Where did the olive branch get its name from?

Answer 1

The Olive Branch Petition was a petition to England for peace before the end of the American Revolution.

The historical symbol for peace is the olive branch, therefore, the peace proposal was called the 'Olive Branch Petition'

Answer 2

In July of 1775, the Olive Branch Petition was adopted by the Second Continental Congress in an attempt to avoid a full blown war with Great Britain. In classic colonial fashion the Petition affirmed loyalty to the Crown and beseeched the king to avoid further conflict. However, the Petition was signed after the July 6th Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of taking up Arms which made its effectiveness in London obsolete. The colonies were formally declared by King George III to be in open rebellion a month later.

John Dickinson sought reconciliation with Britain while others such as John Adams felt war was inevitable. Adams and a group of colleagues remained silent which opened the door for Dickinson to do as he pleased. Congress patiently approved the Petition, complete with John Hancock's trademark signature, and off it went to London. The Petition infers the colonies did not want independence but that they wanted to renegotiate trade and taxation as a resolve. Dickinson went as far to claim the colonists "maintain the rights and interests of your Majesty and of our Mother Country."

The Olive Branch Petition was uncompromisingly rejected by King George III. For one, the king denied the congress had any legal standing to meet in the first place and therefore he could not entertain an illegal document. He also viewed the document as being hypocritical and disingenuous due to the Declaration of Taking up Arms along with losses suffered at Bunker Hill (about 1,000 British Regulars perished). In return the king issued the Proclamation of Rebellion which ordered British officials to "use their utmost endeavors to withstand and suppress such rebellion."

Rejection of the Petition and subsequent response gave people like John Adams the opportunity to move forward at full-throttle the push for independence. In the minds of colonists, and with a line clearly drawn in the sand, from this point forward it was either going to be complete submission to the Crown or absolute independence, and Adams was hell-bent on the latter.

Answer 3

America is were we