In the American Revolution , committees of correspondence , committees of inspection , also known as committees of observation and committees of safety , were different local committees of Patriots that became a shadow government ; they took control of the Thirteen Colonies away from royal officials, who became increasingly helpless.
107-590: Richard Bland (May 6, 1710 – October 26, 1776), sometimes referred to as Richard Bland II or Richard Bland of Jordan's Point , was an American Founding Father , planter , lawyer and politician from Virginia. A cousin and early mentor of Thomas Jefferson , Bland served 34 years in the Virginia General Assembly , and with John Robinson and this man's cousin Peyton Randolph as one of the most influential and productive burgesses during
214-714: A Virginian, but an American!". The delegates then began with a discussion of the Suffolk Resolves , which had just been approved at a town meeting in Milton, Massachusetts . Joseph Warren, chairman of the Resolves drafting committee, had dispatched Paul Revere to deliver signed copies to the Congress in Philadelphia. The Resolves called for the ouster of British officials, a trade embargo of British goods, and
321-630: A Williamsburg street on October 26, 1776, and died later that evening at the house of John Tazewell. On November 7, he was buried in the family cemetery at Jordan's Point in Prince George County. Bland owned an extensive library for his time, much of which was acquired after his death by Jefferson and his nephew-in-law St. George Tucker , and made its way to the Library of Congress as part of Jefferson's personal library donation in 1815. Virginia's Bland County and Richard Bland College ,
428-559: A begrudging 34–32 vote. The Constitution officially took effect on March 4, 1789 (235 years ago) ( 1789-03-04 ) , when the House and Senate met for their first sessions. On April 30, Washington was sworn in as the nation's first president. Ten amendments, known collectively as the United States Bill of Rights , were ratified on December 15, 1791. Because the delegates were sworn to secrecy, Madison's notes on
535-538: A committee to draft rules for governing the military, thus establishing the Continental Army . The next day, Samuel and John Adams nominated Washington as commander-in-chief, a motion that was unanimously approved. Two days later, on June 17, the militias clashed with British forces at Bunker Hill , a victory for Britain but a costly one. The Congress's actions came despite the divide between conservatives who still hoped for reconciliation with England and at
642-486: A constitutional lawyer and later a U.S. congressman , delivered an address, "Founders of the Republic", in which he connected the concepts of founders and fathers, saying: "It is well for us to remember certain human aspects of the founders of the republic. Let me first refer to the fact that these fathers of the republic were for the most part young men." The National Archives has identified three founding documents as
749-470: A cross-section of 18th-century American leadership. The vast majority were well-educated and prosperous, and all were prominent in their respective states with over 70 percent (40 delegates) serving in the Congress when the convention was proposed. Many delegates were late to arrive, and after eleven days' delay, a quorum was finally present on May 25 to elect Washington, the nation's most trusted figure, as convention president. Four days later, on May 29,
856-405: A judiciary. The lower house was to be elected by the people, with seats apportioned by state population. The upper house would be chosen by the lower house from delegates nominated by state legislatures. The executive, who would have veto power over legislation, would be elected by the Congress, which could overrule state laws. While the plan exceeded the convention's objective of merely amending
963-673: A new form in 1773 with Parliament's adoption of the Tea Act . The new tea tax, along with stricter customs enforcement, was not well-received across the colonies, particularly in Massachusetts. On December 16, 1773, 150 colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded ships in Boston and dumped 342 chests of tea into the city's harbor , a protest that came to be known as the Boston Tea Party . Orchestrated by Samuel Adams and
1070-434: A peacetime army of 2600 men. He also favored the creation of a navy that could repel any European intruders. He approached Henry Knox, who accompanied Washington during most of his campaigns, with the prospect of becoming the future Secretary of War. After Washington's final victory at the surrender at Yorktown on October 19, 1781, more than a year passed before official negotiations for peace commenced. The Treaty of Paris
1177-1035: A plantation there in 1620, calling it "Beggar's Bush," which later became better known as "Jordan's Journey." Richard Bland I had seven children by his first wife, Mary Swann (d.1700), the daughter of councillor Thomas Swann , but none survived their mother. His parents had married in 1702, and Elizabeth had borne two daughters before this boy's birth, and would bear another daughter and son, Theodorick (b. 1718). His sisters all married burgesses: Mary Bland (b.1703) married Capt. Henry Lee I , Elizabeth Bland (b.1706) married William Beverley and Anna Bland (b.1711) married Robert Munford . Both his parents died just before his tenth birthday in 1720. His mother died on January 22 and his father on April 6. His uncles, William and Richard Randolph, looked after his farm and early education and raised, as guardians, Richard and his siblings. Bland became close friends with his first cousin, Peyton Randolph , that would last throughout their lives, often sitting side by side during their years of service in
SECTION 10
#17327726133611284-520: A younger Josiah Quincy III , "I ought not to object to your Reverence for your Fathers as you call them ... but to tell you a very great secret ... I have no reason to believe We were better than you are." He also wrote, "Don't call me, ... Father ... [or] Founder ... These titles belong to no man, but to the American people in general." In Thomas Jefferson 's second inaugural address in 1805 , he referred to those who first came to
