Continental Congress

The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution. The Congress met from 1774 to 1789 in three incarnations. The First Continental Congress, which met briefly in Philadelphia in 1774, consisted of fifty-six delegates from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies that would become the United States. Convened in response to the Coercive Acts pa... more

The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution. The Congress met from 1774 to 1789 in three incarnations. The First Continental Congress, which met briefly in Philadelphia in 1774, consisted of fifty-six delegates from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies that would become the United States. Convened in response to the Coercive Acts passed by the British Parliament in 1774, the delegates organized an economic boycott of Great Britain in protest and petitioned the king for a redress of grievances. By the time the Second Continental Congress met on May 10, 1775 in Philadelphia, shooting in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) had begun. Moderates in the Congress still hoped that the colonies could be reconciled with Great Britain, but a movement towards independence steadily gained ground. Congress established the Continental Army (June 1775), coordinated the war effort... less