The
First Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from twelve of the thirteen
North American colonies that met on September 5, 1774, at
Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, early in the
American Revolution. Called in response to the passage of the Coercive Acts (also known as
Intolerable Acts by the Colonial Americans) by the
British Parliament, the Congress was attended by 56 members appointed by the legislatures of twelve of the
Thirteen Colonies, the exception being the
Province of Georgia, which did not send delegates. The Congress met briefly to consider options, including an economic
boycott of British trade; publish a list of rights and grievances; and petition
King George for redress of those grievances.
The Congress also called for another
Continental Congress in the event that their petition was unsuccessful in halting enforcement of the
Intolerable Acts. Their appeal to the Crown had no effect, and so the
Second Continental Congress was convened the following year to organize the defense of the colonies at the onset of the
American Revolutionary War. The delegates also urged each colony to set up and train its own militia.
Background
Convention
The Congress met from 5 September to 26 October 1774. From 5 September through 21 October,
Peyton Randolph presided over the proceedings;
Henry Middleton took over as
President of the Congress for the last few days, from 22 October to 26 October.
Charles Thomson, leader of Philadelphia
Sons of Liberty, was selected to be Secretary of the Continental Congress.
Galloway's Plan of Union
Patrick Henry already considered government dissolved, and was seeking a new system.
Pennsylvania delegate
Joseph Galloway sought reconciliation with Britain. He put forth a "
Plan of Union", which suggested an American legislative body be formed, with some authority, and whose consent would be required for imperial measures.
,
Edward Rutledge, and other conservatives supported Galloway's plan. (Galloway would later join the
Loyalists).
Accomplishments
The Congress had two primary accomplishments. The first was a compact among the colonies to boycott British goods beginning on 1 December 1774.
The West Indies were threatened with a boycott unless the islands agreed to non importation of British goods. Imports from Britain dropped by 97 percent in 1775, compared with the previous year.
Committees of observation and inspection were to be formed in each colony for enforcement of the Association. All of the colonial Houses of Assembly approved the proceedings of the congress with the exception of
New York.
If the "Intolerable Acts" were not repealed, the colonies would also cease exports to Britain after 10 September 1775.
The boycott was successfully implemented, but its potential for altering British colonial policy was cut off by the outbreak of the
American Revolutionary War.
The second accomplishment of the Congress was to provide for a
Second Continental Congress to meet on 10 May 1775. In addition to the colonies which had sent delegates to the First Continental Congress, letters of invitation were sent to
Quebec (
three letters),
Saint John's Island,
Nova Scotia,
Georgia,
East Florida, and
West Florida. None of these sent delegates to the opening of the second Congress, though a delegation from Georgia arrived the following July.
List of delegates
See also
