Continental+Congress

= THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS =

=﻿Introduction:= The Continental Congress was a group of some of the worlds smartest men gathered in a room. Some were Thomas Jefferson, Sam Adams, John Adams, Richard Henery Lee, Patrick Henery, and John Hancock. Also, some delegates weren't really present for the Congress because of duties for the Congress, like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. The Continental Congress was formed in September 1774, in reaction to The Intolerable Acts. The first Continental Congress voted on banning trade with the British and on training soldiers. The Second Continental Congress created the Continantal Army, the Declaration of Independence, and acted as the government for America during the war.




 * //__Thomas Jefferson __//**
 * //__By Daniela __//**[[image:Declaration_of_Independence.jpg width="260" height="412" align="left" caption="This is an image of The Declaration of Independence with the delegate's signatures from the Continental Congress."]]

There is much to know about Thomas Jefferson and the **Continental Congress**. For starters, Thomas Jefferson was most famous for writing the **Declaration of Independence.** Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States. He was very important figure leading America towards independence and development as a nation. He became a lawyer and plantation owner. Thomas Jefferson was a **delegate** of the Continental Congress. He took a very important part in that. Thomas Jefferson was also a huge part of the **Enlightenment.** He had many ideas to share with the group of men. He was especially influenced by John Locke. John Locke emphasized on basic **human rights** and he believed that people should revolt against the government that violated those rights. Jefferson’s defenses of liberty still inspire some people today. He pressed for the addition of a bill of rights to the Constitution of the United States. He was also one of the leading American architects of his time. This is just some very important things to know about Thomas Jefferson and his past with the Continental Congress.

 **//__Five Vocabulary Words __//**

**Continental Congress: **//Meeting of delegates from the different colonies to unite the colonies against the British. // **//Declaration of Independence:// **Document that declared American independence from Britain. **Enlightenment: **Philosophical movement stressing human reason. **Delegate: **A person designated to act for or represent another or others **Human Rights: **<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">Those who believed to belong to an individual and in whose exercise a government may not interfere, as the rights to speak, associate, or work.

__//**<span style="background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Link to a Helpful Website **//__ <span style="background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">This is a website that you can refer to, to learn a little bit more about Thomas Jefferson and how he was part of the Continental Congress: **http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/thomasjefferson**

**//__My Primary Source Document__//**


For my **primary source document**, I chose a picture of Thomas Jefferson and some of his delegates from the Continental Congress writing the Declaration of Independence. This is a really big part of Thomas Jefferson's life and the Continental Congress. This is how all of us today got our rights and freedom. Thomas Jefferson and the delegates from the Continental Congress put a lot of time and detail into the Declaration of Independence since it declared our independence. That is why the Declaration of Independence is such an important artifact from past years.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">BENJAMIN FRANKLIN <span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">By Allison Greenberg Benjamin Franklin (ABOVE) and a $100 bill (BELOW). Benjamin Franklin was a huge help to the American cause during the **Revolution**. Ben Franklin was born on January 16, 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts. Ben only had two years of school. At the age of ten, his father, Josiah Franklin, kept him home to help make candles and soap, Josiah’s trade. Even though his formal schooling ended, Ben Franklin never stopped. He read every book he could find, and worked on his handwriting. At the age of 12, Ben Franklin was persuaded by his father to become an apprentice to his oder brother James, who was a printer. While apprenticed, he wrote the famous **“Silence Dogood” letters**, which his brother admired and printed. However, the brothers fought often, and Ben ran away at age 17 to Philadelphia. From 1723 to 1730, Ben worked for various papers in Philadelphia and even in London, England. In 1728, Ben became a part owner of a print shop. Two years after (in 1730), Ben became the only owner of the business. He published **//The Pennsylvania Gazette//**, doing most of the writing. He soon became known throughout the colonies. This year was eventful for Ben, because he married Deborah Read. They had three children, William Franklin, Francis Folger Franklin, and Sarah Franklin Bache. Ben Franklin acted as an **Ambassador** to France throughout the war. He was the most influential man to get France to aid the Colonies. In a way, if it wasn’t for Benjamin Franklin, we might’ve lost the American Revolution. Ben was treated like a rock star in France. The French loved his dress, his sayings, his manner, and poets actually wrote poems in his honor. Ben Franklin was appointed a minister to France in 1778. Ben helped draft the **Treaty of Paris in 1783**, and he signed it on behalf of America. Benjamin Franklin was a hero to all Americans, and an important figure throughout history, for printing and for science. He died on the evening of April 17, 1790 at the incredible age of 84. About 20,000 people came to his funeral to honor and mourn him.

