[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 110 (Tuesday, July 2, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E689-E690]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMEMORATING THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 
              AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONTINENTAL CONGRESS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. BRENDAN F. BOYLE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 2, 2024

  Mr. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 
250th Anniversary of the First Continental Congress and Young People's 
Continental Congress.
  The United States Congress traces its roots to the First Continental 
Congress, which convened in Carpenters' Hall in 1774 and was one of the 
most significant events in the founding of our Nation. Colonial 
delegates solidified a united American identity by adopting the 
Declaration of Colonial Rights, which outlined their grievances with 
Great Britain, and the Articles of Association, which created the 
colonial coalition that later signed the Declaration of Independence 
and fought the American Revolution. After the Revolution, the 
Continental Congress evolved into the Congress of

[[Page E690]]

the Federation and ultimately the U.S. Congress as established by the 
Constitution in 1787.
  To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the First Continental 
Congress, in July 2024 the Carpenters' Company of Philadelphia, the 
nonprofit organization founded in 1724 that owns and operates 
Carpenters' Hall, will convene the Young People's Continental Congress 
(YPCC). From July 15-19, a diverse group of high school students and 
their teachers from the 13 original colonies will gather in 
Philadelphia to explore our Nation's founding. A second convening in 
July 2025 will engage students and teachers from all 56 states and 
jurisdictions.
  YPCC is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engage young people in 
history and civics as well as launch Philadelphia's celebration of the 
Semiquincentennial of American independence in 2026. YPCC has been 
named a National Partner Program of America250 and has been endorsed by 
America250PA and Philadelphia250. YPCC delegates will discuss America's 
founding principles and how those principles have been expressed over 
our history. They will also experience Philadelphia's world-class 
historic attractions to enhance their understanding of the democratic 
process and how our country began. The program will provide young 
people across the country with the opportunity to share their voices 
and perspectives.
  YPCC will harness the power of convening for a new generation of 
civic leaders, who often are more connected with their peers via 
technology and social media than they are in physical time and space. 
As generations of leaders have learned, there is nothing like being 
``in the room where it happened.''

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