Jonah Patel
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 American colonies, held in Philadelphia in 1774. The meeting was organised in response to escalating tensions between the colonies and the British, including the blockade of Boston Harbour and the passage of the Intolerable Acts by the British Parliament following the Boston Tea Party. The First Continental Congress rejected a plan for reconciling British authority with colonial freedom, instead adopting a declaration of personal rights, including life, liberty, property, assembly, and trial by jury. This declaration also denounced taxation without representation and the maintenance of the British army in the colonies without their consent. The First Continental Congress led to the ratification of the first national constitution, the Articles of Confederation, in 1781, which governed the country until 1789 when it was replaced by the U.S. Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 5 September to 26 October 1774 |
| Location | Carpenters' Hall, Philadelphia |
| Delegates | 12 of the 13 colonies |
| Reason | To discuss how to respond to the British government's actions, including the blockade of Boston Harbour and the Intolerable Acts |
| Outcome | Adopted a declaration of personal rights, including life, liberty, property, assembly, and trial by jury; rejected a plan for reconciling British authority with colonial freedom; called for a boycott of British goods and nonexportation of American products |
| Later developments | In 1776, the Second Continental Congress declared America's independence from Britain; in 1781, the Congress ratified the first national constitution, the Articles of Confederation |
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What You'll Learn
- The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies
- The meeting was held in Philadelphia in 1774
- The meeting was a response to the British Navy's blockade of Boston Harbour
- The delegates discussed how to respond to the British government's actions
- The First Continental Congress rejected a plan for reconciling British authority with colonial freedom
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies
The First Continental Congress served as the government of the 13 American colonies, and later the United States, from 1774 to 1789. The Congress was comprised of delegates from the colonies, including Patrick Henry, George Washington, John and Samuel Adams, John Jay, and John Dickinson. During the opening weeks of the Congress, the delegates discussed how the colonies could collectively respond to the British government's coercive actions, and they worked to make a common cause.
The First Continental Congress rejected a plan for reconciling British authority with colonial freedom. Instead, it adopted a declaration of personal rights, including life, liberty, property, assembly, and trial by jury. The declaration also denounced taxation without representation and the maintenance of the British army in the colonies without their consent. In October 1774, the Congress petitioned the crown for a redress of grievances accumulated since 1763. To force compliance, it called for a general boycott of British goods and the nonexportation of American products to Britain or the British West Indies.
In 1775, the Second Continental Congress convened after the Revolutionary War had already begun. In 1776, it took the momentous step of declaring America’s independence from Britain. Five years later, the Congress ratified the first national constitution, the Articles of Confederation, under which the country would be governed until 1789, when it was replaced by the U.S. Constitution.
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The meeting was held in Philadelphia in 1774
The First Continental Congress included Patrick Henry, George Washington, John and Samuel Adams, John Jay, and John Dickinson. Meeting in secret session, the body rejected a plan for reconciling British authority with colonial freedom. Instead, it adopted a declaration of personal rights, including life, liberty, property, assembly, and trial by jury. The declaration also denounced taxation without representation and the maintenance of the British army in the colonies without their consent. In October 1774, the Congress petitioned the crown for a redress of grievances accumulated since 1763. To force compliance, it called for a general boycott of British goods and the eventual nonexportation of American products, except rice, to Britain or the British West Indies.
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The meeting was a response to the British Navy's blockade of Boston Harbour
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 American colonies, held in Philadelphia from 5 September to 26 October 1774. The meeting was a response to the British Navy's blockade of Boston Harbour and the passage of the Intolerable Acts by the British Parliament following the Boston Tea Party.
The First Continental Congress served as the government of the 13 American colonies and later the United States, from 1774 to 1789. The delegates met to discuss how the colonies could collectively respond to the British government's coercive actions, and they worked to make a common cause. The body rejected a plan for reconciling British authority with colonial freedom and instead adopted a declaration of personal rights, including life, liberty, property, assembly, and trial by jury. The declaration also denounced taxation without representation and the maintenance of the British army in the colonies without their consent.
In October 1774, the Congress petitioned the crown for a redress of grievances accumulated since 1763. To force compliance, it called for a general boycott of British goods and the eventual nonexportation of American products, except rice, to Britain or the British West Indies.
Five years after the First Continental Congress, 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 delegates discussed how to respond to the British government's actions
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 American colonies, held in Philadelphia from 5 September to 26 October 1774. The meeting was organised in response to escalating tensions between the colonies and the British government, which had culminated in the passage of the Coercive or Intolerable Acts by the British Parliament. These laws were meant as punishment for the activities of the Boston Tea Party, but they affected all of the 13 colonies.
To provide unity, delegates gave one vote to each state regardless of its size. The First Continental Congress included Patrick Henry, George Washington, John and Samuel Adams, John Jay, and John Dickinson. In October 1774, the Congress petitioned the crown for a redress of grievances accumulated since 1763. In an effort to force compliance, it called for a general boycott of British goods and the eventual nonexportation of American products, except rice, to Britain or the British West Indies.
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The First Continental Congress rejected a plan for reconciling British authority with colonial freedom
The delegates discussed how the colonies could collectively respond to the British government's coercive actions. The First Continental Congress included Patrick Henry, George Washington, John and Samuel Adams, John Jay, and John Dickinson. Meeting in secret, the body rejected a plan for reconciling British authority with colonial freedom. Instead, it adopted a declaration of personal rights, including life, liberty, property, assembly, and trial by jury. The declaration also denounced taxation without representation and the maintenance of the British army in the colonies without their consent.
The First Continental Congress served as the government of the 13 American colonies, and later the United States, from 1774 to 1789. In 1775, the Second Continental Congress convened after the Revolutionary War had already begun. In 1776, it took the momentous step of declaring America’s independence from Britain. Five years later, the Congress ratified the first national constitution, the Articles of Confederation, under which the country would be governed until 1789, when it was replaced by the U.S. Constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 American colonies, held in Philadelphia in 1774. It was convened in response to escalating tensions between the colonies and the British, including the blockade of Boston Harbour and the passage of the Intolerable Acts.
The First Continental Congress rejected a plan for reconciling British authority with colonial freedom. Instead, it adopted a declaration of personal rights, including life, liberty, property, assembly, and trial by jury. It also denounced taxation without representation and the presence of the British army in the colonies without their consent.
The First Continental Congress served as the government of the 13 American colonies, and later the United States, from 1774 to 1789. In 1781, it ratified the first national constitution, the Articles of Confederation, which governed the country until 1789 when it was replaced by the U.S. Constitution.
The First Continental Congress was significant because it marked the beginning of the American Revolution and the colonies' collective response to British rule. It also set the stage for the eventual independence of the colonies and the creation of the United States.
