The Continental Congress was the first meeting by the colonies to discuss their common problems.

The statement is true. The First Continental Congress was the first meeting by the colonies to discuss their common problems.

Explanation:

The First Continental Congress was a meeting of representatives of the Thirteen Colonies (with the exception of Georgia, whose delegates did not attend), on September 5, 1774. Its objective was to define a united political front to respond to the Intolerable Acts established by the British Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party, imposing restrictions on the civil, political and economic liberties of the citizens of the colonies. This was the first time that the colonies showed a willingness to unite in the face of the British position, and the Continental Congress was, in this sense, the first superior organ to function as a unified body of colonial representation.

a.

congress passed laws allowing for free passage between states.