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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875

Journals of the Continental Congress --TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1776


Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789 PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR

Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789
TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1776

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A letter of the 18th, from General Washington, with sundry papers enclosed, was laid before Congress, and read:1

[Note 1: 1 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, II, folio 433.]

Resolved, That the same be referred to a committee of five:

The members chosen, Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson, Mr. [Benjamin] Franklin, Mr. [Edward] Rutledge, Mr. J[ohn] Adams, and Mr. [William] Hooper.

A petition from Harduin Mertlet, was presented to Congress, and read,

Resolved, That it be referred to the Canada committee.


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The committee to whom was referred, the petition of Dr. Stringer, brought in their report, which was taken into consideration; whereupon,

Resolved, That Dr. Morgan was appointed director general and physician in chief of the American hospital:

That Dr. Stringer was appointed director and physician of the hospital in the northern department only.

That every director of a hospital possesses the exclusive right of appointing surgeons and hospital officers of all kinds, agreeable to the resolutions of Congress of the 17 of July, in his own department, unless otherwise directed by Congress:

That Dr. Stringer be authorized to appoint a surgeon for the fleet now fitting out upon the lakes:

That a Druggist be appointed in Philadelphia, whose business it shall be, to receive and deliver all medicines, instruments, and shop furniture for the benefit of the United States:

That a salary of thirty dollars a month be paid to the said druggist for his labour.

Congress proceeded to the election of a druggist, and, the ballots being taken, Dr. William Smith was elected.

The Board of Treasury reported, that there is due,

To Joseph Haight, for sundry supplies of provisions and wood for the British prisoners at Burlington, from the 10th June to the 18th July last, two hundred and seventy seven dollars and 36/90 of a dollar:

Ordered, That the same be paid

A letter from Mease and Caldwell was laid before Congress, and read:

Resolved, That it be referred to a committee of three:

The members chosen, Mr. [George] Walton, Mr. [Robert] Morris, and Mr. [Robert Treat] Paine.


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Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole to take into their farther consideration the Articles of Confederation; and after some time, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. [John] Morton reported, that the committee having had under consideration the articles of Confederation, had gone through the same, [and] have agreed to sundry articles, which he was ordered to submit to Congress.

The report of the committee being read,

Ordered, That eighty copies of the Articles of Confederation, as reported from the committee of the whole, be printed under the same injunctions as the former articles were printed, and delivered to the members under the like restrictions as formerly.

Resolved, That Mr. Hamilton Young be permitted to reside in Pensylvania, till the farther orders of Congress.

The committee appointed to prepare a device for a great seal for the United States, brought in the same, with an explanation thereof:

The great Seal sh'd on one side have the Arms of the United States of America, which Arms should be as follows: The Shield has six Quarters, parti one, coupé two. The 1st. Or, a Rose enamelled gulps and argent for England: the 2d argent, a Thistle proper, for Scotland:


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the 3d. Verd, a Harp Or, for Ireland: the 4th Azure a Flower de Luce Or for France: the 5th Or, the Imperial Eagle Sable for Germany: and the 6th Or, the Belgic Lion gules for Holland, pointing out the Countries from which these States have been peopled. The Shield within a Border Gules entoire of thirteen Scutcheons argent linked together by a chain Or, each charged with initial Letters Sable as follows: 1st N. H. 2d M. B. 3d R. I. 4th C. 5th N. Y. 6th N. J. 7th P. 8th D. C. 9. M. 10th V. 11th N. C. 12th S. C. 13 G. for each of the thirteen independent States of America.

Supporters, dexter the Goddess Liberty in a corselet of armour alluding to the present Times, holding in her right Hand the Spear and Cap, and with her left supporting the Shield of the States; sinister, the Goddess Justice bearing a Sword in her right hand, and in her left a Balance.

Crest. The Eye of Providence in a radiant Triangle whose Glory extends over the Shield and beyond the Figures.

Motto. EPluribus Unum.

Legend, round the whole Atchievement. Seal of the United States of America MDCCLXXVI.

On the other side of the said Great Seal should be the following Device. Pharoah sitting in an open Chariot, a Crown on his head and a Sword in his hand passing through the divided Waters of the Red Sea in pursuit of the Israelites: Rays from a Pillow of Fire in the Cloud, expressive of the divine Presence and Command, beaming on Moses who stands on the Shore, and extending his hand over the Sea causes it to overwhelm Pharoah.

