Continental Congress Flees to York, Pennsylvania

As British forces under Howe advanced on Philadelphia after the Battle of Brandywine, the Continental Congress hastily evacuated on September 18–19, 1777, relocating first to Lancaster and then to York, Pennsylvania, where it would govern until June 1778. At York, Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation and received news of the French alliance. The evacuation demonstrated the fragility of the revolutionary government while also proving its resilience.