inental ▁Congress , ▁aware ▁that ▁British ▁troops ▁were ▁about ▁to ▁be ▁with dra wn ▁from ▁Philadelphia , ▁ins isted ▁on ▁demand ing ▁full ▁independence , ▁which ▁the ▁commission ▁was ▁not ▁author ised ▁to ▁grant . ▁The ▁Peace ▁Commission ▁marked ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁the ▁British ▁government ▁formally ▁agreed ▁to ▁negoti ate ▁with ▁Congress ; ▁a ▁previous ▁inform al ▁attempt ▁at ▁neg ot iation , ▁known ▁today ▁as ▁the ▁St aten ▁Island ▁Peace ▁Conference , ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 6 . ▁ ▁Background ▁▁ ▁The ▁first ▁attempt ▁at ▁neg ot iation ▁between ▁Great ▁Britain ▁and ▁the ▁reb elli ous ▁Th ir teen ▁Col on ies ▁after ▁the ▁out break ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 7 7 5 ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁War ▁of ▁Independ ence ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 7 7 6 , ▁when ▁a ▁committee ▁from ▁the ▁Second ▁Cont inental ▁Congress ▁agreed ▁to ▁meet ▁with ▁Admir al ▁Lord ▁Richard ▁How e , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁given ▁limited ▁powers ▁to ▁treat ▁with ▁colon ies ▁individually . ▁ ▁The ▁limited ▁authority ▁given ▁to ▁both ▁How e ▁and ▁the ▁American ▁negoti ators ▁made ▁it ▁a ▁virtual ▁certain ty ▁that ▁nothing ▁would ▁come ▁of ▁the ▁meeting . ▁The ▁meeting ▁was ▁a ▁failure , ▁in ▁part ▁because ▁the ▁Congress ▁had ▁recently ▁declared ▁independence ▁from ▁Britain , ▁something ▁How e ▁was ▁not ▁author ised ▁to ▁recogn ise , ▁and ▁because ▁the ▁American ▁commission ers ▁had ▁no ▁substant ive ▁authority ▁from ▁Congress ▁to ▁negoti ate . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁British ▁defeat ▁at ▁Sar at oga ▁in ▁October ▁