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The First Continental Congress

1774 

The First Continental Congress

​​​​Historical Session: September 5 – October 26
Meeting Place: Carpenters’ Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

​Context: Unless otherwise noted, all dates on this page are in the year 1774.

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"The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, and New Englanders are no more. I am not a Virginian, but an American."
— Patrick Henry​

 

​Overview

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Delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies convened at Carpenters’ Hall to address grievances arising from the Coercive (Intolerable) Acts and related measures. Though not a formal government, the Congress established intercolonial coordination through committees, petitions, and economic resistance (the Continental Association). By bringing together representatives chosen by their colonies to deliberate and act collectively, it set a precedent for lawful civic self-governance—demonstrating that citizens could unite in defense of liberty, property, and justice without relying on existing governmental authority.

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I. Lead-Up (Spring–Summer)

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I.1. Coercive/Intolerable Acts (Parliament).
Parliament enacted measures—including the Boston Port Act—that provoked colony-wide alarm and spurred calls for an intercolonial assembly.

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I.2. Committees of Correspondence & Local Mobilization.
By mid-summer, most colonies had active Committees of Correspondence coordinating a Continental meeting and arranging delegate selection—supplying the network that made Congress possible.

 

II. Convening & Officers (September 5)

 

II.1. Opening.
The Congress convened at Carpenters’ Hall. Delegates from twelve colonies attended (Georgia did not).

 

II.2. Presiding Officers (Presidents).
Peyton Randolph (Virginia) was elected President on the opening day and presided until ill health required his temporary retirement on or about October 22; Henry Middleton (South Carolina) was then chosen to preside for the balance of the session.

 

II.3. Secretary.
Charles Thomson was elected Secretary at the first meeting and continued in that role throughout the Continental Congress period.

 

II.4. Rules of Procedure.
Delegates adopted rules to preserve equality among colonies and promote free debate—an early “rules of order” practice informing later standing orders. 12 colonies sent delegates.

 

III. Delegates 

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New Hampshire
Nathaniel Folsom
John Sullivan

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Massachusetts Bay
John Adams
Samuel Adams
Thomas Cushing
Robert Treat Paine

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Rhode Island
Stephen Hopkins
Samuel Ward

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Connecticut
Silas Deane
Eliphalet Dyer
Roger Sherman

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New Jersey
Stephen Crane
John De Hart
James Kinsey
William Livingston
Richard Smith

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New York

John Alsop

Simon Boerum

James Duane

William Floyd

John Haring

John Jay

Philip Livingston

Isaac Low

Henry Wisner

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Pennsylvania
Edward Biddle
John Dickinson
Joseph Galloway
Charles Humphreys
Thomas Mifflin
John Morton
Samuel Rhoads
George Ross

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Delaware
Thomas McKean
George Read
Caesar Rodney

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Maryland
Samuel Chase
Robert Goldsborough
Thomas Johnson
William Paca
Matthew Tilghman

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Virginia
Richard Bland
Benjamin Harrison
Patrick Henry
Richard Henry Lee
Edmund Pendleton
Peyton Randolph
George Washington

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North Carolina
Richard Caswell
Joseph Hewes
William Hooper

South Carolina
Christopher Gadsden
Thomas Lynch Jr.
Henry Middleton
Edward Rutledge
John Rutledge

 

(Georgia did not send delegates.)

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IV. Key Actions & Documents

 

IV.1. Endorsement of the Suffolk Resolves (September).
Congress endorsed local resolutions from Suffolk County, Massachusetts, urging noncompliance with the Coercive Acts and militia preparation—signaling unity and resolve.

 

IV.2. Declaration and Resolves (Declaration of Rights) — October 14.
Summarized colonial objections and asserted rights and principles; outlined recommended remedies and actions.

 

IV.3. Continental Association (Articles of Association) — October 20.
Established a program of non-importation, non-exportation, and non-consumption to exert economic pressure on Britain; widely signed by delegates.

 

IV.4. Petition to the King.
Prepared and adopted a petition to George III seeking redress and repeal of the Coercive Acts; John Dickinson played a leading role in drafting conciliatory texts.

 

IV.5. Adjournment — October 26.
Congress adjourned after establishing common principles and coordinated measures that set the stage for further action.

 

V. Committees, Roles & Internal Structure

 

V.1. Permanent Officers.
Presidents: Peyton Randolph; then Henry Middleton. Secretary: Charles Thomson. These offices provided continuity and record-keeping.

 

V.2. Committees.
Working committees drafted resolves, the Continental Association, the Petition to the King, and managed correspondence among colonies—serving as the main engines for reports and texts brought to plenary approval.

 

V.3. Notable Drafters and Leaders.
John Dickinson (Pennsylvania) contributed heavily to conciliatory drafts; Joseph Warren and Massachusetts leaders shaped the Suffolk Resolves; influential voices included John Adams, Samuel Adams, Joseph Galloway, John Jay, Patrick Henry, and Richard Henry Lee.

 

V.4. Administrative & Record Roles.
The offices of President, Secretary, clerks, committee chairs, and envoys foreshadow modern assembly roles; Thomson’s tenure as Secretary was central to preservation and continuity.

 

VI. Practical & Legal Significance

 

VI.1. Non-Sovereign, Coordinating Assembly.
The First Congress did not claim sovereign legislative power; it asserted rights, coordinated economic sanctions, and petitioned the Crown—establishing a pattern for popular assembly and intercolonial coordination.

 

VI.2. Precedent for Lawful Civic Assembly.
It validated the use of representative, non-governmental assemblies to articulate grievances and coordinate action—an important precedent for modern, citizen-led forums of petition and assembly.

 

VII. Preservation (Archival Template)

 

Title: Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress (Oct. 14).
Drafters/Committee: (List known members; note principal drafter where documented.)
Adoption Date/Place: October 14; Carpenters’ Hall, Philadelphia.
Significance (Abstract): Brief description (e.g., asserted rights; recommended the Continental Association; petitioned the King).

 

VIII. Quick Reference — Key Dates

 

September 5: Congress convenes; Peyton Randolph elected President; Charles Thomson elected Secretary.
Early September: Suffolk Resolves endorsed.
October 14: Declaration and Resolves adopted.
October 20: Continental Association adopted and signed.
October 26: Adjournment.

 

IX. Sources & Primary References (for citation)

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National Archives: Continental Association (Oct. 20); Declaration and Resolves (Oct. 14).
Carpenters’ Hall (site history and delegate biographies).
Mount Vernon Digital Encyclopedia; Yale Law School Avalon Project (document texts).

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