Editing Continental Congress (section)

===Second Continental Congress===
{{Main|Second Continental Congress}}
{{Further|American Revolutionary War|United States Declaration of Independence}}
[[File:Map of territorial growth 1775.svg|thumb|A map of [[East Coast of the United States|eastern North America]] in 1775 and present-day U.S. state boundaries
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{{legend|#f56858|[[Thirteen Colonies]]}}
{{legend|#f5a691|Other British colonies}}
{{legend|#e7a030|Spanish [[Captaincy General of Cuba]] and [[New Philippines]]}}
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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, [[George III|King George III]] opened [[Parliament of Great Britain|Parliament]] with a speech condemning Massachusetts and the Suffolk Resolves, prompting the Continental Congress to convene again.<ref>{{harvnb|Rakove|1979}}, pp. 45–49</ref>

The [[Second Continental Congress]] convened on May 10, 1775, at Pennsylvania's [[Independence Hall|State House]] in [[Philadelphia]] shortly after the start of the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]]. Initially, it functioned as a ''de facto'' common government by raising armies, directing strategy, appointing diplomats, and making formal treaties. The Thirteen Colonies were represented when in the following year it adopted a [[Lee Resolution|resolution for independence]] on July 2, 1776, and two days later approved the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]]. [[Thomas Jefferson]] drafted the declaration, and [[John Adams]] was a leader in the debates in favor of its adoption. Afterward, the Congress functioned as the [[provisional government]] of the United States of America through March 1, 1781.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Milestones: 1776–1783 – Office of the Historian|url=https://history.state.gov/milestones/1776-1783/continental-congress|access-date=2021-10-13|website=history.state.gov}}</ref>

To govern the war effort and to foster unity among the [[U.S. state|states]], Congress created various [[standing committees]] to handle war-related activities, such as the committee of secret correspondence, the treasury board, the board of war and ordnance, and the navy board. Much work was also done in small ''[[ad hoc]]'' committees.<ref>{{Harvnb|Olsen|2013}}, p. 57</ref> One such small group was tasked with developing a [[constitution]] to [[Perpetual Union|perpetuate the new Union]]. Such an agreement, the [[Articles of Confederation]] was approved by Congress on November 15, 1777, and sent to the states for [[ratification]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Jensen|1959}}, pp. ix, 184</ref>