Continental Congress | "The Union is much older than the Constitution. It was formed, in fact, by the Articles of Association in 1774"—Abraham Lincoln, first inaugural address

Continental Congress

The Association entered into by the American Continental Congress in Behalf of all the Colonies. We his Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Delegates of the several Colonies of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the Three Lower Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, deputed to represent them in a Continental Congress, held in the City of Philadelphia on the 5th Day of September 1774, avowing our Allegiance to his Majesty, our Affection and Regard for our Fellow Subjects in Great Britain and elsewhere, affected with the deepest Anxiety, and most alarming Apprehensions at those Grievances and Distresses with which his Majesty’s American Subjects are oppressed, and having taken under our most serious Deliberation the State of the whole Continent, find that the present unhappy Situation of our Affairs is occasioned by a ruinous System of Colony Administration, adopted by the British Ministry about the Year 1763, evidently calculated for enslaving these Colonies, and, with them, the British Empire … And we do solemnly bind ourselves and our Constituents under the Ties aforesaid, to adhere to this Association until such parts of the several Acts of Parliament, passed since the Close of the last War as impose or continue Duties on Tea, [and other Coercive Acts] are repealed; … The foregoing Association being determined upon by the Congress, was ordered to be subscribed by the several Members thereof; and thereupon, we have hereunto set our respective Names accordingly. In Congress, Philadelphia, October 20, 1774. [The text is followed by the names, in three columns, of fifty-one congressional subscribers to the Association.] [Philadelphia, October 1774]

Broadside printed on a half sheet of laid paper (303 x 303 mm), two-line headline, text printed in three ruled columns; browned, probably from early framing, some separation at central folds, a few small, and one larger, chips and losses mostly at intersecting folds, costing two letters and a hyphen from the headline and about ten letters along central vertical fold, early, artless repair and backing on the verso.