1391-600: Is also a founding document. As a result, signers of three key documents are generally considered to be Founding Fathers of the United States: Declaration of Independence (DI), Articles of Confederation (AC), and U.S. Constitution (USC). The following table provides a list of these signers, some of whom signed more than one document. The 55 delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention are referred to as framers. Of these,
1498-536: The Articles of Confederation , which was adopted in 1781 as the nation's first constitution. Historians have come to recognize others as founders, such as Revolutionary War military leaders as well as participants in developments leading up to the war, including prominent writers, orators, and other men and women who contributed to cause. Since the 19th century, the Founding Fathers have shifted from
1605-632: The Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775. George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River was a major American victory over Hessian forces at the Battle of Trenton and greatly boosted American morale. The Battle of Saratoga and the Siege of Yorktown , which primarily ended the fighting between American and British, were also pivotal events during the war. The 1783 Treaty of Paris marked
1712-518: The Connecticut (or Great) Compromise . Sherman's proposal called for a House of Representatives elected proportionally and a Senate where all states would have the same number of seats. On July 16, the compromise was approved by the narrowest of margins, 5 states to 4. The proceedings left most delegates with reservations. Several went home early in protest, believing the convention was overstepping its authority. Others were concerned about
1819-835: The Continental Association . Hundreds of committees of inspection were formed following the First Continental Congress's declaration of the Continental Association, a boycott of British goods, in October 1774. In New York City, it was called the Committee of Observation or Committee of Sixty . The focus of the committees was initially on enforcing the Non-importation Agreements, which aimed to hinder
1926-654: The Declaration of Independence . It was presented to the Congress by the Committee on June 28, and after much debate and editing of the document, on July 2, 1776, Congress passed the Lee Resolution , which declared the United Colonies independent from Great Britain. Two days later, on July 4, the Declaration of Independence was adopted. The name "United States of America", which first appeared in
2033-642: The Republican National Convention of 1916 . Harding later repeated the phrase at his March 4, 1921, inauguration . While U.S. presidents used the terms "founders" and "fathers" in their speeches throughout much of the early 20th century, it was another 60 years before Harding's phrase would be used again during the inaugural ceremonies. Ronald Reagan referred to "Founding Fathers" at both his first inauguration on January 20, 1981 , and his second on January 20, 1985 . In 1811, responding to praise for his generation, John Adams wrote to
2140-690: The Second Continental Congress due to his age in August 1775, two months after the creation of the Continental Army . However, he remained active in Virginia politics and helped draft a constitution for the newly-formed state in June 1776. Bland was named to Virginia's House of Delegates when it was formed in October 1776, the same month as his death. Born on May 6, 1710, to Elizabeth Randolph (1680–1720) (daughter of William Randolph ),
2247-709: The United States of America , and crafted a framework of government for the new nation. The Founding Fathers include those who signed the United States Declaration of Independence , the Articles of Confederation , the United States Constitution and other founding documents; it can also be applied to military personnel who fought in the American Revolution. The single person most identified as "Father" of
SECTION 20
#17327726133612354-868: The junior college of the College of William & Mary, are named in his honor. Founding Fathers of the United States The Founding Fathers of the United States , often simply referred to as the Founding Fathers or the Founders , were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies , oversaw the War of Independence from Great Britain , established
2461-603: The provincial assemblies or congresses ." Committees of Safety were a later outcome of the committees of correspondence. Committees of safety were executive bodies that governed during adjournments of, were created by, and derived their authority from, provincial assemblies or congresses , like those of the New York Provincial Congress . The Committees of safety were emergency panels of leading citizens, who passed laws, handed down regulations, enacted statutes, and did other fundamental business prior to
2568-535: The " Charters of Freedom ": Declaration of Independence, United States Constitution , and Bill of Rights . According to the Archives, these documents "have secured the rights of the American people for nearly two and a half centuries and are considered instrumental to the founding and philosophy of the United States." In addition, as the nation's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union
2675-688: The "Committee of Correspondence, Inspection, and Safety" to be elected annually by the towns. Committees of correspondence were public functionaries, and first existed in England, created by the parliamentary party of the 17th century in their struggles with the Stuarts . In 1763, when the English government attempted to enforce the trade and navigation acts on the American colonies after the Peace of Paris,
2782-475: The 16 listed below did not sign the document. Three refused, while the remainder left early, either in protest of the proceedings or for personal reasons. Nevertheless, some sources regard all framers as founders, including those who did not sign: (*) Randolph, Mason, and Gerry were the only three present at the Constitution's adoption who refused to sign. In addition to the signers and Framers of
