Address of the Congress to the Inhabitants of the United States of America

In the spring of 1778, the Continental Congress learned of the British government’s intention to offer “terms of accommodation” that would have satisfied all American demands, except independence. After three years of war, Congress feared that the resolve of even the most ardent revolutionaries might buckle under such generous terms. To counter calls for reconciliation with Great Britain, Congress published this impassioned broadside “to the inhabitants of the United States of America” and urged ministers of all denominations to read it to congregations nationwide.