To American revolutionaries, patriotism meant fair dealing with one another
- Written by Barbara Clark Smith, Curator, Division of Political History, Smithsonian Institution
A 1782 engraving depicts the First Continental Congress, held in 1774.François Godefroy engraving from Library of CongressWhen modern Americans call themselves patriots, they are evoking a sentiment that is 250 years old.
In September 1774, nearly two years before the Declaration of Independence, delegates from 12 of the 13 Colonies gathered...
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