This was the nation’s
first national
government
HOWEVER…
• Rested on no constitutional base
• Was condemned by British as an
UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY and
DEN OF
TRAITORS
2nd Continental Congress met in
Philadelphia with the intention of voting for
independence from England
• However – recess called
– Delegates in few colonies
had to return to seek further
instruction
• In anticipation of this vote,
the Congress selected a
committee to draft a
declaration of
independence.
• The committee, composed of
John Adams, Benjamin
Franklin, Thomas Jefferson,
Robert R. Livingston, and
Roger Sherman
Jefferson began his work on June 11 and
toiled in seclusion writing a number of drafts.
• After presenting his final draft, the committee
further revised the document and submitted it to
the Continental Congress on June 28.
On July 2, the
Continental Congress
voted for
independence and
refined its Declaration
of Independence
before releasing it to
the public on July 4th.
Declaration History
• The original 1776 Declaration is lost
• Once it was agreed upon, the original was sent to a official
printer (Dunlap) to print 200 broadsides (posters) of the
Declaration with only the TYPED name of John Hancock
(President) and Charles Thomson (Secretary)
- Also, he had the largest signature
GIVEN TO DELEGATES  assemblies, conventions, commanders
– Only 24 known copies TODAY
• King George III never received a signature copy
• Declarations including the signatures  not until 1777
– Not the same names… Delegates were away, NY (await
new instructions), new delegates were allowed to sign
their names, some refused to sign
The most famous signed copy is at the
National Archives in Washington, D.C.
In 1987 the National Archives and
Records Administration installed a $3
million camera and computerized system
to monitor the condition of the three
documents (D. of. I, Con, and B. of R.)
Any flea market scavengers…?
– a copy of Dunlap Declaration
($4 painting at flea market in BUCKS COUNTY, Pa)
$8.14 million
Would you be
willing to put
your name on
this document if
there may be
consequences?
•
- John Hancock
•
•
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
•
•
Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
•
•
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
•
•
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
•
•
New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
•
•
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
•
•
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George
Ross
•
•
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
•
•
Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
•
•
Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
•
•
North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
•
•
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
•
•
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
Thomas Paine – Common Sense
• Born in England – Met Franklin
– came to America
• Publicist in Philly
• Slavery being unjust and
inhumane
• View – Colonies had the right to
revolt and felt there was no
reason for the colonies to remain
dependent on England –
Common Sense
– Eventually, independence
would have to come because
America lost touch with the
mother land
– Arguments for
separation – WERE
SIMPLE FACTS, PLAIN
ARGUMENTS, AND
COMMON SENSE
– Sold over 500,000 copies
Thomas Paine – Common Sense
• View – Colonies had the
right to revolt and felt there
was no reason for the
colonies to remain
dependent on England –
Common Sense
– Eventually,
independence would
have to come because
America lost touch with
the mother land
– Arguments for
separation – WERE
SIMPLE FACTS, PLAIN
ARGUMENTS, AND
COMMON SENSE
Thomas Paine – Common Sense
HIGHLIGHT
• According to Paine, what kinds of people
“espouse the doctrine of reconciliation” with
England?
• How does Paine describe life in Boston, and why does
he think the situation there shows that England should
not be government the colonies?
• How does Paine describe those who would reconcile
with Great Britain?
– What questions does Paine have for those who would reconcile
with England?
Thomas Paine – Founding Father?
And then…
Renounced churches and
teachings (doctrines) Age of Reason
Besides Pen, lifted sword to Rev:
- Donated his share of the profits
from “Common Sense” to buy
supplies for the Continental Army
- Served in Continental Army
- While out in the field – wrote
series of dispatches known as
“Do you think that your
“The American Crisis,” and
printed in newspapers
pen…can unchristianize the
Without
pencitizens?”
of the author ofthroughout the states
mass the
of our
‘common Sense,’ the sword of
Washington~ would
have been - Was asked to write history of
Samuel Adams
raised in vain
revolution – declined (3 Volume
- John Adams
History – Paine footnote)
But later his tune changed:
Adams once complained to Jefferson,
“History is to ascribe the American
Revolution to Thomas Paine”
(upset that Paine was just repeating
Adams’ arguments to the Congress)
Issues with Founders and in his
own life (fraud, abused wives,
caused death of 1, rumor he
“liked liked” cats, …)
Thomas Paine – just a footnote
Last years of his life in New York
(virtually an outcast):
old man in a tavern… so drunk and
disoriented and unkempt that his
toenails had grown over his toes, like
bird’s claws.
