Unit 3 Part 3
The Birth of a New Nation


“Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments
long established should not be changed for light
and transient causes; and accordingly all
experience hath shown, that mankind are more
disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than
to right themselves by abolishing the forms to
which they are accustomed. But when a long train
of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably
the same Object evinces a design to reduce them
under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is
their duty, to throw off such government,…….”
Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of
Independence
The French and Indian War
(1754-1763)

England and France
go to war over
colonial territories

The Navigation
Acts – laws that gave
England control of
colonial trade
The Albany Plan of Union
(1754)
Plan proposed by Ben
Franklin for the
colonies to unite for
mutual defense
 Rejected but is first
hint at colonial unity

British Victory in French and Indian
War
Britain (England) wins but is heavily in debt.
 Expect the colonies to help pay cost

Proclamation of 1763
Forbid colonial
expansion further
West to prevent
further conflict with
Native Americans
 Enraged farmers who
were planning on
using land

Stamp Act (1765)




British tax on newspapers
and legal documents
First tax on colonies by
Parliament
“No taxation without
representation” –
becomes slogan of
revolution
Colonists refuse to buy
British products
Stamp Act Congress (1765)
Meeting of
representatives from
each colony in New
York to protest
actions of King
 Stamp Act is repealed
because of boycotts

Declaratory Act (1767)

Parliament ‘declares’
it has the right to
make decisions for
and tax the colonies
“in all cases”
Townshend Acts (1766)
Set of laws that further restricted colonial
rights
 Writs of Assistance general warrants to
search any property at any time

The Boston Massacre
(March 5, 1770)
British soldiers shoot into angry crowd and
kill 5 colonists
 Became propaganda for those who
wanted revolution

The Tea Act (1773)

Gave the British East India Company an
advantage over colonial merchants selling
tea
The Boston Tea Party (1773)

Colonists dump English tea into Boston Harbor
to protest tea act.
The Coercive/Intolerable Acts
(1774)

Took away colonists
civil rights, including
trial by jury
The First Continental Congress
(1774)

12 Colonies send
delegates
(representatives) to
Philadelphia to
address concerns.
 Send request to king
demanding rights be
restored
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
(April 1775)

British soldiers and
colonists fight first
battles of
Revolution.

“The shot heard
round the world” –
influenced
independence
movements around
the world
The 2nd Continental Congress
(1775-1776)
Delegates returned to Philadelphia to
determine next step
 Eventually decide to fight for
independence

The Declaration of Independence
July 4, 1776
 Document declaring
the colonies free
from British control

Who wrote Common Sense

Thomas Paine


December 23, 1776
THESE are the times that try men's souls.
The summer soldier and the sunshine
patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the
service of their country; but he that stands
by it now, deserves the love and thanks of
man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not
easily conquered; yet we have this
consolation with us, that the harder the
conflict, the more glorious the triumph.
………..Britain, with an army to enforce her
tyranny, has declared that she has a right
(not only to TAX) but "to BIND us in ALL
CASES WHATSOEVER" and if being bound
in that manner, is not slavery, then is
there not such a thing as slavery upon
earth.
What was the purpose of Common
Sense?

To encourage
REVOLUTION
Who wrote the
Declaration of Independence

Thomas Jefferson
Two Purposes of Declaration

Declare
independence

State the reasons
why

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to
secure these rights, Governments are instituted among
Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the
governed, — That whenever any Form of Government
becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the
People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new
Government, laying its foundation on such principles and
organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall
seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long
established should not be changed for light and transient
causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that
mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are
sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the
forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long
train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the
same Object evinces a design to reduce them under
absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to
throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards
John Locke’s Influence on Declaration
of Independence (pg 60)
All men equal
 All men entitled to
rights
 Government power
comes from the
people

John Locke’s Social Contract

Government is
created to secure
rights of people and
when it fails to do this
the people have the
right to abolish it.
Battles of Lexington and Concord

First battles of revolution
Battle of Bunker Hill
Outnumbered colonists lose but British suffer
heavy casualties.
 Evidence that colonists will put up a fight

Battle of Saratoga

Colonial victory encourages the French to
officially support the colonies
Battle of Yorktown
British surrounded by Colonial army and
French navy
 British surrender

Treaty of Paris

Officially recognizes
United States as
winner and as free
What was the Articles of
Confederation

1st Constitution of the
United States
Where does a confederation place
most power?

Unitary System
National
Gov
State
Gov
Confederate System
White Color = power
Weaknesses of the Articles of
Confederation

Could not tax
Could not regulate
trade
 Could not enforce
laws

Weaknesses of Articles of
Confederation
Laws required approval of 9 states
 Articles could not be amended (changed)
without unanimous vote

Weaknesses of Articles of
Confederation
No Executive Branch (no leader)
 No National Court System

What were the accomplishments
under the Articles of Confederation?

Won the Revolutionary War
Accomplishments under Articles

Ordinance of 1785 –
system of land
surveying and settling
for the Northwest
territory
Accomplishments of Articles

Northwest Ordinance of 1787


Most significant accomplishment
Set up rules for establishing territorial governments
and for admitting new states into union
What was Shay’s Rebellion?
Rebellion of 1,200
angry farmers led by
Daniel Shay’s over
taxes
 People believed
government could not
protect them

What did Shay’s Rebellion prove?

Government needed
to be stronger