The Continental Congress Replies to the King

On this date, Delegates to the Second Continental Congress responded to an accusation from King George III that the colonies were in an “open and avowed rebellion” by declaring their opposition to “the claim and exercise of unconstitutional powers, to which neither the Crown nor Parliament were ever entitled.” Four months earlier, in August 1775, the King preempted calls for peace by issuing “A Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition” which accused North American leaders of plunging the colonies into armed conflict with British forces. Because the mail took weeks to cross the Atlantic, Congress did not form a committee to reply to the King’s missive until November 13. In response to what Delegates called the “illegal ministerial proclamations that have appeared lately in America,” the colonial leaders sought to clarify for Parliament and the King that they believed they were engaging in a civil war “in which Britons fight against Britons” rather than a rebellion. “We are accused of ‘forgetting the allegiance . . . that has protected and sustained us.’ . . . What allegiance is it that we forget? Allegiance to Parliament? We never owed—we never owned it. Allegiance to our King? Our words have ever avowed it,— our conduct has ever been consistent with it.” While the Continental Congress’s December 6 declaration affirmed the colonies’ connection with Britain and made no mention of independence, behind the scenes Delegates made preparations for war. Just a few days earlier, at the end of November 1775, the Second Continental Congress’ Committee of Secrecy agreed to contract with a merchant in Connecticut to “procure speedily fifty tons of good gunpowder.” Although King George did not publicly respond to Congress’ December declaration, privately he confessed that he was alarmed by “such acts of vigour . . . shewn by the Rebellious Americans.”