Continental Congress

American  

noun

American History.

1. either of two legislative congresses during and after the Revolutionary War. The first was in session from September 5 to October 26, 1774, to petition the British government for a redress of grievances. The second existed from May 10, 1775, to 1789, and issued the Declaration of Independence and established the Articles of Confederation.

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Continental Congress British  

noun

1. the assembly of delegates from the North American rebel colonies held during and after the War of American Independence. It issued the Declaration of Independence (1776) and framed the Articles of Confederation (1777)

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Continental Congress Cultural  

1. An assembly of delegates from the thirteen colonies (soon to become the thirteen states). It governed during the Revolutionary War and under the Articles of Confederation. The Continental Congress first met in 1774, before the revolution. When it reconvened in 1775, it organized for war against Britain and eventually passed the Declaration of Independence.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Continental Congress

George Washington and the Continental Congress hoped to sever French-speaking eastern Quebec from the rest of British Canada and bring it into the war as a 14th rebel colony.

From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026

The Founding Father worked closely with the Continental Congress and balanced the conflicting demands of military officers and civic leaders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

The captured ship was then brought back to Britain and its papers seized, including the privateer's commission, printed instructions from the Continental Congress, and the Declaration itself.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

The Second Continental Congress, meanwhile, convened in Philadelphia with much-needed breaks at the City Tavern.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

The Continental Congress could be driven from one location to another like a covey of pigeons, and it was.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis