Volume 19
Number 032
America’s Revolution (14) - First
Continental Congress – Part II
Lead: When, in September 1774,
the First Continental Congress met in
Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia,
tensions between Great Britain and
her rebellious colonies had reached
fever pitch.
Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan
Roberts.
Content: After the Boston Tea
Party the previous year, the English
Parliament passed what the colonists
called the Intolerable Acts. In protest,
a convention of delegates from the
colonies gathered in Philadelphia to
organize resistance to the Acts and to
facilitate
colonial
unity.
This
convention came to be known as the
First Continental Congress. It was
made up of fifty-six delegates from
twelve of the thirteen colonies (since
Georgia’s royal governor had been
able to block his delegates from
attending). The convention met in
September and October. Leaders of
the Congress included Samuel
Adams,
John
Jay,
George
Washington, Patrick Henry, Richard
Henry Lee, John Adams, and Peyton
Randolph of Virginia, who was
elected President. With a few
exceptions,
those
gathering
in
Philadelphia at this time did not want
independence, but rather used the
meeting to express grievances against
royal policy and to persuade the
London government to recognize the
colonials’ basic rights.
The delegates crafted a petition of
complaints and encouraged the repeal
of the Intolerable Acts. In addition,
the meeting endorsed a general
boycott of British goods until these
grievances were righted. They agreed
to meet again in six months if King
George III did not respond favorably.
When George heard their demands he
answered, “The die is now cast. The
colonies must either submit or
triumph.” He unwittingly played into
the hands of those who were moving
continental opinion in the direction of
independence.
The Second Continental Congress
met in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775,
one month following the skirmishes of
Lexington and Concord. Joined by
Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock
and Thomas Jefferson, these delegates
approved
the
Declaration
of
Independence, completed the tasks
begun by the First Congress, and
paved the way for the establishment
of a new nation.
At the University of Richmond,
this is Dan Roberts.
Resources
Encyclopedia Britannica, “Continental Congress.” 15th
Edition, Chicago, IL: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1996.
“Continental Congress.” Microsoft Encarta Online
Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com
(12 April 2002).
Devine, Robert A., et al. America Past and Present. New
York, NY: Longman, Inc., 1998.
Inguanzo, Anthony P. “Continental Congress.” In The
American Revolution 1775-1783, An Enyclopedia.. Garland
Publishing Company, New York, NY, 1993.
“Intolerable Acts.” Microsoft Encarta Online
Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com
(12 April 2002).
Tindall, George Brown. America, A Narrative History.
New York, NY: Norton and Company, 1996.
Copyright by Dan Roberts Enterprises, Inc.