First Continental Congress (Colonists reaction to Intolerable Acts, Rising Action)
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies
that met on September 5 to October 26, 1774 at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, early in
the American Revolution. It was called in response to "The passage of the Coercive Acts" (also known as
Intolerable Acts by the Colonial Americans) by the British Parliament. The Intolerable Acts had punished
Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party.
The Congress had two primary accomplishments. The first was a compact among the colonies to
boycott British goods beginning on December 1, 1774.[6] The West Indies were threatened with a
boycott unless the islands agreed to nonimportation of British goods.[7] Imports from Britain dropped by
97 percent in 1775, compared with the previous year.[6] Committees of observation and inspection were
to be formed in each colony for enforcement of the Association. All of the colonial Houses of Assembly
approved the proceedings of the congress with the exception of New York .
The second accomplishment of the Congress was to provide for a Second Continental Congress
to meet on May 10, 1775. In addition to the colonies which had sent delegates to the First Continental
Congress, the Congress resolved on October 21, 1774 to send letters of invitation to Quebec, Saint
John's Island (now Prince Edward Island), Nova Scotia, Georgia, East Florida, and West Florida.[9]
However, letters appear to have been sent only to Quebec (three letters in all). None of these other
colonies sent delegates to the opening of the second Congress, though a delegation from Georgia
arrived the following July.
1775 - Lexington and Concord (British Government reaction, Climax)
In April, British troops were ordered to Lexington and Concord to seize stores of colonial gunpowder and
to capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock. At Lexington, open conflict occurred and eight Americans
were killed. At Concord, the British troops were forced to retreat with the loss of 70 men. This was the
first instance of open warfare.
Second Continental Congress (Colonists final reaction, Resolution)
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen
Colonies that started meeting in the summer of 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after
warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. The second Congress managed the
colonial war effort, and moved incrementally towards independence, adopting the United States
Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. By raising armies, directing strategy, appointing
diplomats, and making formal treaties, the Congress acted as the de facto national government of
what became the United States.[1]