Motto. Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God.1

[Note 1: 1 A copy of this report, in the writing of James Lovell, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 23, folio 143. The original idea was formed by Du Simitière, and his own account of it is in theJefferson Papers, Fifth Series, VIII, No. 3. It differs from the report printed above in some particulars:
The Coat of Arms of the States of America.
The Shield has six quarters, parti one, coupé two; to the first it bears OR, a rose ennamelled Gules and argent, for England; to the Second, argent a thistle proper, for Scotland; to the third vert, a harp OR, for Ireland; to the fourth azure, a flower de luce OR, for France; to the fifth or the Imperial Eagle Sable, for Germany; and to the Sixth OR, the belgic Lyon Gules, for Holland. (these being the Six principal nations of Europe from whom the Americans have originated.) this Shield within a border gules entoire of thirteen Escutcheons argent linked together by a chain OR, each charg'd with initial letters Sable, as follows.
1st NH. 2d MB. 3d RI. 4th C. 5th NY. 6th NJ. 7th P. 8th DC. 9th M. 10th V. 11th NC. 12th SC. 13th G. for each of the thirteen Independent States of America.
Supporters. dexter, the Goddess Liberty, in a corslet of armour, (alluding to the present times) holding in her right hand the Spear and Cap, resting with her left on an anchor, emblem of Hope. Senester, an american soldier, compleatly accoutred in his hunting Shirt and trowsers, with his tomahawk, powder horn, pouch &c. holding with his left hand his rifle gun rested, and the Shield of the States with his right.
Crest. the Eye of Providence in a radiant Triangle whose Glory extend over the Shield and beyond the Supporters.
Motto. E Pluribus Unum.
Legend. round the whole atchievement. Seal of the [thirteen] united [and independent] States of America. MDCCLXXVI.
In the Jefferson Manuscripts in the Library of Congress are two notes of suggestion on this seal. One in the writing of Franklin, and the other in that of Jefferson. Franklin's note reads:
"Moses [in the Dress of High Priest] standing on the Shore, and extending his Hand over the Sea, thereby causing the same to overwhelm Pharoah who is sitting in an open Chariot, a Crown on his Head and a Sword in his Hand. Rays from a Pillar of Fire in the Clouds reaching to Moses, [expressing] to express that he acts by [the] Command of the Deity.
"Motto, Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God."
The note of Jefferson reads:
"Pharoah sitting in an open chariot, a crown on his head and a sword in his hand passing thro' the divided waters of the Red sea in pursuit of the Israelites: rays from a pillar of fire in the cloud, expressive of the divine presence, [reach] and command, reaching to Moses who stands on the shore and, extending his hand over the sea, causes it to over whelm Pharoah.
"Motto. Rebellion to tyrants is obedce to god."
Words in brackets were stricken out by the pen.
Jefferson merely noted a version of the Franklin suggestion. In theWritings of Jefferson (Ford), I, 420 is what purports to be a scheme of arms made in 1774, but the date assigned to it is doubtful. In a letter from John Adams to his wife, written August 14, 1776, he said:
"Doctor F. proposes a device for a seal. Moses lifting up his wand, and dividing the red sea, and Pharoah in his chariot over whelmed with the waters. This motto. 'Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.'
"Mr. Jefferson proposed, The children of Israel in the wilderness, led by a cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night--and on the other side, Hengist and Horsa, the Saxon chiefs, from whom we claim the honor of being descended, and whose political principles and form of government we have assumed.
"I proposed, The choice of Hercules, as engraved by Gribelin, in some editions of Lord Shaftesbury's works. The hero resting on his club. Virtue pointing to her rugged mountain on one hand, and persuading him to ascend. Sloth, glancing at her flowery paths of pleasure, wantonly reclining on the ground, displaying the charms both of her eloquence and person, to seduce him into vice. But this is too complicated a group for a seal or medal, and it is not original."]


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Ordered, To lie on the table.

A letter of the 19th, from General Washington, was read.1

[Note 1: 1 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, II, folio 443.]


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Information being given to Congress that the Crews of some of the American vessels have risen against their captains, and piratically seized the vessels, and that one of them being carried into England, the pirates have been publickly countenanced, and the vessel and cargo taken by administration, and sent to victual their fleet and army in America:

Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to enquire into the circumstances of the captures, and report thereon:

The members chosen, Mr. [Benjamin] Franklin, Mr. [Robert] Morris, and Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson.

The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,

Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.

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