Simone Lawson
The Continental Congress was the governing body of the 13 American colonies and later the United States, from 1774 to 1789. It served as the provisional government during the Revolutionary War and helped secure independence for the colonies. The Continental Congress ratified the first national constitution, the Articles of Confederation, in 1781, which established a new national government for the United States. However, the Articles of Confederation were superseded by the US Constitution in 1789, which established the US Congress as the nation's legislative branch of government. This raises the question: did the US Constitution, by replacing the Articles of Confederation, also make the Continental Congress obsolete?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of the Continental Congress | 1774-1781 |
| Year the US Constitution came into effect | 1789 |
| The Continental Congress was the governing body of | 13 American colonies |
| The Continental Congress was also known as | The Congress of the Confederation |
| The Continental Congress was replaced by | The US Congress |
| The US Constitution superseded | The Articles of Confederation |
| The US Constitution was preceded by | The Articles of Confederation |
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What You'll Learn
The Continental Congress was the first US government
The First Continental Congress, comprising delegates from the colonies, met in 1774 in Philadelphia in response to escalating tensions between the colonies and the British, which culminated in the passage of the Intolerable Acts by the British Parliament. The Congress was structured with an emphasis on the equality of participants and to promote free debate. It included future luminaries such as presidents John Adams of Massachusetts and George Washington of Virginia, and future U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice and diplomat John Jay of New York.
The Second Continental Congress served as the provisional government of the U.S. during most of the Revolutionary War. In 1776, it took the momentous step of declaring America's independence from Britain. The Continental Congress also approved the Declaration of Independence, allowing Congress to seek alliances with foreign countries.
In 1781, the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first Frame of Government, came into force, and the Continental Congress became the Congress of the Confederation. This unicameral governing body would convene in eight sessions before adjourning in 1789 when the 1st United States Congress under the new Constitution of the United States took over the role as the nation's legislative branch of government.
The Continental Congress was not effective in peacetime, but it steered the nation through one of its worst crises, declared its independence, and helped win a war to secure that freedom. However, it was criticised for its slowness and lack of coercive power.
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The US Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation
The Continental Congress was the governing body that coordinated the resistance of the 13 American colonies to British rule during the first two years of the American Revolution. It served as the government of the 13 American colonies, and later the United States, from 1774 to 1789. The First Continental Congress, composed of delegates from the colonies, met in 1774 in response to the Intolerable Acts, a series of measures imposed by the British government after the colonies resisted new taxes.
In 1775, the Second Continental Congress convened after the Revolutionary War had already begun. In 1776, it took the momentous step of declaring America's independence from Britain. In 1781, the Continental Congress ratified the first national constitution, the Articles of Confederation, under which the country would be governed until 1789. The Articles of Confederation were approved by Congress on November 15, 1777, and sent to the states for ratification. The Articles of Confederation came into force on March 1, 1781, after being ratified by all 13 colonies, and the Second Continental Congress became the Congress of the Confederation.
The Articles of Confederation established a unicameral governing body that would convene eight times before adjourning in 1789. However, the Articles of Confederation had several shortcomings. The central government had insufficient power to regulate commerce, levy taxes, or set commercial policy. It also could not effectively support a war effort or settle disputes between states. Due to these limitations, the Articles of Confederation were superseded by the US Constitution in 1789. The US Constitution established a federal government with three departments: finance, war, and foreign affairs, each led by a minister. The Continental Congress was replaced by the US Congress, which became the nation's legislative branch of government.
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The Continental Congress lacked coercive power
The Continental Congress was the governing body that coordinated the resistance of the 13 American colonies to British rule during the first two years of the American Revolution. It was a series of legislative bodies with some executive functions. It was the de facto national government of the country and conducted diplomacy on behalf of the new United States.
The lack of coercive power in the Continental Congress resulted in difficulties establishing a quorum, as prospective delegates elected to the Confederation Congress declined to serve in it, instead preferring to serve in their state governments. This led to frequent difficulties in establishing a quorum.
The inability of the Continental Congress to raise revenue and its lack of coercive power were significant challenges that contributed to the need for a new constitution and the establishment of the United States Congress.
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The US Constitution established a federal government
The Continental Congress was the governing body that coordinated the resistance of the 13 American colonies to British rule during the first two years of the American Revolution. It was a series of legislative bodies with some executive functions for the Thirteen Colonies of Great Britain in North America. The Continental Congress served as the government of the 13 American colonies, and later the United States, from 1774 until 1789.
The Continental Congress served as the provisional government of the US during the Revolutionary War. In 1781, the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first Frame of Government, came into force, and the Continental Congress became the Congress of the Confederation. This unicameral governing body convened in eight sessions before adjourning in 1789 when the 1st United States Congress under the new Constitution of the United States took over the role as the nation's legislative branch of government.
In May 1787, the Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation. The US Constitution went into effect in 1789, and the Continental Congress was replaced by the US Congress. The US Constitution established a federal government comprising three departments: finance, war, and foreign affairs, each led by three ministers.
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The Continental Congress steered the nation through crisis
The Continental Congress was the governing body that coordinated the resistance of the 13 American colonies to British rule during the first two years of the American Revolution. It was a series of legislative bodies with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War.
The First Continental Congress, made up of delegates from the colonies, met in 1774 in response to the Intolerable Acts, a series of measures imposed by the British government after the colonies resisted new taxes. The Continental Congress, therefore, balanced the interests of the different colonies and also established itself as the official colonial liaison to Great Britain.
The Second Continental Congress served as the provisional government of the U.S. during most of the Revolutionary War. It convened in 1775 after the war had begun and took the momentous step of declaring America's independence from Britain in 1776. It also formed the Continental Army and dispatched George Washington to Massachusetts as its commander.
In 1781, the Articles of Confederation, which established a new national government for the United States, came into force, and the Continental Congress became the Congress of the Confederation. This unicameral governing body would convene in eight sessions before adjourning in 1789 when the 1st United States Congress under the new Constitution of the United States took over the role as the nation's legislative branch of government.
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Frequently asked questions
The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. It served as the government of the 13 American colonies, and later the United States, from 1774 to 1789.
The US Constitution is the present-day governing document of the United States, which came into effect in 1789, replacing the Articles of Confederation.
Yes, in 1789, the US Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation, rendering the Continental Congress obsolete. The Continental Congress had served as the de facto national government of the United States during the Revolutionary War, but it struggled with inefficiencies and a lack of coercive power. The US Constitution established a new federal government with three departments: finance, war, and foreign affairs.
