List of delegates to the Continental Congress explained

The Continental Congress was initially a convention of delegates from several British American colonies at the height of the American Revolution era, who spoke and acted collectively for the people of the Thirteen Colonies that ultimately became the United States. The term mostly refers to the First Continental Congress of 1774 and the Second Continental Congress of 1775–1781. It also refers to the Congress of the Confederation of 1781–1789, which covers the period following the establishment of American independence with the end of the Revolutionary War. During this period, the Continental Congress served as the chief legislative and executive body of the U.S. government.

The unicameral Congress of the Confederation, officially styled "The United States in Congress Assembled," delegates elected by the legislature of the various states. The Confederation Congress was the immediate successor to the Second Continental Congress; and delegates to it were similarly chosen. Many of the delegates to the initial 1775 session of the Second Continental Congress had also attended the previous First Continental Congress. Altogether, The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress lists 343 men who served as delegates to the Continental Congress in three incarnations from 1774 to 1789; also listed are another 90 persons who were elected as delegates but never served.

Background

Convened in response to the Intolerable Acts passed by the British Parliament earlier that year, the 56 delegates to the First Continental Congress sought to help repair the frayed relationship between the British government and its American colonies. They passed the Continental Association, an economic boycott of Great Britain, and petitioned the king for a redress of grievances. They also resolved to reconvene in May 1775 if necessary.

Delegates from the various colonies did indeed reconvene for a Second Continental Congress as scheduled, but by the time they gathered, the Revolutionary War had begun. Moderates in the Congress still hoped that the colonies could be reconciled with Great Britain, but a movement towards independence steadily gained ground. At this juncture Congress simultaneously sent an Olive Branch Petition to King George III, hoping for a rapprochement, and issued a Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, which contained the words "Our cause is just. Our union is perfect... being with one mind resolved to die freemen rather than to live slaves...".

Congress functioned as a de facto national government from the outset by establishing the Continental Army, directing strategy, and appointing diplomats. It eventually adopted the Lee Resolution which established the new country on July 2, 1776, and it agreed to the Declaration of Independence two days later.

Afterward, the Congress functioned as the provisional government of the United States through March 1, 1781. During this period, in addition to successfully managing the war effort, its primary achievements included: drafting the Articles of Confederation, the first U.S. Constitution; securing diplomatic recognition and support from foreign nations; and resolving state land claims west of the Appalachian Mountains. When the Articles of Confederation came into force on March 1, 1781, after being ratified by all 13 states, the Continental Congress became the Congress of the Confederation, which helped guide the new nation through the final stages of the Revolutionary War. Under the Articles, the Confederation Congress had limited power. It could declare war, sign treaties, and settle disputes between the states. It could also borrow or print money, but did not have the power to tax; nor could it compel the individual states to comply with its decisions. It convened in eight sessions (a ninth failed to achieve a quorum) prior to being supplanted in 1789, when the United States Congress became the nation's legislative branch of government under a new Constitution.

Article V of the Articles of Confederation

Article V of the Articles of Confederation for the annual election of delegates to Congress by legislatures of the various states to terms that commenced on the first Monday in November, in every year. Each state could send 2–7 delegates, and no person was permitted to serve as a delegate for more than three years within a span of six years. State legislatures also had the authority to recall or to replace its delegates at any time. Prior to 1781, delegates to the Continental Congress served at the pleasure of the state legislature that commissioned them; neither term limits nor specific start–end–date of service existed.

Elected delegates who participated

The following tables list the 343 people who served in Congress: 1st Continental, 2nd Continental, or Confederation, between 1774 and 1789, as well as the year(s) of their active participation.

Connecticut

Name! style="background-color:#ccff99;"

1st Continental Congress	2nd Continental Congress	Confederation Congress
		1778
			1784–1785; 1787–1788
	1774	1775–1776
	1774	1775–1779	1782–1783
			1788
^[1]		1778–1781	1781–1783
		1778
		1780	1782–1783; 1788
		1776; 1778–1781	1781; 1783
			1785–1787
		1777	1781–1782
			1785–1788
		1778–1781	1781–1782
^[2]	1774	1775–1781	1781; 1783–1784
		1779
			1786
			1784
			1788
		1776–1777
		1776–1778; 1781	1781–1783
Source (unless otherwise noted):^[3]

Delaware

Name! style="background-color:#ccff99;"

