In 1805, a new Continental Congress was celebrated. It had been 20 years since the execution of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The Congress was celebrated under the auspices of James Madison, former protegée of Thomas Jefferson. After several days of talks, the congressmen from the 15 attending colonies (Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, South Carolina and Georgia) signed the Declaration of Independence. Due to that Florida was not one of the seceding territories, the Spanish Empire supported the American independence and sent troops and ships to America to fight the British.