[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 113 (Tuesday, July 9, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4265]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




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

  Mr. FETTERMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate the 250th 
anniversary of the First Continental Congress. The U.S. Congress's 
roots can be traced to the First Continental Congress, which convened 
in Philadelphia's own 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 created the Colonial coalition that later signed 
the Declaration of Independence. After the U.S. War of Independence, 
the Continental Congress evolved into the Federation Congress and 
ultimately the U.S. Congress as established by the Constitution in 
1787.
  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. 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 to 
launch Philadelphia's celebration of the semiquincentennial of American 
independence in 2026.
  YPCC delegates will discuss America's founding principles and how 
those principles have been expressed over our history. They will also 
experience Philadelphia's historic attractions to enhance their 
understanding of the democratic process and how our country was 
founded.
  YPCC will harness the power of convening for a new generation of 
civic leaders and focus on the unique opportunity they have to help 
shape the conversations around what America looks like today. As 
generations of leaders have learned, there is nothing like being ``in 
the room where it happened.''

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