The Olive Branch Petition

A Northwest view of Independence Hall by Charles Willson Peale, 1778

Library of Congress

A Last Hope for Peace

July 5, 1775—the Olive Branch Petition was signed in the Assembly Room of Independence Hall. The petition was an attempt to stave off war in the aftermath of the armed conflict in Lexington and Concord, Massachusettes. In less than a years time, many of these same men would return to Independence Hall to approve the Declaration of Independence.

John Dickinson

Portrait of John Dickinson, American politician

Drafting the Olive Branch Petition

Although fighting had already begun, many in Philadelphia didn't support independence. The Second Continental Congress formed a committee to draft the Olive Branch Petition, a formal appeal to King George III.

Committee members included:

• John Dickinson
• Benjamin Franklin
• John Jay
• Thomas Jefferson
• John Rutledge

John Dickinson was the primary author of the Petition. Dickinson, known to many as the author of the "Letters of a Pennsylvania Farmer", emphasized that the colonies sought a lasting resolution and "desire[d] the former harmony between her [Great Britain] and these colonies."

Some in congress blamed Parliament for unpopular policies like the Stamp Act, the Tea Act, and the Currency Act. They hoped that an appeal to the king would open negotiations to reach a peaceful settlement. Dickinson warned fellow congress member, Arthur Lee, that if the king were to "reject this application with contempt . . . [it] will confirm the minds of our countrymen to endure all the misfortunes that may attend the contest."

Portrait of George III, mid-18th century by Sir Allan Ramsay and Studio

Courtesy of Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts

Dispatching the Olive Branch Petition

Congress had adopted the Olive Branch Petition on July 5, 1775, and representatives of twelve colonies (Georgia had not yet arrived) signed the the petition on July 8 in the Assembly Room of Independence Hall. The formal petition was then entrusted in the care of Richard Penn, a former Governor of Pennsylvania, and Arthur Lee for the long journey to London. The two men presented the petition to on September 1, to British Colonial Secretary Lord Dartmouth. Penn and Lee informed congress that they had pressed Lord Dartmouth for an answer and were informed "that as his Majesty did not receive it on the throne, no answer would be given."

King George III declared the colonies to be in a state of "open and avowed rebellion."

Aftermath

The rejection fo the Olive Branch Petition by King George III emboldened members of congress to push for more radical steps. The whispers of independence grew louder.