Page 200 - Beholding Liberty!
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200 BEHOLDING LIBERTY!
Right from the outbreak of the Revolution evident was the need to establish a central administrative authority, which would undertake the coordination of the Struggle as well as the political and administrative organization of the liberated areas.
In that direction, already from 1821 local
and peripheral administrative organizations (i.e. Messinian Senate, Achaean Directorate, Senate of Western Continental Greece, Areus Pagus) were formed. From the end of the
first year, this mission was assigned to the National Assemblies, with wide representation of plenipotentiaries from the revolted areas. The First National Assembly was held
at Piada, a village near the ruins of ancient Epidaurus (21 December 1821 - 15 January 1822). In it took part notables, chieftains, shipowners from the islands, representatives of the clergy, but also Phanariots and intellectuals, who had arrived from aboard. The First National Assembly was called «National Advisory Assembly», given that the main purpose was the drafting of an organic law for the national Parliament. Indeed, on the 1st January 1822 the first Constitution of
