The First Continental Congress met at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia in 1774, a key step toward the founding era commemorated by America250.
Delegates gathered from September 5 through October 26, 1774, in response to Britain's punitive measures against Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party. The assembly brought together representatives of twelve colonies, although Georgia did not participate. The delegates discussed colonial rights, economic resistance, and a coordinated response to Parliament.
Carpenters' Hall was the meeting place because Pennsylvania's State House, now known as Independence Hall, was being used by the provincial assembly. The smaller building belonged to the Carpenters' Company of the City and County of Philadelphia, which offered its hall to the delegates.
The First Continental Congress did not declare independence or create a permanent national government. Instead, it adopted the Continental Association, petitioned King George III, and agreed to reconvene. The later Second Continental Congress met in the Pennsylvania State House and directed the war effort.