1st Continental Congress	2nd Continental Congress	Confederation Congress
			1783–1785
		1779
			1782–1783
			1787–1788
			1783–1784
	1774	1775–1776; 1778–1781	1781–1782
			1787–1788
			1786
			1786
	1774	1775–1777
	1774	1775–1776
			1781–1782; 1786
		1777
			1783–1784
		1777–1781	1781
			1784–1785
			1782–1783
Source (unless otherwise noted):

Georgia

Name! class=unsortable style="width:8.5em; background-color:#ccff99;"

1st Continental Congress	2nd Continental Congress	Confederation Congress
			1785; 1787–1788
		1777
		1775
		1780–1781	1781–1782; 1786–1788
			1784
		1776
			1785
		1775–1777
		1775
			1784–1786
		1780–1781	1781
			1781–1782
		1777–1779
		1778; 1780–1781	1781–1782
		1778; 1780–1781	1781–1782
		1776–1777; 1780–1781	1781
		1778
		1777–1778
		1775
Source (unless otherwise noted):

Maryland

Name! style="background-color:#ccff99;"

1st Continental Congress	2nd Continental Congress	Confederation Congress
		1776
		1778–1779
^[4]		1776–1777
nowrap	^[5]		1776; 1777–1778; 1780
^[6]			1781–1783
			1783–1784
^[7]	1774	1775–1778	1784; 1785
			1788
		1778–1780
			1787
	1774	1775–1776
		1775
^[8]		1780–1781	1781–1782
			1786
			1782–1783
		1778–1780	1785–1786
			1785–1786
			1788
^[9]		1779; 1780–1781	1781
^[10]	1774	1775–1777
			1783
			1783–1784
			1783–1785
	1774	1775–1779
		1778–1780
			1781
			1786–1787
		1775–1776
			1787–1789
		1776–1777
			1788
		1777
		1775–1776; 1778	1784
^[11]	1774	1775–1776
			1782
Source (unless otherwise noted):

Massachusetts Bay

Name! style="background-color:#ccff99;"

1st Continental Congress	2nd Continental Congress	Confederation Congress
	1774	1775–1777
	1774	1775–1781	1781
	1774	1775–1776
		1777–1778	1784
			1785–1788
		1776–1780	1783–1785
^[12]			1782–1783; 1785–1787
		1775–1778
			1783
		1778–1780	1783–1785; 1787
			1782
			1784–1787
		1777–1781	1781–1782
			1782
			1781–1784
			1787–1788
	1774	1775–1776
		1779–1781	1781–1785
			1785–1786; 1788
			1787–1789
		1780–1781	1781
Source (unless otherwise noted):

New Hampshire

Name! style="background-color:#ccff99;"

1st Continental Congress	2nd Continental Congress	Confederation Congress
		1775–1776; 1778
			1784
	1774	1777–1780
			1783–1785
		1777–1779
			1782–1783
			1787–1789
		1775–1776	1787
		1779
		1780–1781	1781–1782; 1785–1786
			1785–1786
		1779–1780
	1774	1775–1775; 1780–1781	1781
		1776–1777
		1778
		1776–1779
			1782–1783
			1788
Source (unless otherwise noted):

New Jersey

Name! style="background-color:#ccff99;"

1st Continental Congress	2nd Continental Congress	Confederation Congress
			1784–1785
		1778	1781–1783
		1780–1781	1781
			1785–1787
		1776–1778; 1780–1781	1781–1783; 1786–1788
			1781–1783
	1774	1775–1776
			1787–1788
	1774	1775–1776
			1784–1785
		1777–1778	1781–1783; 1787–1788
		1778–1780
^[13]		1778–1779	1782–1783
		1776
		1776
			1785–1786
		1779–1781	1784–1785
	1774	1775
	1774	1775–1776
			1786–1787
		1778–1779
		1776–1777
	1774	1775–1776
			1784
			1784–1785
		1776
			1785–1786
		1776–1781	1781–1782
Source (unless otherwise noted):

New York

Name! style="background-color:#ccff99;"

