Whereas: Stories from the People’s House

76 Facts in Honor of 1776

For much of the past year, the Office of the Historian at the U.S. House of Representatives has used the occasion of America’s semiquincentennial—its 250th anniversary—to explore the House’s connection to the Revolutionary era—the people, places, and events that helped shape the course of America’s independence and, later, gave structure to America’s new national government.

The Office of the Historian has written about some of these discoveries on our website as Historical Highlights including the lottery held by the Continental Congress, George Washington’s letter to the Congress on conditions in Boston in 1776, the Olive Branch Petition to King George III, as well as many other events in colonial America.

Sometimes, however, researchers uncover curious facts and esoteric data about the founding period that might not merit a full article. But that historical minutia nevertheless remains interesting. And taken together, it can reveal much about the House’s connection to the nation’s Founders.

As part of a new America250 exhibit, the Office of the Historian has assembled 76 facts organized across a dozen categories about the Continental and Confederation Congresses and their Delegates. Each tidbit provides fascinating insight into life in Revolutionary-era America.

Spark your curiosity about this unique time in American history with 13 examples of interesting facts related to 1776:

/tiles/non-collection/6/6-3-Cheves-2005_016_008.xml Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives
About this object Speaker Langdon Cheves was one of 35 Representatives born in 1776.
1. Thirty-five Representatives were born in 1776, including Speaker Langdon Cheves. The longest-lived of those born in 1776 was Samuel Thatcher of Massachusetts, who died in 1872 at the age of 96.
2. Colonial delegations to the Continental Congress would not only spend all day debating together but would also sometimes board at the same lodgings at night in Philadelphia. In September 1776, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, as part of a delegation to negotiate peace with Lord Howe on Long Island, New York, were forced to share a bed during their travels and argued at length about whether to keep a window open.
3. Delegates served in the Continental Congresses despite significant risk to their lives and property. John Hart of New Jersey had to hide in the wilderness for several days in the winter of 1776 to avoid capture by the British.
4. Two men served terms as both President of the Continental Congress and President of Congress under the Confederation: John Hancock of Massachusetts and Samuel Huntington of Connecticut.
5. The Syng inkstand was likely used in the signing of both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. It is kept in Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The House has its own famous inkstand.
6. The Continental Congress did not have a library of its own and initially borrowed books from the Library Company of Philadelphia.
7. Five signers of the Declaration of Independence later served in the U.S. House of Representatives: Abraham Clark, George Clymer, William Floyd, Elbridge Gerry, and Roger Sherman.
/tiles/non-collection/6/6-3-roger-sherman_bioguide-family.xml Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Framer Roger Sherman was the patriarch for numerous relatives with congressional service, all of whom can be seen in his Biographical Directory entry.
8. The Continental and Confederation Congresses met in nine different locations across 15 years. The shortest stay was at the Court House in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where the Second Continental Congress met for only one day.
9. Smallpox outbreaks were an ongoing concern of both the Continental Congress and the Continental Army. The congressional committee appointed to investigate the failure of America’s Canadian campaign reported back to the Congress in July of 1776, that, when compared to a lack of personnel and provisions, “a still greater, and more fatal, source of misfortune has been, the prevalence of the small pox in that army.” Some Members, including Samuel Huntington of Connecticut, also caught the disease while serving in Congress.
10. Attending the First and Second Continental Congresses, along with the Confederation Congress, Roger Sherman of Connecticut was the only Delegate who signed the Declaration of 1774, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Federal Constitution.
11. Many Delegates to the Continental and Confederation Congresses began a tradition of service that carried on across multiple generations in their families. Benjamin Harrison of Virginia and Frederick Frelinghuysen of New Jersey each had at least five descendants serve in the later Federal Congresses.
12. The Delegates to the Continental and Confederation Congresses came from a wide variety of educational backgrounds, with some self-taught and others having attended prestigious universities. George Wythe of Virginia’s entry in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is unique in that it states he was “privately instructed by his mother.”
13. Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Delegate to the Second Continental Congress, Francis Hopkinson of New Jersey was also known for his original music, including his 1759 composition of music for the poem “My Days Have Been So Wondrous Free.”

Want to learn more about the lives of the Delegates to the pre-federal Congresses? Check out the extended list of 76 facts celebrating the 250th anniversary of 1776, and discover the answers to numerous questions including:

• What canine companion did George Washington bring with him to attend the Continental Congress in Philadelphia?
• Which Member of the Confederation Congress disappeared mysteriously?
• How much were Revolutionary War trumpeters paid for their service?

Readers eager for more trivia and nearly 250 years of superlatives in House History should peruse Firsts & Milestones in the House of Representatives. For more history related to America250, keep an eye out for regular updates to Whereas: Stories from the People’s House.