2889-449: The American cause, and meted out punishments they deemed appropriate to the crimes. By mid-1775 the committees increasingly busied themselves with identifying, denouncing, and shunning political offenders. By demanding that enemies receive "civil excommunication" – the chilling words of a North Carolina committee – these groups silenced critics without sparking the kind of bloodbath that has characterized so many other insurgencies throughout
2996-401: The Articles, most delegates were willing to abandon their original mandate in favor of crafting a new form of government. Discussions of the Virginia resolutions continued into mid-June, when William Paterson of New Jersey presented an alternative proposal. The New Jersey Plan retained most of the Articles' provisions, including a one-house legislature and equal power for the states. One of
3103-580: The Boston Committee of Correspondence , the protest was viewed as treasonous by British authorities. In response, Parliament passed the Coercive or Intolerable Acts , a series of punitive laws that closed Boston's port and placed the colony under direct control of the British government. These measures stirred unrest throughout the colonies, which felt Parliament had overreached its authority and
3210-507: The College of William & Mary. When the Stamp Act created controversy throughout the colonies, Richard Bland thought through the entire issue of parliamentary laws as opposed to those that originated in the colonial assemblies. While others, particularly James Otis , get more credit for the idea of " no taxation without representation ", the full argument for this position seems to come from Bland. In early 1766, he wrote An Inquiry into
3317-618: The Congress of the Confederation, which forwarded the document to the states for ratification. In November, Pennsylvania's legislature convened the first of the conventions. Before it could vote, Delaware became the first state to ratify, approving the Constitution on December 7 by a 30–0 margin. Pennsylvania followed suit five days later, splitting its vote 46–23. Despite unanimous votes in New Jersey and Georgia, several key states appeared to be leaning against ratification because of
Richard Bland - Misplaced Pages Continue
3424-559: The Congress would take over the army being formed in Boston. In answer to the first question, on June 9 the colony's leaders were directed to choose a council to govern within the spirit of the colony's charter. As for the second, Congress spent several days discussing plans for guiding the forces of all thirteen colonies. Finally, on June 14 Congress approved provisioning the New England militias, agreed to send ten companies of riflemen from other colonies as reinforcements, and appointed
3531-472: The Declaration of Independence in July 1776 and the passage of individual state constitutions. As they assumed power to govern, however, they generally chose to observe rough legal procedures, warning and shaming enemies rather than killing them. Two examples of the rough legal proceedings were forced public confessions and apologies for slander or more violently, roughing up an individual for voting against giving
3638-619: The Declaration, was formally approved by the Congress on September 9, 1776. In an effort to get this important document promptly into the public realm John Hancock , president of the Second Continental Congress, commissioned John Dunlap , editor and printer of the Pennsylvania Packet , to print 200 broadside copies of the Declaration, which came to be known as the Dunlap broadsides . Printing commenced
3745-578: The First Congress with many of the same delegates in attendance. Among the new arrivals were Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, John Hancock of Massachusetts, and in June, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. Hancock was elected president two weeks into the session when Peyton Randolph was recalled to Virginia to preside over the House of Burgesses as speaker, and Jefferson was named to replace him in
3852-609: The Founding Fathers were of English ancestry, though many had family roots extending across various regions of the British Isles , including Scotland , Wales , and Ireland . Additionally, some traced their lineage back to the early Dutch settlers of New York ( New Netherland ) during the colonial era, while others were descendants of French Huguenots who settled in the colonies, escaping religious persecution in France . Historian Richard Morris' selection of seven key founders
3959-507: The French and was almost entirely responsible for securing an alliance with them a few months after the start of the war, was greeted with high honors from the French council, while the others received due accommodations but were generally considered to be amateur negotiators. Communications between Britain and France were largely effected through Franklin and Lord Shelburne who was on good terms with Franklin. Franklin, Adams and Jay understood
4066-758: The House of Burgesses, the Committee of Safety , and the First and Second Continental Congresses. Another of Richard's and Peyton's first cousins, Jane Randolph Jefferson , had a son Thomas Jefferson who followed his cousins and mentors to the House of Burgesses and the Continental Congresses. Richard attended the College of William & Mary and, like many of his time, completed his education in Scotland at Edinburgh University . He studied law and
4173-612: The Intolerable Acts, British Army commander-in-chief Lieutenant General Thomas Gage was installed as governor of Massachusetts. In January 1775, Gage's superior, Lord Dartmouth, ordered the general to arrest those responsible for the Tea Party and to seize the munitions that had been stockpiled by militia forces outside of Boston. The letter took several months to reach Gage, who acted immediately by sending out 700 army regulars . During their march to Lexington and Concord on
