The Constitutional Congress: First Steps Towards Democracy

The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 or 13 colonies (depending on the source) held in Philadelphia from September 5 to October 26, 1774. The delegates convened in response to the British Navy's blockade of Boston Harbor and the British Parliament's punitive Intolerable Acts, which were passed in response to the Boston Tea Party. The First Continental Congress was the first of two Congresses that served as the government of the 13 American colonies, and later the United States, from 1774 to 1789. The Congresses' primary accomplishment was a compact among the colonies to boycott British goods beginning on December 1, 1774, unless Parliament should rescind the Intolerable Acts.

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The First Continental Congress

The delegates, who included future presidents George Washington and John Adams, discussed boycotting British goods to establish the rights of Americans. They also planned for a Second Continental Congress. The First Continental Congress was prompted by local pressure groups, and colonial legislatures empowered delegates to attend and set terms for a boycott. The delegates discussed how the colonies could collectively respond to the British government's coercive actions, and they worked to make a common cause.

One of the Congress's first decisions was to endorse the Suffolk Resolves passed in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. The Suffolk Resolves ordered citizens to not obey the Intolerable Acts, to refuse imported British goods, and to raise a militia. The delegates also promptly began drafting and discussing the Continental Association, which became its most important policy outcome. The Association called for an end to British imports starting in December 1774 and an end to exporting goods to Britain in September 1775.

The Intolerable Acts

The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 American colonies, held from September 5 to October 26, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia. The meeting was organized in response to the British Navy's blockade of Boston Harbor and the British Parliament's passing of the punitive Intolerable Acts, following the Boston Tea Party.

The first of these acts was the Boston Port Act, which closed Boston Harbor until restitution was made for the tea destroyed in the Boston Tea Party. The second was the Massachusetts Government Act, which replaced the elected local government in the colony with an appointed one, enhancing the powers of the military governor. The third was the Administration of Justice Act, which allowed British officials charged with capital offenses to be tried in England or another colony. The fourth was the Quartering Act, which provided for the housing of British troops in occupied American dwellings.

The cumulative effect of these acts was to further inflame colonial resentment toward Britain. The Patriots viewed the acts as an arbitrary violation of the rights of Massachusetts, and in September 1774, they organized the First Continental Congress to coordinate a protest. The harshness of the acts made it difficult for colonial moderates to speak in favor of Parliament, and the acts served only to distance the colonies from Britain, creating sympathy for Massachusetts and encouraging colonists from diverse colonies to form committees.

The Stamp Act

The Act was an attempt to raise revenue to pay for British troops stationed in the colonies during and after the Seven Years' War (1756-63). The war had left the British Empire with a significant amount of debt, and the government sought to offset some of these costs by taxing the colonies. The Sugar Act of 1764, which imposed new duties on sugar and other goods, had failed to generate significant revenue. Thus, the British Prime Minister, George Grenville, proposed the Stamp Act as an alternative means of raising funds.

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The Articles of Confederation

The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 American colonies, held from September 5 to October 26, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia. The meeting was organised in response to the British Navy's blockade of Boston Harbor and the punitive Intolerable Acts passed by the British Parliament, which were implemented due to the colonies' resistance to new taxes.

The First Continental Congress agreed on a Declaration and Resolves, which included the Continental Association, a proposal to boycott British trade. The delegates also drew up a petition to the king, pleading for redress of their grievances and repeal of the Intolerable Acts.

The final draft of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was completed on November 15, 1777, and submitted to the states for ratification in late November 1777. Virginia was the first state to ratify, on December 16, 1777, and 12 states had ratified the Articles by February 1779. Maryland was the last state to ratify the Articles on February 2, 1781, and Congress was informed of its assent on March 1, officially proclaiming the Articles of Confederation to be the law of the land.

The Bill of Rights

The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 or 13 colonies, held from September 5 to October 26, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia. The meeting was organized in response to the British Navy's blockade of Boston Harbor and the punitive Intolerable Acts passed by the British Parliament after the Boston Tea Party. The First Continental Congress agreed on a Declaration and Resolves, including the Continental Association, which proposed an embargo on British trade.

The First Continental Congress served as the government of the 13 American colonies, and later the United States, from 1774 to 1789. The Second Continental Congress was convened in 1775, after the Revolutionary War had begun, and in 1776, it declared America's independence from Britain. In 1781, the Congress ratified the first national constitution, the Articles of Confederation, which established the United States as a collection of 13 sovereign states, each with an equal voice in Congress.

The 1st United States Congress, comprising the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, met from March 4, 1789, to March 4, 1791, during the first two years of George Washington's presidency. With this initial meeting, the United States federal government officially began operations under the new (and current) frame of government established by the 1787 Constitution.

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