continental Congress, which met briefly in Carpenter' s Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from September 5, to October 26, in 1774 and consisted of fifty-six delegates from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies that would become the United States of America. The delegates which included George Washington, then a Colonel of the Virginia volunteers, Patrick Henry, and John Adams, were elected by their respective colonial assemblies.

All of the colonies sent their delegates except Georgia, who had its own troubles and needed the protection of British soldiers. Most of the delegates were not yet ready to break away from Great Britain, but they wanted the British King and Parliament to act more fairly. In response to the Intolerable Acts passed by the British Parliament in 1774, the delegates organized an economic boycott of Great Britain in protest and petitioned the King for a redress of grievances. The colonies were united in their effort to demonstrate their authority to Great Britain by virtue of their common causes and through their unity, but their ultimate objectives were not consistent. Pennsylvania and New York had sent delegates with firm instructions to pursue a resolution with England. While the other colonies all held the idea of colonial rights as paramount they were split between those who sought legislative equality with Britain and those who instead favored independence and a break from the Crown and its excesses. On October 26, 1774 the First Continental Congress adjourned but agreed to reconvene in May 1775 if Parliament still did not address their grievances. In London, Parliament debated the merits of meeting the demands made by the colonies however it took no official notice of Congress' s petitions and addresses. On November 30, 1774, King George III opens Parliament with a speech condemning Massachusetts and the Suffolk Resolves. At that point it became clear that the Continental Congress would have to convene once again.

By the time the Second Continental Congress met on May 10, 1775 in Philadelphia, the Battles of Lexington and Concord had already begun in April, and while delegates were still making their way to Philadelphia, which marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. John Hancock from Massachusetts was elected president of the assembly. Congress issued a petition entitled "The Declaration of Rights and Grievances" to King George III, the King of Great Britain. The Delegates adopted a strategy where the colonies would prepare for war while the Congress continued to pursue reconciliation . On July 8 the Congress adopted a petition to the King in the hopes that he would intervene in Parliament on behalf of the colonies. A former governor of Pennsylvania was chosen to carry another petition, approved in July 1775, to London and present it to the king himself but the king refused to meet him. On August 23 he issued a proclamation declaring the colonies to be in a state of "open and avowed rebellion." Moderates in the Congress still hoped that the colonies could be reconciled with Great Britain, but a movement towards independence steadily gained ground. On June 17 the Battle of Bunker Hill energized the Patriots; Congress established the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as commander-in-chief in June 1775. On July 4, 1776 Congress issued a Declaration of Independence, ending all American efforts at reconciliation. Congress designed a new government in the Articles of Confederation, which operated as the nation' s constitution.

第一届大陆会议通过了《权利宣言》，要求英国政府取消对殖民地的各种经济限制和5项高压法令；重申不经殖民地人民同意不得向殖民地征税，要求殖民地实行自治，撤走英国驻军。如果英国不接受这些要求，北美殖民地将从12月1日起抵制英货，同时禁止将任何商品输往英国。第二届大陆会议在费城召开。在反英革命战争业已开始的情况下，大陆会议从性质上来说，已发展为国家政权组织，开始起着常设的中央政府的作用。会议于1775年6月15日通过组织大陆军和任命华盛顿为总司令的决议。1776年7月4日，通过杰斐逊起草的《独立宣言》。该宣言宣称“一切人生而平等”，宣布脱离英国而独立。

Key Words in History 历史关键词

1. Declaration of Independence 独立宣言

The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire. Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration is a formal explanation of why Congress had voted on July 2 to declare independence from Great Britain, more than a year after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. The birthday of the United States of America-Independence Day-is celebrated on July 4, the day the wording of the Declaration was approved by Congress.

The Declaration justified the independence of the United States by listing colonial grievances against King George III, and by asserting certain natural rights, including a right of revolution. Having served its original purpose in announcing independence, the text of the Declaration was initially ignored after the American Revolution. Its stature grew over the years, particularly the second sentence, a sweeping statement of individual human rights:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

This sentence has been called "one of the best-known sentences in the English language" and "the most potent and consequential words in American history".

2. George Washington 乔治·华盛顿

George Washington (February 22, 1732-December 14, 1799) was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in 1775-1783, and he presided over the writing of the Constitution in 1787. The unanimous choice to serve as the first President of the United States (1789-1797), Washington presided over the creation of a strong, well-financed national government that stayed neutral in the wars raging in Europe, suppressed rebellion and won acceptance among Americans of all types. His leadership style established many forms and rituals of government that have been used ever since, such as using a cabinet system and delivering an inaugural address. Washington is universally regarded as the "Father of his country".

Washington had a vision of a great and powerful nation that would be built on republican lines using federal power. He sought to use the national government to improve the infrastructure, open the western lands, promote commerce, found a permanent capital, reduce regional tensions and promote a spirit of nationalism. "The name of American", he said, must override any local attachments.

Background Knowledge 背景知识补充

北美的独立运动有两个原因：新英格兰商人要求对外贸易的自由，和以弗吉尼亚为首的南方种植园主对西部的土地要求。最初的反抗源于新英格兰商人们反对英国国会的无端加税，英国殖民当局对此处理不当，最后不得不驻军波士顿。到了1774年，驻军达11个团。这时幕后指挥波士顿人民反抗英国殖民当局的塞缪尔·亚当斯觉得单靠波士顿和马萨诸塞的力量已无法应付了，有必要召开北美所有殖民地参加的会议来讨论当前的局势。在塞缪尔的倡议下，马萨诸塞议会通过决议，决定召开北美各殖民地的代表大会，并由议会的通信委员会出面通知各殖民地议会。决议在6月17日通过后，马萨诸塞的英国总督盖奇解散了议会。稍早一些，弗吉尼亚的英国总督反对民选议会，解散了弗吉尼亚议会。被解散的弗吉尼亚议会在威廉斯堡开会，5月27日，通过了召开有13个殖民地参加的会议的决议。在马萨诸塞和弗吉尼亚的号召下，除乔治亚以外的12个北美殖民地的56位代表于1774年9月5日，在费城召开了第一届大陆会议。这是一次美国革命的群英会。马萨诸塞的代表有塞缪尔·亚当斯，塞缪尔的堂弟、美国政治学的奠基人、第二任总统约翰·亚当斯，代表团长约翰·汉考克等人。弗吉尼亚派出了乔治·华盛顿、派屈克·亨利、理查德·亨利·李和代表团长佩顿·伦道夫等人。佩顿·伦道夫当选为会议主席，约翰·亚当斯在会上最活跃，是会议的灵魂人物。第一届大陆会议向英国递交了请愿书，要求取消对各殖民地的强硬措施。会议还通过了与英国断绝贸易关系的决议和由约翰·亚当斯起草的《权利宣言》。 18WKTW3loHuTA4L+LW29z9dHsCvXgGbEzXmc2T4kVIo9t21kVN9aJAfFc2WijWD4