4280-521: The New World as "forefathers". At his 1825 inauguration , John Quincy Adams called the U.S. Constitution "the work of our forefathers" and expressed his gratitude to "founders of the Union". In July of the following year, John Quincy Adams , in an executive order upon the deaths of his father John Adams and Jefferson, who died on the same day, paid tribute to them as both "Fathers" and "Founders of
4387-513: The Republic". These terms were used in the U.S. throughout the 19th century, from the inaugurations of Martin Van Buren and James Polk in 1837 and 1845 , to Abraham Lincoln 's Cooper Union speech in 1860 and his Gettysburg Address in 1863, and up to William McKinley 's first inauguration in 1897. At a 1902 celebration of Washington's Birthday in Brooklyn , James M. Beck ,
Richard Bland - Misplaced Pages Continue
4494-612: The Rights of the British Colonies, which was published in Williamsburg and reprinted in England. Bland's Inquiry examines the relationship of the king, parliament, and the colonies. While he concludes that the colonies were subject to the crown and that colonists should enjoy the rights of Englishmen , he questions the presumption that total authority and government came through parliament and its laws. Jefferson described
4601-425: The United States is George Washington , a general in the American Revolution and the 1st President of the United States. In 1973, historian Richard B. Morris identified seven figures as key founders, based on what he called the "triple tests" of leadership, longevity, and statesmanship: John Adams , Benjamin Franklin , Alexander Hamilton , John Jay , Thomas Jefferson , James Madison , and Washington. Most of
4708-493: The United States. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison served as the first four presidents; Adams and Jefferson were the nation's first two vice presidents; Jay was the nation's first chief justice ; Hamilton was the first secretary of the treasury ; Jefferson was the first secretary of state ; and Franklin was America's most senior diplomat from the start of the Revolutionary War through its conclusion with
4815-723: The Virginia Burgesses sent Bland to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia . Some of the views expressed in An Inquiry into the Rights of the British Colonies found their way into the first session of the Congress and were included in the Declaration of Rights . Bland was elected to the Second Continental Congress, serving until August 12, 1775, when he declined another term because of his age. In 1775, as revolution neared in Virginia,
4922-527: The Virginia Convention replaced the Burgesses and the council as a form of ad-hoc government. That year he met with the Burgesses and with the three sessions of the convention. In March 1775, after Patrick Henry 's " Give me liberty, or give me death! " speech, he was still opposed to taking up arms. He believed that reconciliation with England was still possible and desirable. Nevertheless, he
5029-402: The Virginia House of Burgesses, where he served successive terms until it was suppressed during the American Revolution . Bland's thoughtful work made him one of its leaders, although he was not a strong speaker. He frequently served on committees whose role was to negotiate or frame laws and treaties. Sometimes described as a bookish scholar as well as farmer, Bland read law and was admitted to
5136-402: The Virginia bar in 1746. He did not practice before the courts but collected legal documents and became known for his expertise in Virginia and British history and law. Bland often published pamphlets (frequently anonymously), as well as letters. His first widely distributed public paper came as a result of the Parson's Cause , which was a debate from 1759 to 1760 over the established church and
5243-442: The Virginia colony in 1654 after the death of his older brother Edward Bland , in order to manage the family's mercantile and shipping enterprises in Virginia. The eldest Theodorick established Berkeley Plantation and Westover Plantation on the James River, as well as the Bland house in Jamestown (the preceding colonial capitol), and served several terms in the House of Burgesses and was its speaker in 1660. He married Anna Bennett,
5350-433: The Virginia delegation. After adopting the rules of debate from the previous year and reinforcing its emphasis on secrecy, the Congress turned to its foremost concern, the defense of the colonies. The provincial assembly in Massachusetts, which had declared the colony's governorship vacant, reached out to the Congress for direction on two matters: whether the assembly could assume the powers of civil government and whether
5457-468: The colonial leaders advised the merchants to hold meetings and appoint committees to memorialize the legislature and correspond with each other to forward a union of interests. This was done in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York 1763–64. On November 21, 1772, a town meeting at Faneuil Hall in Boston , appointed a correspondence committee of 21 to communicate with other Massachusetts towns concerning infringements of popular rights. Until late in 1774,
SECTION 50
#17327726133615564-487: The colonies to enforce the boycott. The Declaration and its boycott directly challenged Parliament's right to govern in the Americas, bolstering the view of King George III and his administration under Lord North that the colonies were in a state of rebellion. Lord Dartmouth , the secretary of state for the colonies who had been sympathetic to the Americans, condemned the newly established Congress for what he considered its illegal formation and actions. In tandem with
5671-480: The committee remained the real executive body of Boston and largely of the province. The Boston committee, by legal town meeting, was made the executive of Boston. Under its direction the tea was thrown into the harbor , and the Tea Act of 1773 roused the remaining colonies: Georgia in September, Maryland and Delaware in October, North Carolina in December, New York and New Jersey in February, chose legislative committees of correspondence. New municipalities later joined
