Olive Branch Petition

The palm branch petition ( Olive Branch Petition ) on July 5, 1775 was a last appeal, the Second Continental Congress of the 13 American colonies to the British King George III. , To change the economic and fiscal policy of the British mother country against these colonies.

The British Crown had made ​​attempts from the sixties of the 18th century because of rising government debt, to draw more revenue from the colonies. This led to economic hardship and discontent among the colonists. They founded the so-called correspondence committees should organize the resistance. Their creed was that only their colonial parliaments, but not the Parliament of the United Kingdom could demand taxes from them ("No taxation without representation "). The disagreement escalated since the Boston Tea Party of December 16, 1773 to open violent confrontation; at Lexington and Concord had already taken place on 19 April 1775 fighting between the rebel militias and the British colonial army. However, there was a significant fraction of the population that continued to seek reconciliation with the king. When the Continental Congress gathered in May, 1775, urged especially John Dickinson on moderation and the fact it is not completely forfeit to the king. Although there were petition against the fierce resistance especially from the colonies in New England, where fighting had erupted and lasted the same time as the holding of the Congress in Bunker Hill, but the written document on July 5 on July 8 was adopted. The petition whose author was Dickinson, stressed that the intention of the undersigned, is " to avoid further bloodshed " and " upcoming disaster that threatens the British Empire " avert. It expressed the continuing loyalty to the king, it was proposed a truce until the colonial problems would be resolved with the "mother country". The appeal which would raise the palm branch petition against the British king, reached London on August 14th, but wanted to George III. it does not take note. The behavior of the king encouraged the representatives of the movement for independence in what they do, while proponents of compensation were now on a solitary item or its opinion in favor of open rebellion changed.

  • American Revolution
  • 1775
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