The first Continental Congress, briefly convened in Philadelphia in 1774, consisted of 56 delegates from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies. They met in reaction to the laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774. In protest, delegates adopted a decision on an economic boycott and petitioned the king to express their disagreement.
After the Civil War, Southern state legislatures attempted to restrict the rights of formerly enslaved persons by "passing Black Codes" which segregated blacks from whites.
