To whom did the Second Continental Congress address the Olive Branch Petition in 1775?

The Second Continental Congress addressed the Olive Branch Petition to King George III in 1775.

Congress adopted the petition on July 5, 1775, and signed it on July 8. It was a final attempt to avoid a complete break with Great Britain after fighting had begun at Lexington and Concord and the Siege of Boston was underway.

The petition affirmed loyalty to the Crown while asking the king to help settle disputes over taxation, trade, and colonial rights. John Dickinson was its primary author, and John Hancock signed it as president of Congress.

George III refused to receive the petition before declaring the colonies in rebellion. Its rejection showed that reconciliation had become increasingly unlikely, especially as Congress simultaneously prepared for continued military resistance.