The Olive Branch Petition was a document sent by the Second Continental Congress to King George III of Great Britain in July 1775. Its primary purpose was to express the colonies' desire for peace and to attempt to avoid a full-scale war with Britain in the wake of escalating tensions following the battles of Lexington and Concord. The petition affirmed the colonists' loyalty to the crown and called for a resolution of their grievances through negotiation rather than armed conflict.
The petition sought to address issues such as taxation without representation, the enforcement of the Coercive Acts, and other grievances that had fueled colonial unrest. It was an appeal for reconciliation and a demonstration of the colonists' willingness to resolve their differences peacefully. However, King George III rejected the petition, which ultimately contributed to the decision by the colonies to pursue independence and led to the American Revolutionary War.