Sunday, September 11, 1774. Delivering the Suffolk Resolves.

Paul Revere rode to Milton, Massachusetts, to pick up the Suffolk Resolves.  He took them to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia.

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Saturday, September 10, 1774. Edenton Tea Party.

Labels: 1770s, 1774, American Revolution, Colonial North America, North Carolina, Taxes, Women

Wednesday, September 7, 1774. The first prayer of the Continental Congress.

The First Prayer of the Continental Congress was delivered.

O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our American States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee. To Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give. Take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their Cause and if they persist in their sanguinary purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle!

Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst the people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior.

Amen.

Reverend Jacob Duché

Rector of Christ Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

September 7, 1774, 9 o’clock a.m.

The effect of this opening prayer was profound. 

The Reverend Jacob Duché was an Anglican Rector of Christ Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  He was the chaplain to the First Continental Congress.

Ordained in London, he'd go on to support the Revolution by agreeing to support a resolution to cross the name King George III, the head of the Church of England, from the prayers to be read in the prayers of the church, something while bold, also demonstrated the hypocrisy of the Anglican religious position.  He was arrested by British General William Howe in 1777, but recanted and became a Loyalist, writing Washington at one point urging him to lay down arms.  Pennsylvanian hypocritically convicted him of high treason whereupon he feld to England.  He returned to North America, following a stroke, in 1792.  He passed away, a muddled record behind him, in 1798.

Last edition:

Tuesday, September 6, 1774. The Worcester Revolt.

Labels: 1770s, 1774, American Revolution, Blog Mirror, Colonial North America, Massachusetts

Monday, September 5, 1774. The first Continental Congress Convenes.

President Peyton Randolph.

The first Continental Congress convened at Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia.  Twelve of the Fourteen (not thirteen) colonies sent delegates. Georgia, which was fearful of war with native tribes, did not participate as it hoped for British assistance in the impending war with those earlier denizens.  Quebec had no interest in participating.

Peyton Randolph of Virginia was named President of the First Continental Congress. 

Randolph. . . not Washington.  

Randolph, not Washington, was the first President of the United States by some measures (and Washington is not the first President under any properly considered measure).  He was an American born lawyer who had studied law at the Middle Temple at the Inns of Court in London, becoming a member of the bar in 1743, showing just how unlike the current populist "don't tread on me" crowd these men were.

He died of some sort of seizure in 1775 while dining with Thomas Jefferson.  He was 54 years of age.

Signatory page of the three-page Continental Association signed by 53 of the 56 delegates

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Sunday, September 4, 1774. Explorers.

Labels: 1770s, 1774, Alexander Hamilton, Canada, Exploration, Hudson's Bay Company, James Cook, New Caledonia, Personalities, Saskatchewan, The Frontier West, The written word

Wednesday, August 3, 1774. Connecticut chooses its delegates to the First Continental Congress.

Connecticut chose its delegates to the First Continental Congress.  They were; Roger Sherman, a lawyer from New Milford; Eliphalet Dyer, a lawyer from Windham; and Silas Deane, a merchant from Wethersfield.

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Sunday, July 31, 1774. Pugachev's decree

Labels: 1770s, 1774, Catherine the Great, Monarchy, Pugachev's Rebellion, Russia, Slavery