- Creator
- United States.
- Call number
- MssCol 2291
- Physical description
- .3 linear feet (2 volumes)
- Preferred Citation
Petition to George III, King of Great Britain, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library
- Sponsor
- Digitization was made possible by a lead gift from The Polonsky Foundation.
- Repository
- Manuscripts and Archives Division
- Access to materials
- Request an in-person research appointment.
- The entirety of this collection has been digitized and is available online.
Manuscript petition (7 p.) signed by forty-six members of the Second Continental Congress on July 8, 1775, asking King George III to use his authority and influence to address grievances and restore harmony in the government's relations with the American colonies. The petition, drafted by John Dickinson, is considered the colonies' final effort to avert revolution against Great Britain. The document is also known as the Olive Branch Petition.
Digital Assets
Administrative information
Custodial history
Document held in the papers of the 2nd Earl Fitzwilliam (1748-1833, 4th Earl in the Irish peerage) and his descendants at Milton near Peterborough, England until sold at auction at Anderson Galleries, Inc., New York City, 1932.
Source of acquisition
Donated by Lucius Wilmerding, 1948
Processing information
Compiled by Susan P. Waide, 2014
Related Material
Reply to the Olive Branch Petition. Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library. Richard Penn and Arthur Lee letters regarding the Olive Branch Petition. Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library.Bibliography
Reproduced in: The Olive branch petition of the American Congress to George III, 1775, and letters of the American envoys, August-September 1775 [with essays by] Cornelius W. Wickersham [and] Gilbert H. Montague. New York: New York Public Library, 1954
Key terms
Names
- Dickinson, John, 1732-1808 (creator)
- George, 1738-1820 -- III -- King of Great Britain
- United States. Continental Congress
Places
- Great Britain -- Colonies -- America -- Administration
- United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783
- United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783
Occupations
Material types
Titles
Using the collection
Location
Manuscripts and Archives DivisionStephen A. Schwarzman Building
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018-2788
Brooke Russell Astor Reading Room, Third Floor, Room 328