Lecture on Joseph Galloway and the First Continental Congress

Introduction

• Speaker: Jason from Founder Fans
• Topic: Joseph Galloway's role in the First Continental Congress and his proposal for a new government

Joseph Galloway

• Pennsylvania delegate at the First Continental Congress
• Friend and correspondent of Benjamin Franklin
• Initially a moderate and later turned loyalist

First Continental Congress

• Held in October 1774
• Comprised mainly of moderates; little to no radical call for independence
• Lasted about a month, unlike the Second Continental Congress, which lasted around 15 years

Context

• Focus on addressing British taxes without resorting to war
• Occurred six months before the outbreak of war at Lexington and Concord

Suffolk Resolves

• Delivered by Paul Revere
• Written by Dr. Joseph Warren
• Called for a boycott of British goods
• Became the basis for the First Continental Congress's actions

Galloway's Plan of Union

• Proposed in response to the Suffolk Resolves
• Modeled after Benjamin Franklin's Albany Congress proposal from 20 years prior
• Envisioned a parliamentary system for the colonies:
  • A President General appointed by the King
  • Delegates from each of the 13 colonies and possibly others (e.g., Florida, Canada)
  • Delegates serve for three years
  • Authority to veto Parliament’s laws, but not to make laws

Outcome

• Plan was narrowly voted down by one state
• Instead, the Congress voted for a boycott of British goods

Galloway's Later Life

• Signed the Continental Association
• Shifted towards loyalism as tensions escalated
• Evacuated to Great Britain at the end of the war as a refugee

Galloway's Legacy and Contributions

• Seen as a contentious figure due to his later loyalist stance
• Played a significant role in the events leading up to American independence
• His plan was more radical than the boycott in changing colonial governance
• A precursor to federal governance concepts in the United States Constitution

Conclusion

• Joseph Galloway’s story is significant in understanding early American political debates
• Important as he participated in debates that shaped the foundation of American governance

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