The First Continental Congress Convenes

What Happened?

The First Continental Congress was called after Parliament passed the Coercive Acts, known in America as the 'Intolerable Acts.' These laws punished Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party by closing its port, placing it under military rule, and forcing colonists to house British troops.

On September 5, 1774, delegates from 12 colonies gathered at Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia. Only Georgia, fearing attacks from neighboring Native nations, did not send representatives. The roster included some of the most prominent colonial leaders, from Samuel Adams to George Washington.

The Congress quickly endorsed the Suffolk Resolves from Massachusetts, which called on citizens to refuse obedience to the Intolerable Acts, boycott British goods, and prepare militias. This defiant step showed how far the colonies had moved toward open resistance.

One of the body’s central achievements was the creation of the Continental Association, an organized boycott of British imports beginning in December 1774, and of exports to Britain beginning in 1775. Committees of inspection were established in towns across the colonies to enforce compliance.

Debates were fierce. Some delegates, like Joseph Galloway, pushed for compromise with Britain through his 'Plan of Union,' but the majority rejected half measures. Instead, they drafted a Declaration of Rights and Grievances, affirming the colonists’ right to self-government and denouncing taxation without representation.

Perhaps the most fateful decision came at the end: to reconvene if Britain did not change course. The call for a Second Continental Congress ensured that the colonies would act together in the event of continued conflict—a unity that soon proved essential.

Though not yet a call for independence, the First Continental Congress marked a decisive step. It transformed colonial discontent into coordinated action and showed that America’s path toward revolution was already being paved.

Why It Matters

The First Continental Congress was more than a meeting—it was the birth of colonial unity. For the first time, delegates from nearly every colony coordinated resistance, declared common rights, and prepared to act collectively against imperial power. While independence was not yet declared, the Congress created the infrastructure of American resistance and set the stage for revolution. It proved that a people divided by region and interest could still find common cause in liberty.