by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 21, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
The Committee of Claims directed that Andrew McNair, the custodian, be reimbursed to “the sum of 120 23/90 dollars” for provisioning “twenty four Indians while at the state-house, which was twenty days” — the Iroquois legation that had met earlier with Congress...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 20, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
Some highlights of Congress’s proceedings include: A reminder that “adjournments from the Friday evening, be always to Monday morning, unless on any particular occasion, the Congress shall order otherwise.” Why? “… in order to give time to the several committees, to...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 19, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
Amid so much celebration, it is at the same time appropriate to reexamine the agonizing drama that led up to it its pivotal moment with the Declaration. Although it’s really too long and involved a story to recount with much justice … I called attention yesterday to a...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 18, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
As usual, Congress began with notice of receiving and reading several letters (those from generals were then sent to the board of war and ordinance). Gunning Bedford, Esq., was “promoted to the rank of muster-master general” (basically the person in charge of the...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 17, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
Congress’s closing business on on Saturday, June 15, 1776, came out of another committee of the whole, in response to a group of reports dealing with the botched Canadian campaign and its aftermath. In closing for the day, Congress appointed “a committee of four … to...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 16, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
June 16, 1776 was another Sunday hiatus for Congress. John Adams sat down and wrote a long letter of reply to two letters from his wife Abigail, from May 27 and June 3. If you’ve never read any of the correspondence between Abigail and John, you really should. Much of...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 15, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
More correspondence and reports; appointments for commanders of frigates, and a memorial from four privateer owners in Philadelphia; compensations reported by the claims committee; what to do with officers without soldiers (their enlistments having ended); the...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 14, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
Focusing attention solely on Congress’s journals, of course, can result in sanitized tunnel vision – yet reading them in order also affords us an opportunity to consider events as they unfolded in something like real time, and perhaps even give some idea of what...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 13, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
Thursday, June 13, 1776, was a crowded but not especially dramatic day in the Second Continental Congress. In the previous post, we established that Jefferson had been appointed – either by Adams or by the committee – to draft the Declaration. When and how did he...
by Tammy Ditmore | Jun 12, 2026 | Countdown to Semiquincentennial
Having appointed the Declaration drafting committee, Congress turned to pending business. Under war conditions, there was no “business as usual,” and with the still forming relationships among the colonies/states, there was much unsettled and in need of formation....
