First Continental Congress

The First Continental Congress was a meeting of leaders from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies (Georgia did not attend). It happened from September 5 to October 26, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia. This meeting took place after the British Navy blocked Boston Harbor and the Parliament of Great Britain passed strict laws called the Intolerable Acts after the Boston Tea Party.

During the Congress, the leaders talked about how the colonies could work together. They agreed to the Suffolk Resolves, which asked to stop trade with Britain. They also created a Declaration and Resolves that included the Continental Association, a plan to stop trading with Britain. They wrote a Petition to the King asking to fix their problems and remove the Intolerable Acts, but it was not successful. Because of this, the colonies met again the next year in the Second Continental Congress after the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the start of the American Revolutionary War.

Convention

The Congress met from September 5 to October 26, 1774, in Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia. Delegates from 12 of the Thirteen Colonies attended, but Georgia did not. The delegates were chosen by the people, colonial legislatures, or by the Committee of Correspondence of each colony.

On the first day, Peyton Randolph of Virginia was elected as president of the Congress. The group made rules to help everyone discuss fairly. The delegates had different ideas about what to do about the British government. Some wanted to make peace with Britain, while others thought it was time to stand up for their rights.

Declaration and Resolves

The First Continental Congress wanted peace, not independence. They made and signed the Continental Association as part of their Declaration and Resolves. This document asked the colonies to stop buying goods from Britain, starting in December 1774. After signing on October 20, 1774, they also decided to stop bringing in slaves from other countries beginning in December of that year. This would have ended the slave trade in the United States of America much earlier.

Accomplishments

The First Continental Congress made a promise among the colonies to stop buying goods from Britain starting December 1, 1774, unless Britain changed unfair laws called the Intolerable Acts.

The colonies also said that if Britain did not change these laws, they would stop selling things to Britain after September 10, 1775. Almost all the colonies agreed to this plan, and trade with Britain dropped a lot in 1775. The colonies planned to meet again the next year if their problems were not fixed. They also asked some other places to join them next time.

List of delegates