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How did the First Continental Congress respond to the Intolerable Acts?

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American Revolution *The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis* (at Yorktown, Virginia, on October 19, 1781), oil on canvas by John Trumbull, completed in 1820; in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, Washington, D.C. The painting captures the moment when major fighting during the American Revolution ended and the colonies achieved independence.

In response to the Intolerable Acts, the First Continental Congress took a firm stand to support Massachusetts and challenge British authority. The delegates demanded the repeal of both the Intolerable Acts and the Quebec Act, labeling them unconstitutional.1

Rather than petitioning Parliament for redress, the Congress issued an appeal to the crown and an address to the British people. They also endorsed a declaration of rights, which asserted that the British government had violated colonial charter rights, the rights of British subjects, and the natural rights of mankind.1

To exert economic pressure, the Congress established the Association, an organized boycott of British goods. This initiative prohibited the importation or consumption of goods from Britain or the British West Indies and threatened to halt the exportation of colonial products if Britain did not repeal the acts. By taking these collective actions, the colonies demonstrated a unified front against British policies, signaling a shift toward more fundamental arguments for liberty and preparing for potential conflict.1