First Continental Congress convenes in Philadelphia.

Fifty-six delegates from 10 states (all but Georgia) gather in Carpenters’ Hall. They adopt a “Declaration of Colonial Rights” on October 14, 1774, which declares all colonists “are entitled to life, liberty, and property.” It also includes Article IV, which is subsequently seen as laying the foundation for states rights and a compromise on the issue of slavery. Drafted by John Adams, it declares each of the colonies is “entitled to a free and exclusive power of legislation in their several provincial legislatures, where their right of representation can alone be preserved . . . in such a manner has been heretofore used and accustomed. The congress adjourns without taking a position on independence on October 26, 1774.