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The '''Second Continental Congress''', 1775-1781, is by far the more noteworthy of the two Continental Congresses. It was created in late 1774 when the [[First Continental Congress]] called on the colonies to send delegates to the Second one. It met in Philadelphia at [[Independence Hall]] and was the national government that [[Declaration of Independence|declared independence in on July 2, 1776]], fought, financed, and won the [[American Revolution]] with the help of [[France]] and other allies.

Delegate [[John Adams]] stated:{{cquote|‘Sink of swim, live or die, survive of perish, I give my hand and heart for this vote…. You and I indeed may rue it. We may not live to the time when this Declaration shall be made good. We may die; die colonists; die slaves; die, it may be ignominiously and on the scaffold. Be it so, be it so. “If it be the pleasure of Heaven that my country shall require the poor offering of my life, the victim shall be ready…. But while I do live, let me have a country, or at least the hope of a country and that of a free country… “Sir, before God, I believe the hour is come. My judgement approves the measure, and my whole heart is in it. All that I have, and all that I am, and all that I hope, in this life, I am now ready here to stake upon it, and I leave off as I began, that live or die, survive or perish, I am for the Declaration, It is my living sentiment and by the blessings of God, it shall be my dying sentiment, Independence now and Independence forever.”}} The Second Continental Congress was replaced when the [[Articles of Confederation]] were ratified, by the [[Congress of the Confederation]].