Signers of the Continental Association

The Continental Association, also known as the Articles of Association, was an agreement among the American colonies adopted by the First Continental Congress on October 20, 1774, in Philadelphia. It aimed to address the colonies' grievances, particularly the Intolerable Acts, through a trade boycott against British merchants. The "non-importation, non-consumption, non-exportation" agreement, suggested by Richard Henry Lee and based on the 1769 Virginia Association initiated by George Washington, began with a pledge of loyalty to King George III and banned British imports starting December 1, 1774. The boycott caused a sharp decline in trade with Britain, which retaliated with the New England Restraining Act. The outbreak of the American Revolutionary War in April 1775 rendered the boycott unnecessary. The Association demonstrated the colonies' collective will to act in their common interests and is considered a foundational moment in the creation of the union that would become the United States, as referenced by Abraham Lincoln in his 1861 inaugural address.

Twenty of the 53 signers also signed the Declaration of Independence.

Two of the signers eventually became Loyalists after the signing of The Declaration of Independence, and fled to Britain. They were Joseph Galloway and Isaac Low. One of the signers, Silas Deane, died under mysterious circumstances on his way back to Boston, and is buried in Deal, UK.

Thus far we have visited 32 of the 53 gravesites of these signers.

Recommended video: The Forgotten Foundational Document: The Articles of Association. by @TheHistoryGuyChannel.

Presidents of the Continental Congress

The president of the United States in Congress Assembled, known unofficially as the president of the Continental Congress and later as president of the Congress of the Confederation, was the presiding officer of the Continental Congress, the convention of delegates that assembled in Philadelphia as the first transitional national government of the United States during the American Revolution. The president was a member of Congress elected by the other delegates to serve as a neutral discussion moderator during meetings of Congress. Designed to be a largely ceremonial position without much influence, the office was unrelated to the later office of President of the United States.

Fourteen men served as President of the Continental Congress (1774 - 1788) in the order shown below. We have been to the gravesite of ten of the fourteen presidents.

An excellent source of information about the Presidents of the Continental Congress can be found at website: President of the Continental Congress

Signers of the Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation were signed by delegates from all thirteen states, though not all were present at the same time. Sixteen signers of the Articles also signed the Declaration of Independence. Congress approved the Articles in 1777, and the signing began on July 9, 1778, with delegates from eight states. New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland couldn't sign initially due to pending state ratifications, while North Carolina and Georgia's delegates were absent. Signings continued as more states ratified the Articles, with Maryland being the last to do so on March 1, 1781, after resolving a conflict over western lands. By then, many original creators were no longer delegates, and some signers had not participated in the initial debates.

This is the list of the Signers of The Articles of Confederation. Thus far we have visited 30 of the 48 signers gravesites. Sadly, five of the 48 signers burial locations are Unknown, and one is Unmarked.

An excellent source of information about the Signers can be found at the following National Archives website: Articles of Confederation (1777)

Presidents of the Republic of Texas

The Republic of Texas was formed in 1836. In the midst of the Texas Revolution, Texan settlers elected delegates to the Convention of 1836, which issued the Texas Declaration of Independence and elected David G. Burnet as interim president of the new country. In May 1836 Burnet and Mexican dictator Antonio López de Santa Anna, who was at the time a Texan prisoner-of-war, signed the Treaties of Velasco officially recognizing Texas's break from Mexico.

The president of the Republic of Texas was the head of state and head of government while Texas was an independent republic between 1836 and 1845. The president served as the commander-in-chief of the Texas Military Forces. Four men served as President of the Republic, and one, Sam Houston, served two nonconsecutive terms.

Signers of The United States Constitution

This is the list of the Signers of The United States Constitution on September 17, 1787. Thus far we have visited 28 of the 39 signers gravesites.

An excellent source of information about the Signers can be found at the following National Park Service website: Historic Places Commemorating the Signing of the Constitution

Texas Oil & Gas Fields

Signers of The Declaration of Independence

This is our list of the signers of The Declaration of Independence. Thus far we have visited (or attempted to visit) all 56 signers gravesites. Some of the signers are buried on private property and are not accessible to the public. An excellent source of information about the Signers can be found at the following National Park Service website: Signers of the Declaration of Independence

States and Capitols We've Visited

Thus far in our travels we have visited all but two states together, and we have seen most of the Capitol buildings in each of these states as seen below.