Amazing Find! American History at my Fingertips.

I dropped into an antique shop in Eugene and prowled through their assortment of books, pamphlets, and ephemera. I was looking for things that might interest me - and I have a wide range of interests. Without going into detail about what I saw or where, suffice it to say that I came home with a small bundle of papers that I paid what, to me, was a lot of money. I paid $40. I didn't go through the bundle until I got to the office, and then I got a shock. The Continental Congress met three times. What most of us think of as "The Continental Congress" was actually the Second Continental Congress, which culminated in the Declaration of Independence. Before that, in 1774, the First Continental Congress laid the groundwork for what was to come. Among other things, they listed their grievances against Britain, and approved the first draft of the Bill of Rights. When they adjourned they contacted a local printer and commissioned a pamphlet called "Extracts from the votes and proceedings of the American Continental Congress held at Philadelphia on the 5th of September, 1774 containing the resolves, the association, an address to the people of Great-Britain, and a memorial to the inhabitants of the British American colonies." It was dated September 5, 1774. You guessed it. In the back of the packet of miscellaneous papers that I purchased was an original pamphlet dated 1774. It needs some gentle restoration, which I will probably turn over to a professional. Then I probably need to find a museum to donate it to. I'm still shaking.