1st Continental Congress	2nd Continental Congress	Confederation Congress
	1774	1775–1776
			1784; 1787–1788
	1774	1775
		1775–1776
			1784
	1774	1775–1781	1781–1783
		1777–1778
	1774	1775–1776; 1779–1781	1781–1783
			1788
			1789
			1782–1783; 1788
	1774		1785–1787
^[14]	1774	1775–1778
			1785
			1785–1787
		1775–1779
		1779–1781	1781–1783; 1788
	1774^[15]	1775–1778
		1775–1776; 1779–1780	1784
			1784–1785
	1774
			1781
		1778–1779
		1775–1777
			1784
			1789
			1785–1786
		1775; 1777; 1779–1780
		1780; 1782	1781–1783
			1785–1787
	1774	1775–1776
			1787–1788
			1786
Source (unless otherwise noted):

North Carolina

Name! style="background-color:#ccff99;"

1st Continental Congress	2nd Continental Congress	Confederation Congress
			1787
			1786
			1782–1783; 1786–1787
		1777–1781	1781
			1787
	1774	1775
			1785
		1777–1779
			1781–1783; 1787
	1774	1775–1776; 1779
		1778–1780
	1774	1775–1777
		1780–1781	1781
		1779–1780
		1780
			1782–1783
		1775–1780
		1779–1781	1781
			1785
			1783–1785
			1788
			1786–1788
		1778–1779
^[16]			1782–1785; 1787–1788
Source (unless otherwise noted):

Pennsylvania

Name! style="background-color:#ccff99;"

1st Continental Congress	2nd Continental Congress	Confederation Congress
^[17]		1775–1776
		1779–1780
			1787–1788
		1778–1781	1781–1782
			1785–1786
^[18]	1774	1775
			1786–1788
		1777–1779
		1776–1777; 1780–1781	1781–1782
			1788–1789
	1774	1775–1776
			1782–1783
		1775–1776
	1774
			1784–1785
			1783–1784
			1784–1785
	1774	1775–1776
		1780
			1787–1788
^[19]			1785–1786
		1780
		1779–1780
			1786–1788
	1774	1775	1782–1784
			1782–1784
		1780–1781	1781–1782
			1783–1784
		1775–1778
	1774	1775–1776
^[20]		1779–1780
			1782–1783
^[21]			1785–1787
		1778
			1787–1789
	1774
		1777–1779
	1774	1775–1777
^[22]		1776–1777
^[23]		1778–1780
^[24]		1778–1780
		1776–1778
^[25]		1778
			1781–1782
			1786–1787
		1776
		1775–1776
^[26]		1775–1777	1782–1783; 1785–1787
		1779–1781	1781–1782
Source (unless otherwise noted):

Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

Name! style="background-color:#ccff99;"

1st Continental Congress	2nd Continental Congress	Confederation Congress
			1782–1783
			1787–1788
		1778–1780	1782–1783
		1780–1781	1781–1782
		1776–1781	1781–1785
			1789
			1788
	1774	1775–1776
			1782–1785
			1786
		1777–1779
			1786
		1780–1781	1781–1782
		1780–1781	1781; 1787
	1774	1775–1776
Source (unless otherwise noted):

South Carolina

Name! style="background-color:#ccff99;"

1st Continental Congress	2nd Continental Congress	Confederation Congress
			1789
		1780–1781	1781–1782
			1783–1784
			1784–1787
			1787
		1778–1779
			1781–1782
	1774	1775–1776
			1782–1783
		1776–1778
			1786–1788
		1778–1779
			1782–1783
			1785–1787
		1780
		1777–1780
	1774	1775–1776
		1775–1776
		1778–1781	1781
		1776–1777	1781–1782
	1774	1775
		1780–1781	1781–1782
			1786–1788
			1785–1787
			1782–1783, 1785–1786
			1783–1785
	1774	1775–1776
^[27]	1774	1775–1776	1782–1783
			1787–1788
Source (unless otherwise noted):

Virginia

Name! style="background-color:#ccff99;"

1st Continental Congress	2nd Continental Congress	Confederation Congress
		1778–1779
		1778
	1774	1775
		1780–1781	1781–1783
		1776
			1787–1788
			1786–1788
^[28]			1788–1789
		1779
		1779
			1784–1787
		1778–1780	1787–1788
			1783–1785
	1774	1775–1778
		1777–1778
		1780
	1774	1775
		1775–1776	1783–1784
		1777; 1780–1781	1781–1783
			1782–1784
		1775–1779
			1786–1788
	1774	1775–1779	1784–1785; 1787
		1780–1781	1781–1783; 1787–1788
		1779
			1783–1784
			1783–1786
		1775–1777; 1779
		1777
	1774	1775
		1779	1781–1782
	1774	1775
		1778; 1780–1781	1781
		1780
	1774	1775
		1775–1776
Source (unless otherwise noted):

Elected delegates who did not participate

The following table lists the 90 people who were elected to Congress: 1st Continental, 2nd Continental, or Confederation, between 1774 and 1789, but who did not participate, as well as the year(s) of their election.

