The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from twelve of the thirteen American colonies held from September 5 to October 26, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia. It was convened in response to the Intolerable Acts, a series of punitive measures imposed by the British government after the Boston Tea Party.
The Congress aimed to coordinate colonial resistance against British rule. Delegates debated various approaches, ultimately adopting the Suffolk Resolves, which called for a boycott of British goods and urged colonies to train militias. They also drafted the Declaration and Resolves, asserting colonial rights, and sent a petition to King George III, seeking redress for grievances. However, the British government largely ignored these efforts, leading to the convening of the Second Continental Congress in 1775, shortly after the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
Key figures in the First Continental Congress included Peyton Randolph, who served as its president, and Charles Thomson, its secretary. The Congress laid the groundwork for unified colonial action, setting the stage for the American Revolution.
