At the First Continental Congress, Samuel Adams spoke out for independence.

Samuel Adams illustration by Sam Kennedy

Uniting the Colonies

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It was September 5, 1774. A group of men gathered in secret in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This was no ordinary meeting. It was the first step toward America’s independence. 

At the time, many people in the 13 Colonies were fed up with being ruled by Great Britain. American colonists didn’t have any say in harsh laws they were forced to follow. 

The 56 delegates had come from across the Colonies to talk about how to unite against the British. Future presidents George Washington and John Adams were there. That secret meeting 250 years ago is known as the First Continental Congress.

“This is the beginning of the 13 Colonies becoming the 13 states,” says Brian Krisch of the National Constitution Center. “It was the beginning of a process.”

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The 13 Colonies

No Turning Back

The meeting lasted nearly two months. By the end, the delegates had decided on a plan. They created a document that outlined the colonists’ rights and their arguments against British rule. 

But the British wouldn’t budge. In April 1775, the first shots of the American Revolution rang out. It would be eight years before America officially won its independence. 

The First Continental Congress set the stage for future meetings that would help turn 13 separate colonies into one country. Later groups created America’s founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. 

“This was people learning to work together as a country for the first time,” explains Krisch.

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