The Two Continental CongressesThe First Continental Congress (by Alexander Schmidt)

The First Continental Congress took place from 5th September 1774 to 26th October 1774 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 56 delegations from all the 13 colonies except Georgia wanted to resist against the restrictions of freedom of American citizens.

The two Presidents of the First Continental Congress

The aims were:- the declaration of solidarity of all the colonies- the imposition of a one-year suspension of exports and imports to Britain - countermeasures against the Quartering Act

(This Act compelled American colonists to house and provide for British soldiers)

During its meeting time, the Congress achieved two major successes:- the draft of the Association Articles on 20th October 1774- (These Articles compelled American colonists to boycott British goods

from the 1st December 1774)- the preparation of the Second Continental Congress which started 10th

May 1775 where also Georgia took part in from July on

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An American colonist who has to house British soldiers because of theQuartering Act

except = außerto resist = sich wehrenrestrictions = Beschränkungenimposition = Verhängungcountermeasures = Gegenmaßnahmento compel = zwingen/verpflichtento house = beherbergento provide for = versorgento achieve = erreichendraft = Entwurf

Quelle: Wikipedia

A newspaper of the First Continental Congress

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Why were most of the Delegates against the Independence from England? (by Max Jaschick)

Most of the delegates were against the freedom from England, because they didn’t want to have a war against England and if they had war against another country they wouldn’t get help from England.

Besides they needed the manufactured goods they received from England like weapons or machines, and they needed all the slaves the English brought from Africa.

Quelle: Wikipedia

The Independence Hall in Philadelphia

Second Continental Congress (by Paul Kleinschmidt)

The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the 13 colonies. They met the first time on May 10, 1775 in Philadelphia. That was at the time when the American Revolutionary War began. But there were also some other conferences:

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May 10, 1775 – December 12, 1776, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

December 20, 1776 – March 4, 1777, Baltimore, Maryland

March 5, 1777 – September 18, 1777, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

September 27, 1777 (one day only), Lancaster, Pennsylvania

September 30, 1777 – June 27, 1778, York, Pennsylvania

July 2, 1778 – March 1, 1781, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The sense of the Second Continental Congress was to prepare the American Revolution against England. They created a currency, named Continental-Dollar. They also had a Continental Army.

Thomas Jefferson composed the American Declaration of Independence, which was signed the first time by John Hancock, the president of the Continental Congress.

Quelle:Wikipedia

The Second Continental Congress

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Why the Declaration of Independence was signed (by Max Jaschick)

The Declaration of Independence was signed at the end of the Second Continental Congress.

The Declaration of Independence was signed because of the critical situation in America.

The English crown had tremendous debts, so they took all money in America they could find.

So they had not much money for goods, the English had less debts and the American less money.

Most of the delegates were now for the freedom from England and they all signed the Declaration of Independence.

tremendous = enormdebts = Schulden

Quelle: Wikipedia

The Triangular Trade (one aspect of America’s exploitation by the British)

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Declaration of Independence (The Unanimous Declaration of The Thirteen United States of America) (by Benedikt Saupp)

The Declaration of Independence was composed on the fourth July 1776 by Thomas Jefferson and the Second Continental Congress and is the charter of the USA. The Declaration of Independence was composed because the thirteen British colonies of North America wanted the dissociation from Great Britain.

Today the fourth July is an American national holiday.

The content of the Declaration of Independence

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Content of the Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence is divided in three parts. In the first part is written when a nation has the right to change an old form of a government to a new form of a government. In the second part is written that the crown had hurt the rights of the people in the colonies so extremely that the crown has no right to the dutifulness of the people.The third and therefore the last part consists of a deduction in which is written that the dissociation from Britain was needful and that the thirteen colonies call for the right to act like an independent state.

Thomas Jefferson

unanimous = einstimmigdissociation = Trennungcontent = Inhaltdutifulness = Gehorsamkeitto consist (of) = bestehen (aus)deduction = Schlussfolgerung

Quelle: Wikipedia

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Besiegement of Boston (by Paul Kleinschmidt)

The besiegement of Boston lasted from April 19, 1775 until March 17, 1776. That was the start of the American War of Independence. The city of Boston was controlled by England and so the Americans wanted to stop military movements of the Redcoats (British Army), so they besieged Boston. Although the besiegement wasn't really successful, after 11 months the Americans under control of George Washington forced the Redcoats to resign.

besiegement = Belagerung besiege = belagern force to resign = zum Rückzug zwingen

Quelle:Wikipedia

The British soldiers

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“The Hessen” (by Benedikt Saupp)

The German soldiers were named “the Hessen” by the English people, because most of these German soldiers came from Hessen. The Germans had to give 12 thousand soldiers to the English crown, because they had obligated (=verpflichteten) themselves in a contract. And this contract said that the Germans had to exchange injured and dead soldiers, therefore about 20,000 German soldiers fought for the British crown.

“The Hessen” were famous for their high fighting power, wherefore the enemies of “the Hessen” were frightened when they heard the noise of “the Hessen” drums.

After the War of Independence many of the German soldiers stayed in America.

Quelle: Wikipedia

„Hessin“ Soldier

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