5778-454: The committees was at once enormously extended; almost every town, city, or county had one. In the middle and southern colonies the committees were empowered, by the terms of their appointment, to elect deputies to meet with those of other committees, to consult on measures for the public good. Resolution 11, passed by the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia , established Committees of Inspection in every county, city, and town to enforce
5885-433: The concept of them as demigods who created the modern nation-state, to take into account their inability to address issues such as slavery and the debt owed after the American Revolutionary War. Scholars emphasize that the Founding Fathers' accomplishments and shortcomings be viewed within the context of their time. The phrase "Founding Fathers" was first used by U.S. Senator Warren G. Harding in his keynote speech at
5992-426: The concerns of the French at this uncertain juncture and, using that to their advantage, in the final sessions of negotiations convinced both the French and the British that American independence was in their best interests. Under the Articles of Confederation, the Congress of the Confederation had no power to collect taxes, regulate commerce, pay the national debt, conduct diplomatic relations, or effectively manage
6099-402: The convention adopted a rule of secrecy, a controversial decision but a common practice that allowed delegates to speak freely. Immediately following the secrecy vote, Virginia governor Edmund Randolph introduced the Virginia Plan , fifteen resolutions written by Madison and his colleagues proposing a government of three branches: a single executive, a bicameral (two-house) legislature, and
6206-413: The daughter of Virginia Governor Richard Bennett , who bore three sons: Theodorick Jr., Richard I (this man's father), and John. As his family's second son in an age of primogeniture, Richard Bland I moved further upstream on the James River and started his own plantation, on land his father had purchased in 1656, and which became located in Prince George County, Virginia . Samuel Jordan had established
6313-416: The day after the Declaration was adopted. They were distributed throughout the 13 colonies/states with copies sent to General Washington and his troops at New York with a directive that it be read aloud. Copies were also sent to Britain and other points in Europe. While the colonists were fighting the British to gain independence their newly formed government, with its Articles of Confederation, were put to
6420-449: The delegates turned to an even more contentious issue, legislative representation. Larger states favored proportional representation based on population, while smaller states wanted each state to have the same number of legislators. By mid-July, the debates between the large-state and small-state factions had reached an impasse. With the convention on the verge of collapse, Roger Sherman of Connecticut introduced what became known as
6527-407: The economy, politics, morality, and militia of their individual communities. In North Carolina in December 1776, they came under the control of a more powerful central authority, the Council of Safety. Eighteen years later, at the height of the French Revolution , France was ruled by its own Committee of Public Safety . The French revolutionaries were familiar with the American struggle — for them,
SECTION 60
#17327726133616634-510: The first state convention meeting of 1776, Richard Bland declined a re-election to the Third Continental Congress, citing his age and health. However, he played an active role in the remaining conventions. He served on the committee which drafted Virginia's first constitution in 1776. When the House of Delegates for the new state government was elected, he was one of the members. Bland married three times, and survived all his wives. His first wife, Anne Poythress (December 13, 1712 – April 9, 1758),
6741-409: The formation of a militia throughout the colonies. Despite the radical nature of the resolves, on September 17 the Congress passed them in their entirety in exchange for assurances that Massachusetts' colonists would do nothing to provoke war. The delegates then approved a series of measures, including a Petition to the King in an appeal for peace and a Declaration and Resolves which introduced
6848-446: The founding documents and one of the seven notable leaders previously mentioned— John Jay —the following are regarded as founders based on their contributions to the creation and early development of the new nation: Historians have come to recognize the roles women played in the nation's early development, using the term "Founding Mothers". Among the women honored in this respect are: The following men and women are also recognized for
6955-775: The guidance it provided during the armed struggle. Its authority remained ill-defined, and few of its delegates realized that events would soon lead them to decide policies that ultimately established a "new power among the nations". In the process the Congress performed many experiments in government before an adequate Constitution evolved. The First Continental Congress convened at Philadelphia's Carpenter's Hall on September 5, 1774. The Congress, which had no legal authority to raise taxes or call on colonial militias, consisted of 56 delegates, including George Washington of Virginia; John Adams and Samuel Adams of Massachusetts; John Jay of New York; John Dickinson of Pennsylvania; and Roger Sherman of Connecticut. Peyton Randolph of Virginia
7062-454: The idea that it would be subject to the authority of the British Empire. By 1774, however, letters published in colonial newspapers , mostly by anonymous writers, began asserting the need for a "Congress" to represent all Americans, one that would have equal status with British authority. The Continental Congress was convened to deal with a series of pressing issues the colonies were facing with Britain. Its delegates were men considered to be
