Did You Know that York PA was our Capital?
Did you know that during the American Revolutionary
War the Continental Congress met at York?
As the temporary capital of
the first 13 colonies the Articles of Confederation were first drafted and
adopted.
However, they were not ratified until March 1781.
York considers itself the
first Capital of the United States.
However most historians
generally consider it to be the fourth capital, after Philadelphia, Baltimore
and Lancaster.
Why would York advocates proclaim this notoriety?
The basis of their argument
is that the Articles of Confederation
was the first legal document to refer to the colonies the name of the new
nation to the world as "the United States of America".
The opposing arguments states
how the Declaration of Independence is viewed
as a legal document since this world famous document also used the same term.
However, it's important to
realized that the Declaration of Independence
would be considered a true legal document of the United States, being
drafted under and in opposition to British rule.
This does not, however,
prevent modern businesses and organizations in the York area, such as the First
Capital Dispensing Co., First Capital Engineering and First Capital Federal
Credit Union from using the name.
For those that like the more
racy tidbits of the historic political battles of the day would enjoy the tale
of the The Conway Cabal. This was a tale
of political intrigue against General George Washington which reportedly had
its origins in the Golden Plough Tavern in York.
The Conway Cabal was a group
of senior Continental Army officers in late 1777 and early 1778 who aimed to
have George Washington replaced as commander-in-chief of the Army during the
American Revolutionary War. It was named after Brigadier General Thomas Conway,
whose letters criticizing Washington were forwarded to the Second Continental
Congress.
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