Editing Second Continental Congress (section)

== Legacy ==

The Second Continental Congress disbanded in 1781 when the Articles of Confederation took effect, transferring authority to the Confederation Congress. Its legacy, however, extended far beyond its formal existence. The Congress had declared independence, conducted a successful war, negotiated international alliances, and established the precedents and practices of American national government. The relationships and conflicts among delegates shaped the political alignments of the early republic, while the Congress's struggles with finance, administration, and interstate cooperation revealed the weaknesses that the Constitution would attempt to address. [[Independence Hall]], where the Congress met for most of its existence, became a symbol of American democracy, commemorating the body that transformed thirteen colonies into an independent nation.<ref name="rakove"/>