Final answer:
The Second Continental Congress met on May 10, 1775 to address Britain's late Conciliatory Proposition, but the rampant conflict signaled by Lexington and Concord had made the colonies inclined toward independence, culminating in the Declaration of Independence.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Second Continental Congress convened on May 10, 1775, amid rising tensions between the American colonies and Great Britain. The main problem the delegates encountered was responding to the Conciliatory Proposition from Lord North, which unfortunately came too late as conflicts at Lexington and Concord had already escalated the situation beyond the point of peaceful resolution. Many colonists, including influential figures such as Patrick Henry and John Dickinson, recognized that reconciliation seemed impossible and that the colonies needed to pursue independence. The Congress continued to meet until it was replaced by the Confederation Congress in 1781. The growing consensus on independence ultimately led to the drafting and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.