Name	State	Year(s) elected
	Georgia	1780
	New Hampshire	1779
	New Hampshire	1780, 1785
	South Carolina	1784
	Delaware	1786
	New Hampshire	1781
	Virginia	1781
	Massachusetts	1774
	Rhode Island	1776
	North Carolina	1781
	Rhode Island	1784, 1785
	Connecticut	1786
	Rhode Island	1785, 1786
	Connecticut	1784
	Connecticut	1787, 1788
	Pennsylvania	1785
	Georgia	1778
	New Jersey	1776
	Massachusetts	1783, 1784
	Massachusetts	1780, 1782, 1783
	New Jersey	1778
	New Hampshire	1784
	Pennsylvania	1777
	Massachusetts	1778
	Georgia	1784
	Delaware	1776
	Rhode Island	1787
	Maryland	1782
	South Carolina	1784
	Delaware	1787
	Georgia	1787
	Georgia	1784
	New York	1788
	New Jersey	1779
	Connecticut	1786, 1788
	Connecticut	1783, 1785
	Rhode Island	1788, 1789
	North Carolina	1781, 1784, 1785
	Virginia	1779
	New York	1788
	Delaware	1784
	Massachusetts	1781
	South Carolina	1779
	North Carolina	1785
	Rhode Island	1787
	North Carolina	1786
	Virginia	1784
	Virginia	1777
	North Carolina	1787
	Georgia	1784
	Delaware	1784
	Pennsylvania	1784
	Pennsylvania	1777
	South Carolina	1784
	Rhode Island	1785
	New Jersey	1778
	Maryland	1777
	Georgia	1789
	North Carolina	1784
	Georgia	1786
	New Jersey	1780, 1787
	Delaware	1784
	New Hampshire	1784
	Georgia	1789
	North Carolina	1784
	Rhode Island	1785
	New Hampshire	1787
	Connecticut	1784
	North Carolina	1786
	Maryland	1784, 1785
	Maryland	1784
	Maryland	1784
	North Carolina	1784
	New Hampshire	1786
	Georgia	1781
	North Carolina	1787
	Massachusetts	1780
	Connecticut	1782, 1784, 1784
	Massachusetts	1782, 1783
	South Carolina	1783
	New Hampshire	1778, 1783
	Connecticut	1784, 1785, 1787
	South Carolina	1777
	Connecticut	1774
	New Hampshire	1777, 1778, 1782, 1785
	Massachusetts	1782
	New York	1779
	New Hampshire	1787
	Virginia	1780
	North Carolina	1774, 1787, 1788
Source (unless otherwise noted):

See also

• Founding Fathers of the United States, includes a listing of which Founding Fathers signed one or more of the era's formative state documents
• Journals of the Continental Congress
• Charles Thomson, secretary of the Continental Congress
• History of the United States (1776–1789)
• Perpetual Union

