Stay Out of Canada!
The capture of Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point in May could easily cause people in Quebec to worry that the Americans planned to invade. The Americans didn’t want to make more enemies — they wanted the Canadians to be on their side, against the British — so the Continental Congress agreed on an official statement, telling the American colonists to stay out of Canada:
As this Congress has nothing more in view than the defence of these colonies,
Resolved, That no expedition or incursion ought to be undertaken or made, by any colony, or body of colonists, against or into Canada; and that this Resolve be immediately transmitted to the commander of the forces at Ticonderoga.
Ordered, That the above resolve be translated into the french Language and transmitted, with the letter, to the inhabitants of Canada—also,
Ordered, That the president [of the Congress] transmit a copy of the above to New York, and the other colonies bordering on Canada…
Journals of the Continental Congress, 2:75.
Of course, it was only a few months later that the Continental Congress authorized an invasion of Canada…but that’s another story…
By the way, if you’re going to read this blog, you might want to get a little bit familiar with parliamentary language. “Resolved, That…” means that they agreed on a particular thing, and “Ordered, That…” means that they gave directions for something to be done.