Congress returns to Philadelphia under Hancock's presidency, March 1777

Hancock and Congress returned to Philadelphia in March 1777, re-establishing the body's seat in the city after the flight to Baltimore. Hancock presided as President, an office he had held unanimously since May 24, 1775. A legacy record describes this as the start of a 199-day session on March 4, 1777, lasting until September 18, but the supplied passages do not state these specific dates or the duration, so they are retained only as unverified hints. The return proved temporary: six months later, Congress was compelled to flee when the British occupied Philadelphia.