7169-448: The ideas of natural law and natural rights, foreshadowing some of the principles found in the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights . The declaration asserted the rights of colonists and outlined Parliament's abuses of power. Proposed by Richard Henry Lee , it also included a trade boycott known as the Continental Association . The Association, a crucial step toward unification, empowered committees of correspondence throughout
7276-400: The import of British manufactured goods. However, as the revolutionary crisis continued, the committees rapidly took on greater powers, filling the vacuum left by the colonial governments; the committees began to collect taxes and recruit soldiers. Kathleen Burk writes, "It is significant that the Committees believed that they derived their authority from the Continental Congress, not from
7383-422: The kind and rate of taxes used to pay the Anglican clergy. His pamphlet A Letter to the Clergy on the Two-penny Act was printed in 1760, as he opposed increasing pay and the creation of a bishop for the colonies. An early critic of slavery , though a slaveholder, Bland stated "under English government all men are born free", which prompted considerable debate with John Camm , a professor at Bland's alma mater,
7490-460: The lack of a Bill of Rights safeguarding individual liberties. Even Madison, the Constitution's chief architect, was dissatisfied, particularly over equal representation in the Senate and the failure to grant Congress the power to veto state legislation. Misgivings aside, a final draft was approved overwhelmingly on September 17, with 11 states in favor and New York unable to vote since it had only one delegate remaining, Hamilton. Rhode Island, which
7597-407: The language used in developing the U.S. Constitution. The Federalist Papers , which advocated the ratification of the Constitution , were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and Jay. George Washington was commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and later president of the Constitutional Convention . Each of these men held additional important roles in the early government of
7704-537: The last quarter century of the colonial period. In 1766, Bland wrote an influential pamphlet, An Inquiry into the Rights of the British Colonies , questioning the right of the British Parliament to impose taxes on colonists without their consent. He later served in the First Continental Congress where he signed the Continental Association , a trade embargo adopted in October 1774 in opposition to Parliament's so-called Intolerable Acts . Bland retired from
7811-667: The morning of April 19, 1775, the British troops encountered militia forces, who had been warned the night before by Paul Revere and another messenger on horseback, William Dawes . Even though it is unknown who fired the first shot, the Revolutionary War began. On May 10, 1775, less than three weeks after the Battles at Lexington and Concord, the Second Continental Congress convened in the Pennsylvania State House . The gathering essentially reconstituted
7918-485: The most intelligent and thoughtful among the colonialists. In the wake of the Intolerable Acts , at the hands of an unyielding British King and Parliament, the colonies were forced to choose between either totally submitting to arbitrary Parliamentary authority or resorting to unified armed resistance. The new Congress functioned as the directing body in declaring a great war and was sanctioned only by reason of
8025-761: The movement, including several in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and New York City. After the Boston Port Bill came into effect the Boston committee invited those of eight other towns to meet in Faneuil Hall, and the meeting sent circulars to the other colonies recommending suspension of trade with Great Britain, while the legislative committee was directed by the House to send copies of the Port Bill to other colonies, and call attention to it as an attempt to suppress American liberty. The organization of
8132-463: The ninth state to ratify, making the Constitution the law of the land. Virginia followed suit four days later, and New York did the same in late July. After North Carolina's assent in November, another year-and-a-half would pass before the 13th state would weigh in. Facing trade sanctions and the possibility of being forced out of the union, Rhode Island approved the Constitution on May 29, 1790, by
8239-587: The notable contributions they made during the founding era: In the mid-1760s, Parliament began levying taxes on the colonies to finance Britain's debts from the French and Indian War , a decade-long conflict that ended in 1763. Opposition to Stamp Act and Townshend Acts united the colonies in a common cause. While the Stamp Act was withdrawn, taxes on tea remained under the Townshend Acts and took on
8346-409: The official end of the war. After the war, Washington was instrumental in organizing the effort to create a "national militia" made up of individual state units, and under the direction of the federal government. He also endorsed the creation of a military academy to train artillery offices and engineers. Not wanting to leave the country disarmed and vulnerable so soon after the war, Washington favored
8453-517: The omission of a Bill of Rights, particularly Virginia where the opposition was led by Mason and Patrick Henry, who had refused to participate in the convention claiming he "smelt a rat". Rather than risk everything, the Federalists relented, promising that if the Constitution was adopted, amendments would be added to secure people's rights. Over the next year, the string of ratifications continued. Finally, on June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became
8560-529: The other end of the spectrum, those who favored independence. To satisfy the former, Congress adopted the Olive Branch Petition on July 5, an appeal for peace to King George III written by John Dickinson. Then, the following day, it approved the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms , a resolution justifying military action. The declaration, intended for Washington to read to
