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Subject Area: Political Theory
Subject Area: War and Peace
Topic: The American Revolution and Constitution

THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS OF 1774. - George Washington, The Writings of George Washington, vol. II (1758-1775) [1889]

Edition used:

The Writings of George Washington, collected and edited by Worthington Chauncey Ford (New York and London: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1889). Vol. II (1758-1775).

Part of: The Writings of George Washington, 14 vols.

About Liberty Fund:

Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals.


THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS OF 1774.

August 30. Colo. Pendleton, Mr Henry, Colo. Mason, and Mr. Thos. Triplet, came in the evening and stay’d all night.

31. All the above gentlemen dined here; after which with Colo. Pendleton and Mr. Henry, I set out on my journey to Philadelphia and reached Upper Marlboro.

September 1. Breakfasted at Queen Anne. Dined in Annapolis, and lodged at Rock Hall.

2. Dined at Rock Hall (waiting for my horses), and lodged at New Town, on Chester.

3. Breakfasted at Down’s. Dined at the Brick Tavern (Carson’s) and lodged at Newcastle.

4. Breakfasted at Christeen Ferry. Dined at Chester, and lodged at Doctr. Shippen’s in Phila. after supping at ye New Tavern.1

5. Breakfasted and dined at Doctor Shippen’s. Spent ye evening at Tavern.2

6. Dined at the New Tavern, after being in Congress all day.

7. Dined at Mr. Pleasants’, and spent the evening in a Club at the New Tavern.

8. Dined at Mr. Andrew Allan’s, and spent the evening in my own lodging.

9. Dined at Mr. Tilghman’s, and spent the evening at home (at my lodgings).

10. Dined at Mr. Richard Penn’s.

11. Dined at Mr Griffen’s.3

12. Dined at Mr. James Allan’s.

13. Dined at Mr. Thos. Mifflin’s.

14. Rid over the Province Island, and dined at Mr Wm. Hamilton’s.

15. Dined at my lodgings.

16. Dined at the State House, at an entertainment given by the city to the members of the Congress.1

17. Dined at Mr. Dickenson’s, about 2 miles from town.

18. Dined at Mr. Hills, about 6 miles from town.

19. Rid out in the morning; dined at Mr. Ross’s.

20. Dined with Mr. Fisher, the Mayor.

21. Dined with Mr. James Mease.

22. Dined with Mr. Chew, the Chief Justice.

23. Dined with Mr. Joseph Pemberton.

24. Dined with Mr Thos. Willing, and spent ye evening at ye city Tavern.

25. Went to the Quaker meeting in the forenoon, and St. Peters in the afternoon. Dined at my lodgings.

26. Dined at the old Doctr. Shippen’s, and went to the Hospital.2

27. Dined at the Tavern with the Virginian Gentlemen &c.

28. Dined with Mr Edward Shippen’s; spent the afternoon with the Boston gentlemen.3

29. Dined at Mr. Allans, and went to the Ball in the afternoon.

30. Dined at Doctor Cadwalladers.

October 1. At ye Congress till 3 o’clock. Dined with Mr. Hamilton at Bush Hill.

2. Went to Christ Church, and dined at ye New Tavern.

3. At Congress till 3 o’clock. Dined at Mr. Reed’s.

4. At Congress till 3 o’clock. Dined at young doctor Shippen’s.

5. At Congress as above. Dined at Doctor Bond’s.

6. At Congress. Dined at Mr. Saml. Meredith’s.

7. At Congress. Dined at Mr. Thos. Smith’s.1

8. At Congress. Dined with Mr. John Cadwallader.

9. Went to the Presbyterian meeting in the forenoon, and Romish church in the afternoon.2 Dined at Bevan’s.

10. At Congress. Dined at Doctor Morgan’s.

11. Dined at my lodgings, and spent the evening at Bevan’s.

12. At Congress all the forenoon. Dined at Mr. Josh. Wharton’s, and went to ye Governor’s Club.

13. Dined at my lodgings, after being at Congress till 4 o’clock.

14. Dined at Mr. Thos. Barclay’s and spent the evening at Smith’s.

15. Dined at Bevan’s. Spent the evening at home.

16. Went to Christ Church in the forenoon, after which rid to and dined in ye Province Island. Supped at Byrns’s.

17. After Congress dined on board Captn. Hamilton. Spent the evening at Mr. Mifflin’s.

18. Dined at Doctor Rush’s and spent the evening at ye New Tavern.

19. Dined at Mr. Willing’s, and spent the evening at my own lodgings.

20. Dined at ye New Tavern with ye Pennsylvania Assembly.3 Went to the Ball afterwards.

21. Dined at my lodging and spent the evening there also.

22. Dined at Mr. Griffen’s and drank tea with Mr. Roberdeau.

23. Dined at my lodgings and spent the evening there.

24. Dined with Mr. Mease, and spent the evening at the new tavern.

25. Dined at my lodgings.

26. Dined at Bevan’s, and spent the evening at the New Tavern.1

27. Set out on my return home.2

[1 ]Adams describes it as “the most genteel one in America.”