__ VOCABULARY WORDS: __ __ Revolution __ : The American Revolution, which was the American colonists fight for freedom from the British. __ “Silence Dogood” letters: __ The letters that Benjamin Franklin wrote to his brother James’ paper as widow “Silence Dogood” that were printed in James’ newspaper. //__ The Pennsylvania Gazette __//__ : __ The newspaper Benjamin Franklin printed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. __ Ambassador __ : A diplomatic official at the highest rank that’s sen t by a country as a long- term representative to other countries. __ Treaty of Paris 1783 __ : The treaty that was signed in Paris in 1783 that ended the American Revolution.

This is the link to the Franklin Institute, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It’s a museum dedicated to Benjamin Franklin and his inventions, not to mention a little Sir Isaac Newton. []  For my Primary Source Document, I choose the picture of Benjamin Franklin above. The painter probably saw Ben Franklin as a powerful person, putting near a Roman column and red velvet curtain. Outside the window, you can clearly see Boston, and a sky that looked as though a storm was coming. This storm was probably the American Revolution. So as you can see, this picture was very important and depicted Ben Franklin as what he is- a powerful man assisting a storm. George Washington  by: JuLiAnA    George was born on 22 February 1732 and he died on 14 December 1799. His father died when he was just 11 years old. After his father died he lived with his mother Mary, at Ferry Farm in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He had a half- brother that lived in Mount Vernon, and a blooded brother that lived there too. His father’s death ended plans to send Washington to England to be educated like his brothers, he felt lacked later in life. As a boy his favorite subject was math. When they send him to a school they could afford he only went to school until he was 14 or 15. He learned social graces such as good conversation, correct table manners, and proper entertaining from his mother, his half-brother and sister-in-law, Lawrence and Ann, and their neighbors, the Fairfax’s, who lived at Belvoir. His social skills helped him to be at ease with superiors and to be considered for advancement. He began a journal when he was 16 and through practice he developed excellent handwriting. He started his own business at 17. Thomas Jefferson described him as the “best horseman of his age” He helped shape the United States. First he commanded the Continental Army that won American independence from Britain in the American Revolution (1775-1783).He wrote the Constitution of untied states. He was the first president of US. His army officers would have tried to make him king if he had let them. When he grew older he helped the British fight the French and Indians. When he was helping them he nearly got killed several times. George made a letter to the continental congress in 1777. George washington is also on the 1 dollar bill   [|www.worldbookonline.com]  It commemorates G eneral Geroge washington crossing the Delaware River on December 25, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War. That action was the first move in a surprise attack against the Hessian forces at Trenton, New jersey in the Battleof   Trenton

__integrity-__T he quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards.
==== __ Potomac River- __ A river of the east-central United States rising in northeast West Virginia and flowing about 459 km (285 mi) along the Virginia-Maryland border to Chesapeake Bay. It is navigable for large ships to Washington, D.C.  __//**Works Cited**//__ ==== //**__Daniela__**//: "Thomas Jefferson." //World Book//. Print. //**__Juliana:__**//Chase, Philander D. "Washington, George." //World Book Student.// World Book, 2011. Web. 4 Jan. 2011.
 * __//Allison://__** Waldstreicher, David. "Franklin, Benjamin." //World Book Student.// World Book, 2011. Web. 3 Jan. 2011.

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