The congress, in addition to directing the war, also prepared the Articles of Confederation, which after ratification in 1781 became the first constitution of the United States. When the United States declared its independence in July 1776, the only institution acting as a central government was the Continental Congress. By mid-1776 the conflict was so far along that the congress gave up on a peaceful settlement and adopted the Declaration of Independence. Elias Boudinot, the president of the Continental Congress (1782) and was also the first (official not elected) president of the United States. Only when the states with western land claims agreed to turn over these lands to Congress for the use of all the states would Maryland ratify the Articles of Confederation. It finally signed them on March 1, 1781. In fact, Boudinot seems to have felt that the popular identification of the Indians as the lost Israelites would bring with it a widespread realization that the Bible and its prophecies were true. When both the American Indians and the Jews of the world realized the great truth of their destiny. This Israelite claim for Indian origins was not unique to Mr. Boudinot, of course. It was a widely-held belief which had been previously promoted in the popular press by such religious writers as James Adair. And also by later writers as Josiah Priest, and the Rev. Ethan Smith of Poultney, Rutland Co.,Vermont.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Aug 2013 17:16:30 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015