Continental Congress's 1775 Address to Canada

In the spring of 1775, as tensions escalated into open conflict between Great Britain and its thirteen North American colonies, the nascent Continental Congress sought allies and support wherever it might be found. Recognizing thestrategic significance of the territory to the north, the Congress turned its attention to the inhabitants of Canada. On May 29, 1775, it approved a formal communication titled the "Address to the Inhabitants of the Province of Quebec," essentially an open letter drafted primarily by John Jay andsigned by President John Hancock. This document represented an early attempt by the United Colonies to persuade their northern neighbors, encompassing bothFrench- and English-speaking populations, to join their cause against perceived British oppression.