What are we Going to do About it?

In response to the Intolerable Acts, America’s first Continental Congress met on September 5, 1774. 56 delegates from 12 colonies met at Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia to discuss a unified position and Parliament’s assertion that it could control the colonies. Georgia was the only colony that refused to send a delegate.

Grievances Against Parliament

As part of the convention, John Adams drafted the Declaration of Rights which countered that America need not respect decisions by Parliament that involved domestic affairs within America. Furthermore, the delegates agreed to resume the boycott on British goods until the Intolerable Acts were repealed. During the two-month long convention, delegates also agreed that if the new royal governor of Massachusetts attempted to rule by force, the residents had a right to defend themselves, and that colonists from throughout America would come to their aid. The congress agreed to meet again in May of 1775.

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think Georgia chose not to send a delegate to the Continental Congress?
2. What was the main purpose of the Declaration of Rights written by John Adams?
3. Why did the delegates agree to restart the boycott on British goods?
4. How did the Continental Congress plan to respond if Massachusetts was ruled by force?

Glossary

• Continental Congress – A group of representatives from the American colonies who met to discuss and respond to British policies.
• Delegate – A person chosen to represent others, especially at a meeting or political event.
• Intolerable Acts – A series of harsh laws passed by the British Parliament to punish the colonies, especially Massachusetts, after the Boston Tea Party.
• Boycott – A refusal to buy or use certain goods or services as a form of protest.
• Declaration of Rights – A document written to state the colonies' rights and their objections to British interference in local matters.