Journals of Congress Containing the Proceedings from Sept. 5. 1774, to Jan. 1, 1776
United States. Continental Congress.
| Journals of Congress | ||
 at the College of William & Mary. |
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| Date | 1777 | |
| Language | English | |
The Journals of Congress are official records that are taken during daily congressional proceedings. These particular volumes owned by Wythe span 1774-1776, which was a critical time period for the country. They would have included records of congressional debates on independence. Further, Wythe was a member of the continental congress between 1775 and 1776, so this collection also contains the records taken during Wythe’s time as a member of the congress.[1] In addition to the political or historical significance of these books, they would have also had personal significance for Wythe.
While the whole period recorded in these volumes was pivotal for the country, it was not consistent in character or political context. There were significant changes that occurred during this stretch surrounding the congress’s perceived purpose, as well as the political context in which it operated.[2] The First Continental Congress began in 1774, and the Second began in 1775. At the First, delegates gathered to "react to oppressive Parliamentary authority," but they "were not yet prepared for outright revolution."[3] This quickly changed, and by the time the Second congress had gathered in 1775, "colonists and British troops had already engaged in armed combat at the Battles of Lexington and Concord and at the Battle of Bunker Hill."[4] These volumes therefore contain record of a period of transition.
Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library
See also
References
- ↑ "George Wythe," Jefferson Library Staff, Monticello, last modified 2009, https://www.monticello.org/encyclopedia/george-wythe
- ↑ "The Continental Congresses," Office of the Historian, Office of Art and Archives, accessed August 31, 2026, https://history.house.gov/Education/NHD/NHD-2026/NHD-ContinentalCongress/
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Ibid.