The First Continental Congress met in 1774 in Philadelphia to discuss colonial rights and trade limitations with Britain. The colonists were angry with heavy taxes and laws imposed on them, leading to the Boston Tea Party and the Coercive Acts. The Congress created a list of grievances and rights, initiating a trade embargo if Britain did not appeal the Intolerable Acts. The British king did not respond favorably, leading to the American Revolutionary War.
The first US Congress is often called the First Continental Congress and met in 1774. Shortly before this time, American colonists were growing increasingly angry with the laws and taxes imposed on them by Britain, their homeland. Several representatives met in Philadelphia during the fall of that year to discuss their current relationship with Great Britain. During this meeting, these colonists drew up a list of colonial rights and agreed to limit trade with Great Britain if these rights were not respected. Ultimately, these rights were ignored, but the First United States Congress is considered a major turning point in American history.
In the mid to late 18th century, Britain began to tax American settlers heavily. These taxes were in part intended to help pay England’s debts accrued during the French and Indian War, which lasted from 18 to 1754. Several of these acts are particularly noteworthy, including the Sugar Act of 1763, the Stamp Act of 1764 and the Townshend Acts of 1765.
The Sugar Act and Stamp Act were repealed in 1766, but were quickly replaced with the Townshend Acts in 1767. These laws required American colonists to pay taxes on certain imports, such as glass, paint, paper, and tea. These acts were partially repealed in 1770, but the tea tax, which was a major colonial import, remained. The Tea Act of 1773, however, required American settlers to purchase their tea only from the British East India Company.
Outraged, several colonists responded with the Boston Tea Party in December of 1773. During this monumental event, the colonists unloaded hundreds of cases of tea into Boston Harbor. The British Parliament responded once again with several new laws, known as Coercive Acts or Intolerable Acts, as a fallout. Some of these laws stipulated that Boston Harbor would be closed until the British East India Company could be repaid for its loss, and that colonial citizens would be required to provide food and shelter for British soldiers.
By this time, many of the colonists were completely fed up with what they considered to be unjust taxes and laws. They especially believed that they should not have to pay heavy taxes without any representation in the British Parliament. This denunciation is often expressed as taxation without representation. These events were what in part propelled the First Congress into action.
In September 1774, more than 50 representatives from all but one of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The governor of Georgia was still loyal to the British throne, so this colony was not represented at the time. They met in a building owned by the Carpenter’s Company of the City and County of Philadelphia known as Carpenter’s Hall.
During this First Congressional convention, which ran through October, the delegates created a list of colonial rights, as well as a list of grievances. They agreed that they would initiate a trade embargo with Britain if parliament did not appeal the Intolerable Acts. They also agreed to meet in a second Continental Congress during the spring of the following year, if Britain did not consider their rights and grievances.
Ultimately, the British king did not respond favorably to the petition of grievances, known as the Declaration of Resolutions, written by the First Congress. In fact, he sent British soldiers to the colonies to enforce the laws. As an indirect result, the first shot of the American Revolutionary War was fired at Lexington, Massachusetts in April 1775.
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