On what date did the First Continental Congress begin meeting in Philadelphia?

The First Continental Congress began meeting in Philadelphia on September 5, 1774.

Delegates from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies gathered at Carpenters' Hall to coordinate a response to British policies, especially the Intolerable Acts. Georgia was the only colony that did not send delegates. The meeting continued until October 26, 1774.

The Congress did not initially declare independence. Instead, it sought to defend colonial rights while maintaining the possibility of reconciliation with Great Britain. Its most important collective action was the Continental Association, which organized a boycott of British goods beginning in December 1774.

The First Continental Congress is often confused with the Second Continental Congress, which began meeting in May 1775 after the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The Second Congress directed the Revolutionary War, appointed George Washington commander in chief, and eventually adopted the Declaration of Independence.