127. A Virginia county (Frederick) suggests a Continental Congress and a "General Association" of the colonies (June 8); from Force's _American Archives_ 406 128. Virginia issues the first call for a provincial convention (to elect delegates to the Continental Congress); _ib._: _a._ Suggestion from the ex-Burgesses, May 30, 1774 407 _b._ Sample notice of the call by an ex-Burgess to his county (a letter from Thomas Mason of June 16) 408 _c._ Typical call (June 27) by a county committee for a county meeting (Norfolk) to instruct delegates to the coming provincial convention 409 129. Typical Instructions by Virginia county meetings: _a._ Westmoreland County 410 _b._ George Washington's county (Fairfax) 412 _c._ Nansemond County 416 _d._ York County 417 _e._ Middlesex County (disapproval of the Boston Tea Party) 417 130. The First Continental Congress: _a._ The decision upon how the colonies should vote; from John Adams' "Diary" in his _Works_ 418 _b._ Adams' impressions of the meeting at its close; _ib._ 420 _c._ The Declaration of Rights; from Ford's _Journals of the Continental Congress_ 421 _d._ The Act of Association; _ib._ 427 131. Typical resolutions by a Virginia county (Prince William) approving the Association of the Continental Congress; from Force's _American Archives_ 432 132. Virginia county conventions become de facto governments (typical action by Fairfax County, organizing a Revolutionary militia January 17, 1775); _ib._ 433 133. The Virginia Provincial Convention becomes a government: _a._ Cumberland County instructs delegates for preparation for war; _ib._ 435 _b._ The Second Virginia Convention arms and taxes the colony; _ib._ 436 _c._ The Third Convention (June, 1775) assumes the forms of a government; from _Virginia Calendar of State Papers_ 442 XXIII. Independence 134. Charlotte County, Virginia, instructs delegates (April 23, 1776) to the coming Fourth Virginia Convention to favor independence and an independent State constitution; Force's _American Archives_ 443