What do you know about the 2nd Continental Congress and US History? The Colonies were trying to find their way and all of the Colonies were trying to determine are they going to stay with England or pull their own way.
May 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to make these difficult decisions. The task had more than a few wanted men by the English government and met certain death if the English was fully aware of what was going on. Each Colony sent men to represent their Colonies and my 5th Great Grandfather, John Harvie (1747 – 1807) met with the group to represent Virginia.
The group of people would continue to meet and discuss the form of Government for the new colonies. The challenge was the group had people set upon their beliefs. One group fully wanted to stay with the English, another group represented the South (Georgia) and the last group wanted to split away from England to stop the taxes being levied to help pay for the French and Indian war.
The group would have to move from Philadelphia to Baltimore because the English found out and now the people would become wanted for treason.
In 1777, the group would ratify the Articles of Confederation that would become the first Government of the United Colonies. The Colonies were slow to adopt to the new government and it would be 1781 before all of the Colonies would fully ratify the new way of government.
Which state would be the first to sign and ratify? Virginia would adopt to the new Government and my 5th Great Grand Father would become one of the signers on the Articles of Confederation.
Colonel John Harvie was a lawyer and would receive a provisional rank of Colonel and would become one of the people working to supply the Colonies during the war for Independence.
John Harvie and his family is related to the Vest Family through James Jackson Vest Sr who married Sallie Sarah Harvie in 1809. James Jackson Vest is my 3rd Great Grand Father. More to come about the Vest family this year.
For more information about the Articles of Confederation and War for Independence check out the following books
Check out Ancestry.com for more information about my family tree. Select the picture below and look up our tree.
Originally posted 2019-01-12 20:29:58.