The Three Factions in Shaping the First and Second Continental Congress, fixed

The First and Second Continental Congress were shaped by differing opinions from the three parties. Each faction provided, convincing arguments for their positions. However, the one that was most persuasive and effective in achieving its goals were the Radicals due to their beliefs about “taxation without representation”, the need to declare independence from the “mother country”, and the hatred of the Galloway Plan.
The majority of delegates in the First Continental Congress reflected the views of those in their indigenous colonies, creating three different factions, the Radicals, the Moderates, and the Conservatives. This non-intentional separation of principles made it very hard to reach a decision on what action to take against Britain or if to take no action at all. The Radicals were led by Joshua Wilson, John Adams and others who questioned the authority of the British Parliament over the colonies and to use force, if necessary, to assert their independence. The Moderates were led by John Dickinson and George Washington who believed that force against the mother country should be used as the last measure. They hoped for a peaceful solution. The final faction was the Conservatives which were led by Joseph Galloway. They wanted to establish a Union of colonies under a President General appointed by the king, thus initiating what course of action the First Continental Congress would take.
But the most persuasive and effective faction were the Radicals. No taxation without representation" was a slogan in the period 1763-1775 that summarized a primary grievance of the American colonists in the thirteen colonies. The colonists complained that taxes were imposed by Parliament without the consent of the colonists, which violated the traditional rights of Englishmen dating back from the Magna Carta. The point was that the colonies had no representation in Parliament; the British responded that they were "virtually" represented. The Americans said these "virtual representatives" knew nothing about America. This was basically the basis of the Radical struggle. When the Stamp Act was passed, this was one of first direct taxes against the colonies due to about one hundred years of salutary neglect. Maybe if the colonists were represented in Parliament, maybe there would not have been a common struggle, or at that a Revolutionary War.
The only realistic alternative was to take a chance, and be in charge of their own future. The one thing that the Radicals and the Conservatives did agree on was uniting the colonies. With the colonies united the Radicals could confront the opposition, and if needed destroy them. The Moderates sought out conciliation between the views of the Radicals and the Conservatives and took a position partially derived from the opposite views. The Radicals won, by defeating the proposal introduced by the Conservatives. The Radicals persuaded the Congress to adopt its own plan denouncing the Coercive Acts as unjust and unconstitutional. It supported the ’Suffolks resolves’ - declaring the Intolerable Acts null and void. The Congress adopted regulations, which would cut off all commercial relations with England. Setting the stage for the makings of a strong and independent nation.
Joseph Galloway (a Conservative) proposed a union of the colonies under British authority, essentially returning the colonies to what it was prior to the French and Indian War and the Proclamation of 1763. Galloway's plan was not accepted by the Congress. The appearance of the Suffolk Resolves at the Congress led to a discussion, with the radicals swiftly gaining the upper hand. Of course the Galloway Plan was a direct opposition to the Radical point of view. Therefore the radicals issued the Suffolk Resolves which made the Proclamation of 1763 null and void. Of course the British Parliament said no, but with the Radicals having the power to gain control of the Continental Congress shows why the Radicals were the most persuasive and effective out of the three factions.
Overall the First Continental Congress was the first fully recognized demonstration of the unity other than the Stamp Act Congress and the Albany Congress, America would soon be known for. After the French and Indian War the Continental Congresses, tried to uncover how they should react as a whole to Britain’s faulty leadership. Not everything was as they seemed because all of the delegates had varying views on what to do, the Radicals, the Moderates, and the Conservatives. The Radicals had the most effective view, in that they must take immediate action against the “mother country”. They even won over their Conservative counterparts and created the Declaration of Resolves which was the basis of what would become the United States of America.