Program Information

When in September 1774 the First Continental Congress met in Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, tensions between Great Britain and her rebellious colonies had reached fever pitch.

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Transcript

Lead: When in September 1774 the First Continental Congress met in Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, tensions between Great Britain and her rebellious colonies had reached fever pitch.

Intro: A Moment In Time with Dan Roberts.

Content: After the Boston Tea Party the previous year, the English Parliament passed what the colonists called the Intolerable Acts. In protest a convention of delegates from the colonies gathered in Philadelphia to organize resistance to the acts and to facilitate colonial unity. This convention came to be known as the First Continental Congress. The Congress was made up of 56 delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies, since Georgia's royal governor had been able to block his delegates from attending. The convention met in September and October. Leaders of the congress included Samuel Adams, John Jay, George Washington, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, John Adams, and Peyton Randolph of Virginia; this last was elected president. With a few exceptions, those gathering in Philadelphia this time did not want independence but rather used the meeting to express grievances against royal policy and persuade the London government to recognize the colonials' basic rights.

The delegates crafted a petition of complaints and encouraged the repeal of the Intolerable Acts. In addition, the meeting endorsed a general boycott of British goods until these grievances were righted. They agreed to meet again in six months if King George III did not respond favorably. When George heard their demands he answered, "The die is now cast. The colonies must either submit or triumph." He unwittingly played into the hands of those who were moving continental opinion in the direction of independence.

The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775, one month following the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord. Joined by Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock and Thomas Jefferson, these delegates approved the Declaration of Independence, completed the tasks begun by the First Congress, and paved the way for the establishment of a new nation.

The Producer of A Moment In Time is Steve Clark. At the University of Richmond, this is Dan Roberts.

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