The First Continental Congress made its mark in history on September 5,1774 in Philadelphia’s Carpenters Hall. According to the u-s-history.com website, “The idea of such a meeting was advanced a year earlier by Benjamin Franklin, but failed to gain much support until after the Port of Boston was closed in response to the Boston Tea Party.” Twelve of the thirteen colonies sent representatives to this secret meeting, “Georgia decided against roiling the waters; they were facing attacks from the restive Creek on their borders and desperately needed the support of regular British soldiers.”
The Intolerable Acts of 1774 greatly fueled the First Continental Congress. In response to the Boston Tea party, the British Parliament decided that a series of laws were needed to calm the rising resistance in America. “One law closed Boston Harbor until Bostonians paid for the destroyed tea. Another law restricted the activities of the Massachusetts legislature and gave added powers to the post of governor of Massachusetts.” As one can imagine, the American colonist viewed this as the British attempt to curtail their quest for independence. When hearing a discussion of the First Continental Congress, many believe that the members, elected by the people, by the colonial legislatures, or by the committees of correspondence of the respective colonies , convened to fight for independence. Independence was not the issue at this meeting, rather the members in Congress