Original Resolution of the Continental Congress, Signed by President John Hancock, Urgently Requesting Reinforcements For George Washington’s Army and Mentioning Washington by Name

It both called for troops and sought to send a message, wanting to "make the army under the immediate command of General Washington, sufficiently strong, not only to curb and confine the enemy…but, by the divine blessing, totally to subdue them before they can be reinforced."

On August 2, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed. Some saw this as an end in itself, but most members of the Continental Congress were only too well aware that this was just the beginning. Until the declaration, some peace arrangement with Great Britain might have been feasible. Now, however, the new nation would need to sustain its independence on the battlefield, and its leaders would indeed be risking, to use Thomas Jefferson's phrase, their lives and fortunes to uphold their sacred honor.

It did not take long for matters to start going badly, as the American war effort in New York imploded. Gen. George Washington had been ordered to hold New York, come what may. However, on August 27, the British won the Battle of Long Island, driving the Americans back on Manhattan. Following up on this victory, on September 15 the British landed men on lower Manhattan, quickly taking control of New York City. Rather than attempting to dislodge Washington from his strong position in upper Manhattan, the British opted for a flanking maneuver. Landing troops in Westchester County above Washington's position, British general Howe sought to encircle the Americans. To defend against this move and meet the foe, Washington withdrew most of his army north to White Plains in Westchester County. There, on October 28, the British won another victory, and Washington fell back. This isolated the small number of Continental Army troops remaining in Manhattan, so Howe returned to Manhattan, and captured Fort Washington in mid-November, taking almost 3,000 prisoners. The British now held all of the New York City area. Meanwhile, Washington fled through New Jersey, crossing the Delaware River into Pennsylvania in mid-December.

On Christmas 1776, Washington took 2400 of his men and famously recrossed the Delaware River. He then conducted a surprise raid on 1500 Hessians at Trenton, New Jersey. The Hessians surrendered after an hour with nearly 1000 taken prisoner, while Washington suffered only six wounded  pin the action (including future president Lt. James Monroe) and reoccupied Trenton. The victory provided a much needed boost to the morale of the Americans.

On January 3, 1777, Washington won a second important victory as his troops defeated the British at Princeton and drive them back on New York. Washington then established winter quarters at Morristown, New Jersey. There, from hills around the camp, he could keep an eye on the British army in nearby New York. During the harsh winter, Washington's army shrank to about a thousand men as enlistments expired, soldiers went home, and deserters fled the hardships. Meanwhile, Washington warily watched the British, whom he expected might take advantage of his weakened situation to either attack and decimate his force or take additional territory.

In late February Washington's fears seemed justified. He wrote a letter to Congress informing it that British Generals Howe and Lord Percy had arrived at New Brunswick, New Jersey, with a force of troops and heavy artillery; that he apprehended the enemy intended to enlarge their quarters and procure forage in New Jersey, or to march towards Philadelphia, neither of which would his force be able to prevent. This letter was read in Congress on February 24 and caused quite a stir. According to the "Journals of the Continental Congress", Congress immediately acted to provide reinforcements. It ordered Washington to call to his aid the Continental troops under General Heath in northern New York, and in Providence, R.I., and letters were ordered to be written to colonels of the battalions north of North Carolina, ordering them to send their troops by companies, and parts of companies as fast as they could be got ready, to join the General. New York was requested to send detachments of its militia to fill the place of General Heath, and Washington was directed to write similar letters to the colonels or other commanding officers of the regiments being raised and recruited in the states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

New Jersey and Pennsylvania were in immediate proximity to the British threat and were urgently requested to reinforce Washington with militia. Congress passed a resolution, "In Congress, February 24th, 1777. Resolved, that the governor of New Jersey be requested to order the militia of that State properly armed and equipped, immediately to join the General; and that the council of safety of Pensylvania be also requested to send to the aid of the General, such of their militia, properly armed and equipped, as are contiguous to New Jersey. It being the earnest desire of Congress, to make the army under the immediate command of General Washington, sufficiently strong, not only to curb and confine the enemy within their present quarters, and prevent them from drawing support of any kind from the country, but, by the divine blessing, totally to subdue them before they can be reinforced." Copies of the resolution were prepared, and they were signed by President of Congress John Hancock. They were sent to the two states involved the next day, with another copy going, as usual, to Washington himself. This is surely one of those. It is only the second item signed by John Hancock during the war, that directly references George Washington, that we have ever carried.

Interestingly, the last clause of the resolution, stating the intention to entirely subdue the British, provoked a disagreement. "This pompous paragraph was much condemned by some Gentlemen, as an unworthy gasconade and it was warmly debated. North Carolina observed that threats were unbecoming a private Gentleman, and much more unbecoming a public body: that this pompous boast, if not realized, would render the Congress exceedingly ridiculous, and there was great reason to fear it would not; that our vigour ought to appear by efforts not words; that at best it was a useless superfluity, and ought to be expunged." It was retained by a narrow vote.

In the end, Washington failed to receive the immediate, massive reinforcements he hoped for, but he did receive effective aid from the New Jersey militia. The British were mainly out looking for supplies, and in a series of engagements the Americans routed them, caused them significant casualties, and cut off their sources. They would have to be supplied directly from Europe, at great cost of time and money. And over the coming months, recruits requested pursuant to orders such as went out to the states in February yielded results, and Washington's army was up to strength of 6,000 men by the start of the spring campaign.