The Debates of the Continental Congress

Explore the various issues debated at the first and second Continental Congress. Students examine how delegates from diverse colonies learned to compromise in order to build consensus at both the first and second Continental Congress. Students analyze media about the difficulties of the Continental Congress as well as excerpts of Thomas Jefferson’s “Notes of Proceedings in the Continental Congress.” They hone in on one major debate– the issue of apportionment– and then compare apportionment of representative votes in Congress under the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. Students dive into key debates and understand how these debates and consensus were integral to the founding of the United States.

About the Author

Autumn Doss is a veteran English teacher at the Don Tyson School of Innovation in Springdale, Arkansas, where she continues to build on nineteen years of classroom experience with her passion for innovative curriculum and assessment. She holds a Master’s degree in English and is a certified Master Professional Educator. Beyond the classroom, Doss serves in an advisory capacity to the Young Entrepreneur Institute and the National Constitution Center, supporting civic and entrepreneurial education nationwide. When she isn’t teaching or traveling to new places, Doss enjoys the peaceful life with her husband and two cats in a restored farmhouse, with a coop full of chickens out back.