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# The American Revolution and Confederation, 1774-1787 "O! ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose not only the tyranny but the tyrant, stand forth! Every spot of the Old World is overrun with oppression. Freedom hath been hunted round the globe.... O! receive the fugitive and prepare in time an...

# The American Revolution and Confederation, 1774-1787 "O! ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose not only the tyranny but the tyrant, stand forth! Every spot of the Old World is overrun with oppression. Freedom hath been hunted round the globe.... O! receive the fugitive and prepare in time an asylum for mankind". - *Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776* ## Parliament's Passage of the Intolerable Acts Parliament's passage of the Intolerable Acts in 1774 intensified the conflict between the colonies and Great Britain. In the next two years, many Americans reached the conclusion, unthinkable only a few years earlier, that the only solution to their quarrel with the British government was to sever all ties with it. How did events from 1774 to 1776 lead ultimately to this revolutionary outcome? ## The First Continental Congress The punitive Intolerable Acts drove all the colonies except Georgia to send delegates to a convention in Philadelphia in September 1774. The purpose of the convention, which is known as the First Continental Congress, was to respond to what the delegates viewed as Britain's alarming threats to their liberties. However, most Americans had no desire for independence. They simply wanted to protest parliamentary infringements of their rights and restore the relationship with the crown that had existed before the Seven Years' War. ## The Delegates The delegates were a diverse group, whose views about the crisis ranged from radical to conservative. Leading the radical faction (those demanding the greatest concessions from Britain) were **Patrick Henry** of Virginia and **Samuel Adams** and **John Adams** of Massachusetts. The moderates included **George Washington** of Virginia and **John Dickinson** of Pennsylvania. The conservative delegates (those who favored a mild statement of protest) included **John Jay** of New York and **Joseph Galloway** of Pennsylvania. Unrepresented were the loyal colonists, who would not challenge the king's government in any way.