Philadelphia hosted the First Continental Congress in 1774, bringing delegates from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies together to coordinate a response to British policies.
The congress met from September 5 through October 26, 1774, at Carpenters’ Hall. Georgia did not send delegates, while the other colonies discussed grievances arising from measures such as the Coercive Acts, which followed the Boston Tea Party.
The delegates adopted the Continental Association, a system intended to restrict trade with Britain, and sent a petition to King George III. They also agreed to meet again if their concerns were not resolved. That second meeting became the Second Continental Congress, which directed the Revolutionary War and adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Philadelphia was an important meeting place because it was a major colonial city with established political and commercial connections. The First Continental Congress did not declare independence; its initial goal was coordinated resistance and negotiation. Independence became the formal objective only later, after fighting had begun and reconciliation appeared increasingly unlikely.