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On September 5, 1774 the First Continental Congress met in Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia. The main figures of the meeting included: George Washington, Samuel Adams, his cousin John Adams, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, and John Jay. Their main objective for the meeting was to come up with complaints against Britain such as the Declaration of Rights and Grievances. All of the colonies attended with the exception of Georgia.

The Second Continental Congress met with greater intentions than to lodge complaints. Their primary goal was to secede from Britain and to form an entirely new nation. All of the notable delegates from the last meeting were present, with the addition of a few big names such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Hancock. Hancock was elected the president of this congress. A new post office and printing press were formed and given to Franklin to control. Jefferson was asked to write the constitution. In July of 1775, The Oak Branch Petition told George III that the colonies wanted peace in return for their rights. When George said no, he sent thousands of troops over to fight. Thus, the Revolution started.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Early Militias were formed earlier than the First Continental Congress. When the time of the Second came around, there was greater need for more troops. George Washington was placed in charge of the brand new Continental Army, which was composed of normal men, who had no experience or training but the will and desire to break away from their British counterparts. On May 10, 1775, Ethan Allen formed another group of soldiers known as the Green Mountain Boys, who were another faction broken off of the original state militias.