• There were 20,000 mourners
at Franklin’s funeral.
• Thomas Paine’s had
6
All the surviving Founders had renounced him
Local Quaker church refused to let him be buried there 
was laid to rest in a corner of his small farm in
New Rochelle.
Did have a nursery
rhythm about him…
Poor Tom Paine!
There he lies,
Nobody laughs and
nobody cries.
Where he has gone and
how he fares,
Nobody knows and
nobody cares.
Signing of Declaration 
nation faced new major tasks
#1 – Fighting the Revolution
• Declaration sparked full-scale war against
Britain (1775 to 1783)
– Problems:
•Nation lacked Experienced National ARMY
•State militias – little experience, poorly
trained, poorly supplied (military supplies
[arms, ammunition], food, clothing, tents),
lack of money,
•States had little experience working together
How do we rule ourselves under …
Popular sovereignty
 the idea that the people are the highest authority,
not a ruler, and government can exist and
function only with the consent of the governed
- who are 'the people?’ (Adult landowning males, Slaves,
Native Americans, etc…)
 All of the states answered this questions differently
according to their own experiences (PA – Unicameral
– had been under British vs. South Carolina –
Bicameral under British)
 New Hampshire was the first, followed by South
Carolina… then others at urging of Congress
#2 Creating State Constitutions
• By 1780, most states had adopted written
constitutions - Similarities between them…
- considered themselves to be sovereign entities
(raised troops, issued money, own foreign policy)
• Some – revised original Charter
Ex: governors now elected  Gov’ts Given limited powers
• Short time period to serve - 1 or 2 years
• Others – wrote new
– Rights and liberties (contained bill of rights of citizens)
– Provided separation of powers (3 branches)
– Each had elected legislature – representative government
#3 Establishing a Plan for
Confederation
• 2nd Continental Congress began to
write a constitution for the nation
However…
Due to the feelings of the colonists 
who had greater loyalty to their STATES, not the
new nation  they were wary about giving the
national government too MUCH POWER
Pulling down the statue of King George III in NYC
Debated for 18 months
Finally November 1777 – Delegates approved
this plan of Government
*Established a firm league of friendship among
the States
** Congress was wary of CENTRALIZED
AUTHORITY (Heavy restrictions by crown)
**Government needs to have LIMITED POWERS
Let’s take a look
at the Articles of
Confederation
and the Basics
(which will
become ISSUES
later on)
Go to Mrs. Perella’s website
- Honors Gov’t Readings
 Articles of Confederation (1777)
• Congress would be national governing
body
• Congress had powers to declare war,
sign peace treaties
• Delegates from each state would
represent their states
• Each state would have an equal vote in
Congress
So, each State kept its…
(look at notes)
• Believed the LOCAL legislature was
closest to the people – National
Government allowed them to develop their
own policies
• Didn’t go into effect immediately –
needed….
However there were
weaknesses of the Articles…
Let’s take a look at
4 Incidents…
Settling the National Debt
Western Lands
Soldiers in the Time of Peace
The Pirates of North Africa
America and the Barbary Pirates
Because of weaknesses – people began to
questions the value of the Articles of
Confederation…
In addition
Feelings of the colonists –
greater loyalty to their state,
not the new nation
They TOO were cautious about
giving national government
too much power
Tomorrow…we will
examine a
major event known
as Shays’ Rebellion
and how the Articles
showed their
weaknesses