Malcolm Rivera
The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies that served as the government of the 13 American colonies and later the United States from 1774 to 1789. The First Continental Congress, which included delegates such as George Washington and Patrick Henry, met in 1774 in response to escalating tensions between the colonies and Britain, which led to the passage of the Intolerable Acts. The Second Continental Congress served as the provisional government of the U.S. during the Revolutionary War. But did the Continental Congress have a constitution in the beginning?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of the first meeting | 1774 |
| Meeting place | Philadelphia |
| Meeting place of the First Continental Congress | Carpenters' Hall, Philadelphia |
| Number of colonies represented | 12 |
| Delegates | Patrick Henry, George Washington, John and Samuel Adams, John Jay, and John Dickinson |
| Goal | To end abuses of parliamentary authority and retain their rights |
| Outcome | Declaration and Resolves, including the Continental Association |
| Declaration and Resolves | Proposal for an embargo on British trade |
| Petition | To the King, pleading for redress of grievances and repeal of the Intolerable Acts |
| First constitution | The Articles of Confederation, ratified in 1781 |
| Replacement of the Articles of Confederation | U.S. Constitution, came into effect in 1789 |
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What You'll Learn
The First Continental Congress
The delegates to the First Continental Congress were elected by the people of the respective colonies, the colonial legislature, or by the Committee of Correspondence of a colony. The list of delegates included prominent colonial leaders such as Samuel Adams of Massachusetts and two future presidents of the United States, George Washington and John Adams. The Congress was structured with an emphasis on the equality of participants and the promotion of free debate.
The Continental Congress served as the government of the 13 American colonies and later the United States, from 1774 to 1789. In 1776, the Second Continental Congress took the momentous step of declaring America's independence from Britain. In 1781, the Congress ratified the first national constitution, the Articles of Confederation, under which the country was governed until 1789 when it was replaced by the U.S. Constitution.
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The Second Continental Congress
The Articles of Confederation were superseded by the Constitution of the United States, and the Confederation Congress was replaced by the United States Congress. The new U.S. Constitution went into effect in 1789, and the Continental Congress adjourned forever.
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The Articles of Confederation
However, the Articles of Confederation proved to be an imperfect instrument for governing a nation at peace. The central government had insufficient power to regulate commerce, collect taxes, or support a war effort. The states retained considerable power, and the Confederation Congress had little power to compel the individual states to comply with its decisions. Many prospective delegates elected to the Confederation Congress declined to serve in it, and the leading men in each state preferred to serve in their state governments.
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The US Constitution
The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies with some executive functions for the Thirteen Colonies of Great Britain in North America and the newly declared United States of America. The First Continental Congress, which included delegates such as George Washington and Samuel Adams, met in 1774 in response to escalating tensions between the colonies and the British, culminating in the passage of the Intolerable Acts by the British Parliament. During the opening weeks of the Congress, delegates discussed how the colonies could collectively respond to the British government's coercive actions. The First Continental Congress passed the Continental Association in its Declaration and Resolves, which called for a boycott of British goods to take effect in December 1774.
The Second Continental Congress served as the provisional government of the U.S. during the Revolutionary War. In March 1781, the nation's first Frame of Government, the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, came into force. This document served as the United States' first constitution. The Second Continental Congress became the Congress of the Confederation, officially styled as the "United States in Congress Assembled". The Articles of Confederation outlined a Congress with representation not based on population – each state would have one vote in Congress.
The Articles of Confederation proved to be imperfect, and a movement for constitutional reform developed, culminating in the Philadelphia Convention of 1787. The delegates at the convention decided to scrap the Articles of Confederation and create a new system of government. In 1789, the new U.S. Constitution went into effect, and the Continental Congress adjourned forever, replaced by the U.S. government's legislative branch.
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The Philadelphia Convention
The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. The Continental Congress served as the government of the 13 American colonies and later the United States, from 1774 to 1789. The First Continental Congress, composed of delegates from the colonies, met in 1774 in response to the Intolerable Acts, a series of measures imposed by the British government after the colonies resisted new taxes.
The Articles of Confederation had proven to be an imperfect instrument for a nation at peace with the world. The years immediately following the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783 presented the young American nation with a series of difficulties that the Congress could not adequately remedy, including dire financial straits, interstate rivalries, and domestic insurrection. The Confederation Congress lacked the authority to regulate trade and commerce. The delegates to the Philadelphia Convention proposed a new Constitution that established three branches of government with distinct powers, allowing for a more balanced and effective governance structure.
The United States Constitution that emerged from the convention established a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments. Under the reformed federal system, many of the responsibilities for foreign affairs fell under the authority of an executive branch, although important powers, such as treaty ratification, remained the responsibility of the legislative branch. The new Constitution also established a bicameral legislature, resolving disputes between large and small states regarding legislative representation.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the Continental Congress did not have a constitution at the beginning. The Articles of Confederation, the first national constitution, was ratified in 1781.
The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies with some executive functions for the Thirteen Colonies of Great Britain in North America and the newly declared United States before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War.
The Continental Congress served as the government of the 13 American colonies and later the United States, from 1774 to 1789. It was formed in response to escalating tensions between the colonies and the British, specifically the passage of the Intolerable Acts by the British Parliament.
The Continental Congress issued a Declaration of Rights, affirming loyalty to the British Crown but disputing the British Parliament's right to tax without representation. It also passed the Articles of Association, which called for a boycott of British goods. The Congress also declared America's independence from Britain in 1776.
The Continental Congress's actions led to the creation of the Articles of Confederation, which served as the United States' first constitution. The Articles of Confederation were adopted in 1777 and came into force in 1781. However, they were superseded by the U.S. Constitution in 1789.
