2. The First Continental Congress Two groups of people from all over the 13 Colonies who came together to discuss liberty. The First Continental Congress was a group of 56 delegates from 12 colonies (all except Georgia) who met at Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in September of 1774.

3. The First Continental Congress These representatives debated the issues of the rights of colonists as a united group. For the first time in history, the 13 colonies were working as a group and not as individual colonies.

4. Georgia Though Georgians opposed British trade regulations, many hesitated to join the revolutionary movement that emerged in the American colonies in the early 1770s and resulted in the Revolutionary War (1775-83). The colony had prospered under royal rule, and many Georgians thought that they needed the protection of British troops against a possible Indian attack. royal rule

5. Why did they meet? They discussed the current situation with Britain including the Intolerable Acts, which the British Parliament had imposed on Boston as punishment for the Boston Tea Party. They met in secret because they didn't want Great Britain to know that they were united.Boston Tea Party

6. Three Objectives The congress had three objectives: 1.to compose a statement of colonial rights. 2.to identify British parliaments violation of those rights, and 3.to provide a plan that would convince Britain to restore those rights. The purpose of the First Continental Congress was not to seek independence from Britain.

7. Resolutions The First Continental Congress passed resolutions stating that the British Parliament did not have the right to pass laws in the colonies, and only had the right to regulate trade between the colonies and Great Britain. They further resolved that by December of the same year they would cease importing any goods from Great Britain, and that by September of the following year, they would cease exporting any goods to Great Britain.

8. The delegates took two major actions: Action 1 - They sent a letter to King George III explaining the issues the colonies had with the way they were being treated. They demanded that the King stop the Intolerable Acts or they would boycott English goods. Action 2 - They made a plan to meet again in May of 1775 if the British did not meet their demands.

9. What Happened? the King chose to ignore them and the Americans began the boycott. In retaliation to the colonies, the King and Lord North of England decided to punish and weaken the colonies. They blocked colony access to the North Atlantic fishing area.

10. Members of the First Continental Congress Members of the First Continental Congress included John Adams, Patrick Henry, and George Washington. The President of the First Congress was Peyton Randolph.

11. Fun Facts In the First Continental Congress, Patrick Henry, a delegate from Virginia, made the bold statement that "I am not a Virginian, I am an American". At the time of the congress, there were around 2.5 million people living in the United States.

12. Fun Facts John Adams and Thomas Jefferson chose the bald eagle as the symbol of the United States. Ben Franklin wanted to use the turkey. John Adams In addition to the thirteen colonies, the northern colonies of Quebec, St. John's Island, and Nova Scotia were all invited to the Second Continental Congress. They did not attend.