What was the 1774 meeting of colonial delegates called, held at Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia?

The 1774 meeting of colonial delegates at Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia was the First Continental Congress.

The Congress met from September 5 to October 26, 1774. Delegates came from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies; Georgia did not send representatives. The gathering responded to rising tensions with Britain, especially the Intolerable Acts passed after the Boston Tea Party.

Rather than immediately declaring independence, the delegates petitioned King George III, issued a declaration of colonial rights, and created the Continental Association. That association called for a coordinated boycott of British goods, giving the colonies a shared political response to British policies.

The First Continental Congress agreed to reconvene if its grievances were not resolved. When fighting began in Massachusetts in 1775, the Second Continental Congress assembled. The later Congress established the Continental Army, selected George Washington as commander, and eventually adopted the Declaration of Independence, so the two congresses are often confused.