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1774 Historic Content 1st Continental Congress Broadside British Trade Suspended

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:24,000.00 USD Estimated At:30,000.00 - 40,000.00 USD
1774 Historic Content 1st Continental Congress Broadside British Trade Suspended
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American Revolution
Extraordinary First Continental Congress Broadside of Its Printed Resolution Dated September 22, 1774 Regarding the Suspension of Trade with Great Britain, “for the preservation of the Liberties of America, is made public.”
September 22, 1774-Dated Revolutionary War Era, Printed Broadside, Resolution Passed by the First Continental Congress Regarding the Suspension of Trade by the American Colonies with Great Britain, Choice Very Fine.
September 22, 1774-Dated Revolutionary War Era, Historic Foundational Important Content Printed Broadside, measuring 8.25” x 6.5” upon fine quality watermarked laid period paper, blank reverse, Choice Very Fine. The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies that met on September 5 to October 26, 1774 at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, early in the American Revolution. This remarkable Broadside reads, in full:

"PHILADELPHIA.

In CONGRESS, Thursday, September 22, 1774.

RESOLVED,

That the Congress request the Merchants and Others, in the several Colonies, not to Send to Great Britain any Orders for Goods, and to direct the execution of all Orders already Sent, to be delayed or Suspended, until the Sense of the Congress, on the means to be taken for the preservation of the Liberties of America, is made public.

An Extract from the Minutes,

Charles Thomson, Sec.

___________________________

Printed by W. and T. BRADFORD."

It was so ordered that this emergency Resolution of the Continental Congress be made public and by also publishing it in the newspapers. This exceedingly rare original Printed Broadside Document is quarter-folded, has light expected overall tone, is very well centered within its four full wide margins having deep black sharply printed text. One of the very earliest, most important and historic Broadsides issued by the newly organized First Continental Congress. Issued only a few days prior to the end of the First Congress on September 26, 1774, this foundational Resolve being an attempt to start “Economic Warfare” to bring pressure against Britain and wean the American Colonies off of the use of British made and imported goods. Indeed, imports from Great Britain dropped by 97 percent in 1775, as compared with the previous year.

On Saturday, September 24th, 1774, the Continental Congress resolved to focus on rights which had been infringed by acts of the British Parliament since 1763, while it deliberated "on the means most proper to be pursued for a restoration of our rights."

See: Continental Congress Broadside Collection (Library of Congress available in digital form on the Library of Congress Web site). - Bristol B3890 - Shipton & Mooney 42733

To many, an original historic Broadside of this magnitude and importance in American history might be considered a “priceless” document. Our modest estimate is certainly only a guide. Overall, this Broadside is clean and has nice eye appeal such that it will display well. Extremely Rare.
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies that met on September 5 to October 26, 1774 at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, early in the American Revolution. It was called in response to, "The passage of the Coercive Acts" (also known as Intolerable Acts by the Colonial Americans) by the British Parliament. The Intolerable Acts had punished Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party.

The Congress was attended by 56 delegates. The Pennsylvania delegation was appointed by the colonial assembly. Georgia declined to send delegates because they were hoping for British assistance with Native American problems on their frontier and did not want to upset the British.

The Congress met briefly to consider options, including an economic boycott of British trade; rights and grievances; and petitioned King George III for redress of those grievances.

In the end, the voices of reconciliation and compromise carried the day. Rather than precipitate rebellion by calling for Independence, the First Continental Congress, in its Declaration and Resolves, passed and signed the Continental Association, which called for a Boycott of British goods to take effect in December 1774.

It requested that local Committees of Safety enforce the boycott and regulate local prices for goods. These resolutions adopted by the Congress did not acknowledge the legal power of Parliament even to regulate trade, but consented, nonetheless, to the operation of acts for that purpose. Furthermore, they did not repudiate control by the royal prerogative, which was explicitly acknowledged in the Petition to the King a few days later.

The Congress had two primary accomplishments. The first was a compact among the colonies to boycott British goods beginning on December 1, 1774. The West Indies were threatened with a boycott unless the islands agreed to nonimportation of British goods.

Imports from Britain dropped by 97 percent in 1775, compared with the previous year. Committees of observation and inspection were to be formed in each colony for enforcement of the Association. All of the colonial Houses of Assembly approved the proceedings of the congress with the exception of New York .

If the "Intolerable Acts" were not repealed, the colonies would also cease exports to Britain after September 10, 1775. The boycott was successfully implemented, but its potential for altering British colonial policy was cut off by the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. The colonists were forced to quarter British soldiers, and feed them.

The Congress also called for another Continental Congress in the event that their petition was unsuccessful in halting enforcement of the Intolerable Acts. Their appeal to the Crown had no effect, and so the Second Continental Congress was convened the following year to organize the defense of the colonies at the onset of the American Revolutionary War. The delegates also urged each colony to set up and train its own militia.