On this day 250 years ago, three independent American legislatures convened with no authorization from the British Government.

In Trenton, New Jersey, 83 representatives from 13 counties met as the New Jersey Provincial Congress. They elected German immigrant Hendrick Fisher, Jr. , a farmer, mechanic, preacher and founder of what is now Rutgers University, as the first President of the Provincial Congress of New Jersey even though he was 78 years old. Fisher may have been our only Founding Father born in the 17th Century. The British Government labeled him as an “arch traitor” to the Crown and the British Army would drive him from his home when they occupied New Jersey. He would not survive the Revolution.

Source: https://www.americanhistorycentral.com/entries/hendrick-fisher/; Ryan, Dennis P., New Jersey in the American Revolution, 1763-1783, A Chronology, New Jersey Historical Commission, Trenton, 1975 available at https://www.njssar.org/chronology

In New York City, the Committee of One Hundred disbanded and was replaced by the New York Provincial Congress.

Source: https://constitutingamerica.org/90day-dcin-francis-lewis-of-new-york-businessman-prisoner-of-war-stamp-act-second-continental-congress-delegate-signer-declaration-of-independence-guest-essayist-joerg-knipprath/

And in Boonesborough, now in Kentucky, the House of Delegates of Transylvania was the first legislative body of Americans to assemble west of Cumberland Gap.

Source: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23370451?read-now=1&seq=3#page_scan_tab_contents ; https://explorekyhistory.ky.gov/items/show/585; https://www.kycolonelcy.us/colonels/col-richard-henderson