Further reading

• Book: Burnett, Edward Cody. The Continental Congress. 1941. Macmillan Company. New York, New York.
• Garraty, John A.; Carnes, Mark C., gen. eds. (1999, 2002 supplement). American National Biography. 24 volumes. New York, New York: Oxford University Press (for the American Council of Learned Societies). . Official website .
• Book: Marshall, James V.. The United States manual of biography and history: comprising lives of the presidents and vice presidents of the United States, and the cabinet officers, from the adoption of the Constitution to the present day. Also, lives of the signers of the Declaration of independence, and of the old Articles of confederation, of the framers of the Constitution of the United States, and of the chief justices of the Supreme court of the United States. With authentic copies of the Declaration of independence, the Articles of confederation, and the Constitution of the United States. To which is prefixed an introductory history of the United States. 1856. J. B. Smith & co.. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Internet Archive, April 30, 2009.
• Book: Purcell, L. Edward. Who Was Who in the American Revolution. New York, New York. Facts on File. 1993. 978-0-8160-2107-9. registration.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ellsworth, Oliver. Biographical Directory of Federal Judges. Federal Judicial Center. Washington, D.C.. May 2, 2019.
2. Book: Wright. Robert K. Jr.. MacGregor. Morris J. Jr.. Soldier–Statesmen of the Constitution. CMH Pub 71-25. 169–171. Roger Sherman. https://history.army.mil/books/RevWar/ss/sherman.htm. United States Army Center of Military History. 1987. May 7, 2019.
3. Book: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774–2005. 2005. Dodge. Andrew R.. Koed. Betty K.. Delegates in the Continental Congress. http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/cdocuments/hd108-222/delegates.pdf. U.S. Government Printing Office. Washington, D.C.. 0-16-073176-3. 34–38. https://web.archive.org/web/20080917191652/http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/cdocuments/hd108-222/delegates.pdf . Internet Archive, September 17, 2008. May 6, 2019. September 17, 2008 .
4. Web site: Charles Carroll, the barrister (1723-1783). December 1, 2015. MSA Biographical Series. Maryland State Archives. Annapolis, Maryland. May 7, 2019.
5. Web site: Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737-1832). December 28, 2000. MSA Biographical Series. Maryland State Archives. Annapolis, Maryland. May 7, 2019.
6. Web site: Daniel Carroll (1730-1796). November 25, 2012. MSA Biographical Series. Maryland State Archives. Annapolis, Maryland. May 7, 2019.
7. Web site: Chase, Samuel. Biographical Directory of Federal Judges. Federal Judicial Center. Washington, D.C.. May 2, 2019.
8. Web site: John Hanson (1721-1783). January 24, 2003. MSA Biographical Series. Maryland State Archives. Annapolis, Maryland. May 7, 2019.
9. Web site: Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer (1723-1790). December 17, 2015. MSA Biographical Series. Maryland State Archives. Annapolis, Maryland. May 7, 2019.
10. Web site: Johnson, Thomas. Biographical Directory of Federal Judges. Federal Judicial Center. Washington, D.C.. May 2, 2019.
11. Web site: Matthew Tilghman (1717/18-1790). October 11, 2002. MSA Biographical Series. Maryland State Archives. Annapolis, Maryland. May 7, 2019.
12. Book: Wright. Robert K. Jr.. MacGregor. Morris J. Jr.. Soldier–Statesmen of the Constitution. CMH Pub 71-25. 155–156. Nathaniel Gorham. https://history.army.mil/books/RevWar/ss/gorham.htm. United States Army Center of Military History. 1987. May 7, 2019.
13. Web site: Major General Frederick Frelinghuysen. New Jersey Society of the Cincinnati. May 4, 2019.
14. Web site: Jay, John. Biographical Directory of Federal Judges. Federal Judicial Center. Washington, D.C.. May 2, 2019.
15. Web site: . First Continental Congress: Proceedings of the First Continental Congress. Independence Hall Association. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ushistory.org. April 30, 2019.
16. Web site: Hugh Williamson 1735–1819. Penn People. University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. May 2, 2019.
17. Web site: Andrew Allen 1740–1825. Penn People. University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. May 2, 2019.
18. Web site: Edward Biddle 1738–1779. Penn People. University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. May 2, 2019.
19. Web site: David Jackson 1747–1801. Penn People. University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. May 2, 2019.
20. Web site: Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg 1750–1801. Penn People. University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. May 2, 2019.
21. Web site: Charles Pettit 1736–1806. Penn People. University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. May 2, 2019.
22. Web site: Rush, Benjamin, (1746–1813). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. House Office of History and Preservation, Senate Office of the Historian. Washington, D.C.. May 2, 2019.
23. Web site: James Searle 1733–1797. Penn People. University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. May 2, 2019.
24. Web site: William Shippen 1712–1801. Penn People. University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. May 2, 2019.
25. Web site: Jonathan B. Smith 1742–1812. Penn People. University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. May 2, 2019.
26. Web site: James Wilson 1742–1798. Penn People. University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. May 2, 2019.
27. Web site: Rutledge, John. Biographical Directory of Federal Judges. Federal Judicial Center. Washington, D.C.. May 2, 2019.
28. Web site: Members of the Continental Congress from Virginia. April 16, 2012. The Hornbook of Virginia History. Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, December 3, 2018. May 9, 2019.