<P> The Congress moved from Philadelphia to Baltimore in the winter of 1776 to avoid capture by British forces who were advancing on Philadelphia . Henry Fite's tavern was the largest building in Baltimore Town at the time and provided a comfortable location of sufficient size for Congress to meet . Its site at the western edge of town was beyond easy reach of the British Royal Navy's ships should they try to sail up the harbor and the Patapsco River to shell the town . Congress was again forced to flee Philadelphia at the end of September 1777, as British troops occupied the city; they moved to York, Pennsylvania and continued their work . </P> <P> Congress passed the Articles of Confederation on November 15, 1777, after more than a year of debate, and sent them to the states for ratification . Jefferson's proposal for a Senate to represent the states and a House to represent the people was rejected, but a similar proposal was adopted later in the United States Constitution . One issue of debate was large states wanting a larger say, nullified by small states who feared tyranny . The small states won and each state had one vote . Congress urged the individual states to pass the Articles as quickly as possible, but it took three and a half years for all the states to ratify them . The State Legislature of Virginia was the first of the Thirteen States to ratify the Articles on December 16, 1777, and the State Legislature of Maryland was the last on February 2, 1781 . </P> <Ul> <Li> May 10, 1775--December 12, 1776, Pennsylvania State House, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania </Li> <Li> December 20, 1776--February 27, 1777, Henry Fite House, Baltimore, Maryland </Li> <Li> March 5, 1777--September 18, 1777, Pennsylvania State House, Philadelphia </Li> <Li> September 27, 1777 (one day only), Court House, Lancaster, Pennsylvania </Li> <Li> September 30, 1777--June 27, 1778, Court House, York, Pennsylvania </Li> <Li> July 2, 1778--July 20, 1778, College Hall, Philadelphia </Li> <Li> July 23, 1778--March 1, 1781, Pennsylvania State House, Philadelphia </Li> </Ul> <Li> May 10, 1775--December 12, 1776, Pennsylvania State House, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania </Li>

What was the most important decision the second continental congress made