top of page
Search

The First (and Second) Continental Congresses

  • Writer: Shayna
    Shayna
  • Jul 2, 2024
  • 3 min read

Updated: Jul 3, 2024

First Continental Congress

In September 1774 the First Continental Congress met inPhiladelphia. They wanted to find a way to settle their disputes with Great Britain and King George.


The Boston Tea Party took place in December 1773 (so about 9 months earlier). This infuriated King George and the parliament in Great Britain. They responded by invoking four laws known as the "Intolerable Acts." We won't get into these here, but this added to the injustice the colonists felt.


With the injustices imposed by King George and the desire for liberty, men from twelve of the thirteen colonies met at this First congress. They discussed what could be done to keep the peace with Great Britain.


The First Continental Congress convened in Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, between September 5 and October 26, 1774.


The list of delegates included many prominent colonial leaders, such as Samuel Adams of Massachusetts, and two future presidents of the United States, George Washington and John Adams. Delegates discussed boycotting British goods to establish the rights of Americans and planned for a Second Continental Congress.


This is a great resource if you want more information on the first congress. They conclude with this paragraph:


The First Continental Congress’s most fateful decision was to call for a Second Continental Congress to meet the following spring. Congress intended to give Britain time to respond to the Continental Association and discuss any developments at the Second Continental Congress. Washington went shopping for muskets and military apparel before leaving Philadelphia for Mount Vernon. Furthermore, he placed an order for a book on military discipline. Though war had not been declared and many delegates were still hoping for redress, there was no doubt that the American colonies and Britain were on the brink of conflict.

Second Continental Congress

Seven months later the Second Continental Congress met inside Independence Hall in Philadelphia beginning in May 1775.


This was only a few weeks after the first battle of the war was fought at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. The delegates knew this had happened and war was no inevitable.


During this congress they established a Continental army and elected George Washington as the Commander-in-Chief. He had gained recognition as a military commander during the French and Indian War. He was only twenty-three years old when he was made Major


These men knew that what they were doing was treachery and they would be considered traitors, so while they prepared for war, they also drafted what was called the Olive Branch Petition and sent it to King George III in hopes of reaching a peaceful resolution. The king refused to hear the petition and declared the American colonies in revolt. That was the beginning of the end.


Patriots and Loyalists

Although it meant treason, those who believed in the cause of liberty began to spread and they were called Patriots. Those who were still loyal to the King and believed that the colonies should be ruled by him were called Loyalists or Tories.


During the months leading up to the Revolutionary War there was conflict between the Patriots and the Loyalists. Friendships and family relationships suffered because of the vast difference in political beliefs. Approximately 20% of the loyalists fled to other British held land (usually Canada) but most stayed in the colonies and later became citizens of the United States of America.


Historians estimate that there were 2.5 millino colonists in America at this time and 20% (or 500,000 people) were loyal to the crown while the remaining rallied around the cause for Liberty.


“Our cause is the cause of all mankind…we are fighting for their liberty in defending our own.” ~Benjamin Franklin

ACTIVITIES AND IDEAS





 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page