8667-439: The plan's innovations was a "plural" executive branch, but its primary concession was to allow the national government to regulate trade and commerce. Meeting as a committee of the whole, the delegates discussed the two proposals beginning with the question of whether there should be a single or three-fold executive and then whether to grant the executive veto power. After agreeing on a single executive who could veto legislation,
8774-498: The poorer Bostonians supplies. Many of the men that had served on their individual states' Committees of safety were later delegates for the Continental Congress. T. H. Breen writes that "proliferation of local committees represented a development of paramount importance in the achievement of independence ," because the committees were the first step in the creation of "a formal structure capable not only of policing
8881-689: The ratification were not published until after his death in 1836. The Constitution, as drafted, was sharply criticized by the Anti-Federalists, a group that contended the document failed to safeguard individual liberties from the federal government. Leading Anti-Federalists included Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee, both from Virginia, and Samuel Adams of Massachusetts. Delegates at the Constitutional Convention who shared their views were Virginians George Mason and Edmund Randolph and Massachusetts representative Elbridge Gerry,
8988-411: The revolution on the ground but also of solidifying ties with other communities." The network of committees were also vital for reinforcing "a shared sense of purpose," speaking to "an imagined collectivity—a country of the mind" of Americans. For ordinary people, they were community forums where personal loyalties were revealed, tested, and occasionally punished. ... Serving on committees of safety ...
9095-460: The revolutionary committee of the city." The development of coalition and interest-group politics greatly alarmed both royal officials and more conservative Patriots. For example, William Henry Drayton , the prominent South Carolina planter who had studied at Oxford University , complained about the participation of cobblers and butchers, stating that "Nature never intended that such men should be profound politicians, or able statesmen. In 1775,
9202-585: The royal governor of Georgia "noted in astonishment that the committee in control of Savannah consisted of 'a Parcel of the Lowest People, chiefly carpenters , shoemakers , Blacksmiths etc with a Jew at their head." Very few records of committees of safety survive. Committee activities are attested to primarily through newspapers and published material. By 1775, the committees had become counter-governments that gradually replaced royal authority and took control of local governments. They regulated
9309-551: The second wife of prominent planter Richard Bland , he was born either at his father's main plantation on the James River called "Jordan's Point" or at the family's "Bland House" in Williamsburg. Both his mother and father were of the First Families of Virginia , intermarrying and wielding economic, social and political power in the colony for generations. His namesake, Theodorick Bland of Westover , had immigrated to
9416-454: The signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The list of Founding Fathers is often expanded to include the signers of the Declaration of Independence and individuals who later approved the U.S. Constitution . Some scholars regard all delegates to the Constitutional Convention as Founding Fathers whether they approved the Constitution or not. In addition, some historians include signers of
9523-504: The states by the federal Congress on September 25, 1789, was not ratified by Virginia's Senate until December 15, 1791. The Bill of Rights drew its authority from the consent of the people and held that, Committee of safety (American Revolution) In the Province of Massachusetts Bay , as affairs drew toward a crisis, it became usual for towns to appoint three committees: of correspondence, of inspection, and of safety. The first
9630-408: The test, revealing the shortcomings and weaknesses of America's first Constitution. During this time Washington became convinced that a strong federal government was urgently needed, as the individual states were not meeting the organizational and supply demands of the war on their own individual accord. Key precipitating events included the Boston Tea Party in 1773, Paul Revere's Ride in 1775, and
9737-459: The three delegates who refused to sign the final document. Henry, who derived his hatred of a central governing authority from his Scottish ancestry, did all in his power to defeat the Constitution, opposing Madison every step of the way. The criticisms are what led to the amendments proposed under the Bill of Rights. Madison, the bill's principal author, was originally opposed to the amendments, but
9844-620: The troops upon his arrival in Massachusetts, was drafted by Jefferson but edited by Dickinson who thought its language too strong. When the Olive Branch Petition arrived in London in September, the king refused to look at it. By then, he had already issued a proclamation declaring the American colonies in rebellion. Under the auspices of the Second Continental Congress and its Committee of Five , Thomas Jefferson drafted
9951-585: The western territories. Key leaders – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and others – began fearing for the young nation's fate. As the Articles' weaknesses became more and more apparent, the idea of creating a strong central government gained support, leading to the call for a convention to amend the Articles. The Constitutional Convention met in the Pennsylvania State House from May 14 through September 17, 1787. The 55 delegates in attendance represented
10058-440: The work as "the first pamphlet on the nature of the connection with Great Britain which had any pretension to accuracy of view on that subject...There was more sound matter in his pamphlet than in the celebrated Farmer's letters ."<ref? Steele, Brian (2012). Thomas Jefferson and American Nationhood . Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. p. 25. ISBN 9781107020702 . </ref> In September 1774,