[2 ]On this day the delegates met at the Tavern in the morning and went to Carpenter’s Hall. Peyton Randolph was unanimously chosen President, and Charles Thomson Secretary.

[3 ]Adams records dining at Mr Willing’s “with the gentlemen from Virginia.” Works, ii., 378.

[1 ]“On Friday, September 16th, the Honorable Delegates, now met in General Congress, was elegantly entertained by the gentlemen of Philadelphia. Having met at the City Tavern about three o’clock, they were conducted from thence to the State House by the Managers of the Entertainment, where they were received by a very large company, composed of the clergy, such genteel strangers as happened to be in Town, and a number of respectable citizens, making in the whole near five hundred.” The toasts that were drank are given in Force, American Archives, Fourth Series, i., 900. Adams makes no mention of this.

[2 ]“Dined at old Dr Shippens, with Mr and Mrs Blair, young Dr. Shippen, the Jersey delegates, and some Virginians. Afterwards went to the Hospital, and heard another lecture upon anatomy from young Dr. Shippen.” Adams, ii., 382.

[3 ]“Spent the evening at home with Colonel Lee, Colonel Washington, and Dr. Shippen, who came in to consult us.” Adams, ii., 386.

[1 ]“Dined with Mr. Thomas Smith, with a large company, the Virginians and others.”—Adams, ii., 395.

[2 ]Adams was present, and gives a good account in his Diary (Works, ii., 395), and in a letter to his wife, October 9, 1774.

[3 ]“Dined with the whole Congress, at the City Tavern, at the invitation of the House of Representatives of the Province of Pennsylvania. The whole House dined with us, making near one hundred guests in the whole; a most elegant entertainment.”—Adams, ii, 400.

[1 ]“This day the Congress finished. Spent the evening together at the City Tavern; all the Congress, and several gentlemen of the town.”—Adams, ii., 401.

[2 ]Of the impression Washington made on his fellow members we have but few records, but such as exist all tend to show that it was marked:

“Col. Washington is nearly as tall a man as Col. Fitch, and almost as hard a countenance; yet with a very young look, and an easy soldierlike air and gesture. He does not appear above forty five, yet was in the first actions in 1753 and 1754, on the Ohio, and in 1755 was with Braddock, and was the means of saving the remains of that unfortunate army. It is said that in the House of Burgesses in Virginia, on hearing of the Boston Port Bill, he offered to raise and arm and lead one thousand men himself at his own expense, for the defence of the country, were there need of it. His fortune is said to be equal to such an undertaking.”—Silas Deane to his wife, 19 September, 1774.

“Mr. Henry, on his return home, being asked, ‘Who is the greatest man in Congress?’ replied, ‘If you speak of eloquence, Mr. Rutledge, of South Carolina, is by far the greatest orator; but if you speak of solid information and sound judgment, Colonel Washington is unquestionably the greatest man on that floor.’ ”—Campbell, 580.

Dr. Solomon Drowne in a letter from Philadelphia, 5 Oct., 1774, recorded in a few lines of doggerel verse how he went to see “America’s great patriots, retire from weighty council,” and among them

  • “With manly gait
  • His faithful steel suspended by his side,
  • Passed W’-shi-gt-n along, Virginia’s Hero.”
“This Col. Washington,” he added, “is a man noted as well for his good sense, as his Bravery. I heard, he said, he wished to God the Liberties of America were to be determined by a single Combat between himself and G[eorg]e.”—Penn. Mag. of Biography and History, v., 110, 111.

“It is now Saturday morning. . . . In the afternoon [yesterday] came in the Virginia and Maryland delegates. . . . The Virginia, and indeed all the southern delegates appear like men of importance. We waited on, and were introduced to them in the evening. They are sociable, sensible, and spirited men, and the short opportunity I had of attending to their conversation gives me the highest idea of their principles and character.”—Silas Deane to his wife, September, 1774. “You may tell your friends that I never met, nor scarcely had an idea of meeting, with men of such firmness, sensibility, spirit, and thorough knowledge of the interests of America, as the gentlemen from the Southern Provinces appear to be. In this I do not speak from prejudice, but from the knowledge I have of them in their public as well as their private conversation, both of which I attend to with a pleasure that balances many, if not more than all the anxieties and troubles of such a journey. May New England go hand in hand with them, and we need not fear a want of spirit.” Silas Deane to his wife, September 5th, 1774.

“There are some fine fellows come from Virginia, but they are very high. The Bostonians are mere milksops to them. We understand they are the capital men of the colony, both in fortune and understand.”—Joseph Reed, Life of Reed, i., 75.