This Day In Founding Fathers History – 31 July
On this day in 1775, the Continental Congress issued “Resolutions of Congress on Lord North’s Conciliatory Proposal.” The proposal had been an attempt to divide the colonies by urging one or more colonies to abandon the others. British Parliament offered colonies to the chance to contribute to parliament’s “common defense” in order to be exempted from certain taxes. Virginia was first to respond to the proposal, which was written by Jefferson and passed by the Virginia House of Burgesses. Jefferson’s answer was the one used by Congress. 1
In 1777 on this day, the Continental Congress commissioned Marquis de Lafayette major general in the army, “Whereas, the marquis de la Fayette, out of his great zeal to the cause of liberty, in which the United States are engaged, has left his family and connexions, and, at his own expence, come over to offer his service to the United States, without pension or particular allowance, and is anxious to risque his life in our cause: resolved, that his service be accepted.” 2
1 “The Account of the Declaration,” www.ushistory.org/declaration/account/acc2.htm; “Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789,” American Memory Library of Congress, memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hlaw:@field(DOCID+@lit(jc00275)) 2 “Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789,” American Memory Library of Congress, memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hlaw:@field(DOCID+@lit(jc00860))
