In April 1775, the "shots heard around the world" were fired at Lexington and Concord. The shots were the result of colonial tension toward the acts passed by the British government. The colonial militia was victorious at Lexington and Concord. Delegates to the Second Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia three weeks after the battles at Lexington and Concord. The Congress selected John Hancock as its president. Hancock was one of the richest colonists. He used his wealth to fund the Sons of Liberty in his home state of Massachusetts. The Congress also selected George Washington as the commander of the Continental Army. In an attempt to avoid a full-scale war, the Congress sent King George the Olive Branch Petition. In it, the colonists asked the King to protect their rights and told the King that they wanted peace. King George rejected their petition and began preparing for war.
No, it is false that <span>Congress passed the Slavery Act, which allowed blacks to own slaves in an attempt to give blacks the rights of full citizenship, since all acts passed having to do with slavery up until the 13th Amendment put slaves and blacks at a disadvantage. </span>
