What was the First Continental Congress?

• A. A treaty with Native American tribes.
• B. A meeting held by colonists to determine how to respond to the Intolerable Acts.
• C. A plan to form a new government in the colonies.
• D. An economic alliance between colonies.

Answer: (B)

The first Continental Congress was a gathering of colonial leaders who came together in Philadelphia in 1774 to coordinate a response to Parliament’s Coercive (Intolerable) Acts. Delegates from most colonies discussed how to address the punitive measures, drafted statements of rights and grievances, and organized a boycott of British goods through the Continental Association to show unified resistance. This meeting marked an important move toward colonial unity and collective action, setting the stage for future cooperation and steps toward independence. It wasn’t about making a treaty with Native tribes, forming a new colonial government, or creating an economic alliance as its sole purpose—the central goal was coordinating a united response to British policy.