Today in History: Second Continental Congress Responds to King George’s Proclamation of Rebellion
On Dec. 6, 1775, the Second Continental Congress responded to King George III’s proclamation of rebellion, reaffirming the colonists’ loyalty to the crown but reasserting their right to resist unconstitutional acts of Parliament. King George issued A...
Today in History: Benjamin Franklin Introduces Plan for American Confederation
On this date in 1775, Benjamin Franklin introduced in the Second Continental Congress a formal plan for a confederation of the American colonies. Franklin introduced his plan, “The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union,” nearly a year before...
Today in History: First Draft of the Articles of Confederation Introduced
On this date in 1776, John Dickinson presented the first draft of the Articles of Confederation to the Continental Congress. Congress began considering a plan for a new government even before declaring independence. On June 7, 1776, following instructions from...