THE FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AND THE BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION – U.S HISTORY

In September 1774, delegates from twelve of the thirteen American colonies convened the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to address their growing dissatisfaction with British rule. This meeting was a direct response to the Intolerable Acts, a series of punitive laws passed by the British Parliament following the Boston Tea Party. The colonists viewed these acts as an infringement on their rights, as they restricted trade, dissolved local governance, and forced colonists to house British soldiers without consent. The delegates demanded the repeal of the Intolerable Acts and asserted their rights as English citizens, particularly their right to self-governance and protection from taxation without representation. Despite their loyalty to the British Crown, the colonists insisted on fair treatment and self-determination. Britain, however, rejected their demands and escalated tensions by sending 3,000 troops to occupy Boston and deploying the Royal Navy to blockade Boston Harbor, effectively isolating the city and exacerbating economic hardships.

The situation reached a boiling point in April 1775 when British General Thomas Gage planned a covert operation to seize weapons and supplies stored by the colonists in Concord, Massachusetts. The colonists, aware of British surveillance, were prepared for such an eventuality. On the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere and William Dawes embarked on their famous midnight rides to warn the local militias, known as Minutemen, of the impending British march. The Minutemen, aptly named for their readiness to mobilize at a moment’s notice, prepared to defend their communities. The following morning, on April 19, British troops encountered a small group of Minutemen in Lexington. What transpired there would change the course of history. Amid the tension, a shot rang out—its origin unknown—and the ensuing skirmish left seventeen colonists killed or wounded and one British soldier injured. This confrontation marked the first bloodshed of the American Revolution and became immortalized as “the shot heard ’round the world,” a phrase later coined by poet Ralph Waldo Emerson to signify the global implications of the struggle for liberty.

The British troops proceeded to Concord, only to find that the colonists had moved most of their supplies to safety. At Concord’s North Bridge, another confrontation erupted, forcing the British to retreat. During their retreat to Boston, the British faced relentless guerrilla-style attacks from the Patriots, who fired from behind trees, stone walls, and buildings. These skirmishes inflicted over 250 casualties on the British forces, while the colonists suffered fewer than 100. The retreat underscored the growing effectiveness and determination of the colonial militias. By the time the British returned to Boston, they found themselves surrounded by thousands of armed colonists, effectively trapped in the city.

In the weeks that followed, the Patriots solidified their resistance. Recognizing the strategic importance of the Charlestown Peninsula, they constructed a fort on Breed’s Hill, overlooking Boston and its harbor. On June 17, 1775, the British launched an assault to dislodge the colonists from their fortified position. General William Howe led a direct attack, marching his troops in tight formations up the hill. The Patriots, entrenched behind makeshift fortifications, waited until the British were within close range before unleashing devastating volleys of gunfire. This tactic inflicted heavy casualties on the advancing British soldiers, forcing them to retreat twice before finally overwhelming the colonists on their third assault. Despite running out of ammunition and being forced to retreat, the colonists had demonstrated remarkable resolve and inflicted over 1,000 casualties on the British forces. This battle, often mistakenly called the Battle of Bunker Hill but more accurately the Battle of Breed’s Hill, proved that the Patriots were capable of standing up to the highly trained British army. Although the British technically won the battle by capturing the hill, their victory came at a steep cost and revealed the tenacity of the colonial forces.

The events of 1774 and 1775 marked a pivotal shift in the relationship between Britain and its American colonies. What began as a demand for rights and fair treatment within the British Empire had evolved into a full-scale armed conflict. The bravery displayed by the colonists at Lexington, Concord, and Breed’s Hill inspired greater unity among the colonies and strengthened their resolve to fight for independence. These early confrontations not only highlighted the growing divide between the colonies and Britain but also set the stage for the formal Declaration of Independence in 1776, laying the foundation for the birth of a new nation.

THE FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AND THE BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Directions: Read the following passage, and then answer the questions.

I have made a rule, whenever in my power, to avoid becoming the draughtsman of papers to be reviewed by a public body. I took my lesson from an incident which I will relate to you. When I was a journeyman printer, one of my companions, an apprentice hatter, having served out his time, was about to open shop for himself. His first concern was to have a handsome signboard, with a proper inscription. He composed it in these words, “John Thompson, Hatter, makes and sells hats for ready money,” with a figure of a hat subjoined. But thought he would submit it to his friends for their amendments. The first he showed it to thought the word “Hatter” tautologous, because followed by the words “makes hats,” which showed he was a hatter. It was struck out. The next observed that the word “makes” might as well be omitted, because his customers would not care who made the hats. If good and to their mind, they would buy them, by whomsoever made. He struck it out. A third said he thought the words “for ready money” were useless, as it was not the custom of the place to sell on credit. Everyone who purchased expected to pay. They were parted with, and the inscription now stood, “John Thompson sells hats.” “Sells hats!” says the next friend. “Why, nobody will expect you to give them away. What then is the use of that word?” It was stricken out, and “hats” followed it, the rather as there was one painted on the board. So the inscription was reduced ultimately to “John Thompson,” with the figure of a hat subjoined. —Excerpt from a statement by Benjamin Franklin to the First Continental Congress, explaining why he did not want to participate in writing the documents of the Congress

 1.  What was the message Franklin wanted to convey by telling this story?

 A.   He wanted to be a hatter, not a writer.

 B.   He recognized the fact that he was not a skilled writer.

 C.   He believed that his apprentice should write the document.

 D.   He believed that no matter what he wrote in the document, someone would change it.

2.  What did the poet Emerson mean by the phrase “the shot heard ’round the world”?

 A.   The guns used by the soldiers were extremely loud.

 B.   People in many nations would become aware of what the colonists had done.

 C.   The colonists wanted to invade other countries.

 D.   The soldiers used guns that had come from other countries

1. What was the message Franklin wanted to convey by telling this story?

✅ Correct Answer: D. He believed that no matter what he wrote in the document, someone would change it.

Explanation:
Franklin’s anecdote about the sign gradually being edited down illustrates how group input can overcomplicate or overly simplify a task through constant revisions. He used this humorous example to explain why he preferred not to be the original writer (draughtsman)—whatever he wrote would likely be revised anyway by the public body (the Continental Congress).

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2. What did the poet Emerson mean by the phrase “the shot heard ’round the world”?

✅ Correct Answer: B. People in many nations would become aware of what the colonists had done.

Explanation:
The phrase from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poem about the Battles of Lexington and Concord refers to the start of the American Revolutionary War. It symbolizes that the first shots of the Revolution would have global implications, inspiring other nations and peoples who sought freedom or political change. It wasn’t literal volume—it was about historical impact.