10165-697: The world. The strengthening of the committees of correspondence in the 1770s also marked the creation of what Gordon S. Wood terms "a new kind of popular politics in America." Wood writes that "the rhetoric of liberty now brought to the surface long-latent political tendencies. Ordinary people were no longer willing to trust only wealthy and learned gentlemen to represent them ... various artisan , religious, and ethnic groups now felt that their particular interests were so distinct that only people of their kind could speak for them. In 1774 radicals in Philadelphia demanded that seven artisans and six Germans be added to
10272-471: Was admitted to the bar in 1746, but never offered his legal services to the public. Although Upon reaching legal age, Bland inherited his father's Jordan Point plantation and other land. He farmed using enslaved labor. At his death, his estate included 30 slaves. Bland served as a justice of the peace in Prince George County and was made a militia officer in 1739. In 1742, he was elected to
10379-423: Was certainly not an activity for the faint of heart. The members of these groups exposed ideological dissenters, usually people well-known in the communities in which they lived. Although the committees attempted as best they could to avoid physical violence, they administered revolutionary justice as they alone defined it. They worked out their own investigative procedures, interrogated people suspected of undermining
10486-457: Was drafted in November 1782, and negotiations began in April 1783. The completed treaty was signed on September 3. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay and Henry Laurens represented the United States, while David Hartley , a member of Parliament, and Richard Oswald , a prominent and influential Scottish businessman, represented Great Britain. Franklin, who had a long-established rapport with
10593-414: Was in a dispute over the state's paper currency, had refused to send anyone to the convention. Of the 42 delegates present, only three refused to sign: Randolph and George Mason, both of Virginia, and Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts. The U. S. Constitution faced one more hurdle: approval by the legislatures in at least nine of the 13 states. Within three days of the signing, the draft was submitted to
10700-460: Was influenced by the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights , primarily written by Mason, and the Declaration of Independence, by Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson, while in France, shared Henry's and Mason's fears about a strong central government, especially the president's power, but because of his friendship with Madison and the pending Bill of Rights, he quieted his concerns. Alexander Hamilton, however,
10807-419: Was named to the committee of safety and re-elected as a delegate to the national Congress. In May, he travelled to Philadelphia for the opening of the Second Continental Congress, but soon returned home, withdrawing because of the poor health and failing eyesight of old age. However, his radicalism had increased, and by the convention's meeting in July, he proposed hanging Lord Dunmore , the royal governor. In
10914-465: Was opposed to a Bill of Rights believing the amendments not only unnecessary but dangerous: Why declare things shall not be done, which there is no power to do ... that the liberty of the press shall not be restrained, when no power is given by which restrictions may be imposed? Madison had no way of knowing the debate between Virginia's two legislative houses would delay the adoption of the amendments for more than two years. The final draft, referred to
11021-547: Was posing a threat to the self-rule that had existed in the Americas since the 1600s. Intent on responding to the Acts, twelve of the Thirteen Colonies agreed to send delegates to meet in Philadelphia as the First Continental Congress , with Georgia declining because it needed British military support in its conflict with native tribes. The concept of an American union had been entertained long before 1774, but always embraced
11128-592: Was the daughter of Colonel Peter and Ann Poythress, from Henrico County, Virginia . The couple married at Jordan's Point on March 21, 1729, and she bore six sons and six daughters before her death in 1758: On January 1, 1759, the widower Bland married the widow Martha Macon Massie, who died eight months after their marriage. In 1760 he married for a third time to Elizabeth Blair Bolling, widow of John Bolling and sister of councilor John Blair . She died late in April 1775, and like Martha Massie Boling, bore no children during her marriage to Richard Bland. Bland collapsed on
11235-503: Was to keep the community informed of dangers either legislative or executive, and concert measures of public good; the second to watch for violations of non-importation agreements , or attempts of loyalists to evade them; the third to act as general executive while the legal authority was in abeyance. In February 1776 these were regularly legalized by the Massachusetts General Court but consolidated into one called
11342-441: Was unanimously elected its first president. The Congress came close to disbanding in its first few days over the issue of representation, with smaller colonies desiring equality with the larger ones. While Patrick Henry , from the largest colony, Virginia, disagreed, he stressed the greater importance of uniting the colonies: "The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, and New Englanders are no more. I am not
11449-629: Was widely accepted through the 20th century. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin were members of the Committee of Five that were charged by the Second Continental Congress with drafting the Declaration of Independence . Franklin, Adams, and John Jay negotiated the 1783 Treaty of Paris , which established American independence and brought an end to the American Revolutionary War . The constitutions drafted by Jay and Adams for their respective states of New York (1777) and Massachusetts (1780) proved influential in
#360639