| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --PREFATORY NOTE
The most important subject which engaged the Continental Congress in the year 1777 was the "Articles of Confederation," which after long consideration were laid before the States in November. The earlier forms of this instrument have been given in the volumes for 1776. By the reproduction in facsimile of a copy of the second printed version, with MS. notes and emendations, the story of the consideration is more clearly told than by the text of the Journals. The final changes and form are given in the parallel versions printed under November 15, 1777. The amendments proposed by Thomas Burke (printed under May 5), and the various reports and motions made from time to time, throw not a little light upon the spirit actuating some of the States, and point to the difficulties which were encountered in framing Articles that could be accepted by all of the thirteen separate and in a measure, independent, political entities.
The increasing financial pressure is shown by the report on the Treasury (printed under June 11), the resort to bills of exchange on the American Commissioners in France, and the demands on the part of some of the States to have Continental bills with which to redeem their own issues. The rising quantities of paper, issued by Continent and States, without adequate funds for their support, produced the natural consequences of high prices, distrust and depreciation, against which the legislative bodies were helpless. The lottery, loan-offices, and new
Page 6 | Page image
emissions of bills served to increase the derangement of the currency and emphasize the difficulties of obtaining funds to meet the large and increasing expenditures incident to war.
The Address to the Inhabitants of the United States, prepared by James Wilson, is now published for the first time, as are the reports of the Committees to Camp (August 5 and December 16), and the reports and resolution on the correspondence between Generals Heath and Burgoyne (December 27). The numerous reports prepared by the Board of War and of the Treasury have given many paragraphs of interest, which were rejected or ordered to lie, and contain a few items concerning the jealousy of Washington on the part of some members of Congress and some officers in the army.
I have included a few extracts from the letters of Delegates to the Congress to the State authorities, because a collection of these letters is now being made by the Carnegie Institution.
Worthington Chauncey Ford
Chief of Division of Manuscripts
Editor
Herbert Putnam
Librarian of Congress
December 15, 1906.
PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR
| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |