American History I Unit Two
A New Nation
Causes of the American Revolution
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EQ: What were the causes of the
independence movement in colonial
America?
1689-1754 France and Great Britain went to war on four occasions in
order to become the dominate nation in Europe
Each of these conflicts started in Europe and spilled over to the colonies in
America
1754 last conflict- French and Indian War
Area of dispute was the Ohio ValleyFrench used the Ohio River to travel from Lake Ontario to the Mississippi
River and down to Louisiana
British land speculators wanted the area to sell to setters for a profit
French built a series of forts in the Ohio Valley to stop the British from
claiming the area
Governor of Virginia built a British fort in western Pennsylvania- French
took the fort before construction was complete and then built Fort
Duquesne on the site
A young George Washington was sent with a force to expel the French
• Washington’s troops marched to the Ohio River in
the spring of 1754- ran into French troops at
Great Meadows
• Short battle, Washington retreated, built a
stockade – Ft. Necessity- month later larger
French force made Washington surrender
• Conflict between French and British turned into a
world war
• 22-year old Washington becomes a hero for
courageous attempt to stop the French
• Prior to the war- British officials urged the colonies to work together –
prepare for the war
• Wanted colonists to enter into alliance with the Iroquois (controlled
western New York- French would need to pass thru the region to reach the
Ohio River)
• Delegates from 7 colonies met with Iroquois leaders at Albany, New York,
June 1754
• Albany Conference- Iroquois refused alliance but did state they would
remain neutral
• Colonies agreed Britain should name a supreme commander of all British
troops in the colonies
• Issued Albany Plan of Union- committee led by Ben Franklin- proposed
colonies unite to form a central government- colonies rejected the plan
• Albany Plan illustrated an attempt by colonial leaders to join together for
their common defense
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1755, General Edward Braddock arrived in Virginia- 1,400 troops- joined with 450
militiamen
Braddock appointed Lt. Colonel G. Washington to serve as his aide
Braddock marched west to attack Ft. Duquesne
Braddock’s troops ambushed by French and Indian forces- Braddock killed- British
panic
Washington saved the force from disaster- under fire- rallied the men and
organized a retreat
Success of the ambush prompted the Delaware to attack British settlers in western
Pennsylvania
For two years, French and Indian War took place along the frontier
1756 the fighting spread over to Europe- Seven Years War
Slowly the British fleet cut off supplies and reinforcements to the colonies from
France
Iroquois, realized British were gaining momentum- pressured the Delaware to end
attacks on British settlers
• French losing support of Native allies- outnumbered
• 1759, British fleet under General James Wolfe sailed to Quebec- capital of
New France- defeated French troops protecting the city
• British seized Quebec, took control of New France
• Fighting continued outside of North America
• Spanish joined French in 1761- Britain took Spain’s colonies in Cuba and
Philippines
• Treaty of Paris- 1763- ended war- French lost power in North Americaretained a few small islands
• All French territory east of the Mississippi River except New Orleans was
given to the British
• Spain gave Florida to Britain in exchange for Cuba and the Philippines
• To pay Spain for losses, France signed a separate treaty giving the Spanish
control of New Orleans and French territory west of the Mississippi
• Proclamation of 1763- Spring 1763, Pontiac chief of the Ottawa went to
war against British troops
• United several native nations, Ottawa, Delaware, Seneca, and Shawneeattacked forts in the frontier, burned several towns
• British troops put down the uprising• Pontiac’s War was not a surprise for British officials- had expected trouble
since 1758- reports of settlers moving into western Pennsylvania in
violation of colony’s treaty with Native Americans
• British leaders did not want to take on the expense of another war- many
British officials were shareholders in fur trading companies- war would
disrupt trade
• Solution- limit western settlement
• October, 1763 King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763
• Line north to south along the Appalachian Mts. colonists could not settle
west of the line without government permission
• Farmers and land speculators unhappy- wanted access to land
• Tax policies
• 1763 George Grenville, new Prime Minister of Britain and first lord of the
Treasury
• Grenville had to limit debt and pay 10,000 British troops stationed in
North America
• Grenville knew colonial merchants were engaged in smuggling, evaded
customs duties
• Grenville got Parliament to pass laws allowing smugglers to be tried at a
vice-admiralty court in Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Colonial juries were sympathetic to smugglers
• Vice-admiralty courts were run by naval officers
• No juries- did not have to follow English Common Law- admiralty cases
involved property not people
• Colonists objected to having to go to Nova Scotia to prove legality of their
property
• John Hancock, made rich by the sugar trade,
smuggled molasses from French colonies in
Caribbean- tried in vice-admiralty courtdefended by John Adams
• Adams argued the use of vice-admiralty courts
denied colonists rights as British citizens
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Sugar Act
Grenville, American Revenue Act, 1764- known as Sugar Act
Raised tax rate on imports of raw sugar and molasses- new taxes on silk, wine,
coffee, pimento, and indigo
Colonial merchants complained to Parliament- Sugar Act hurt trade
Colonists angry- violation of traditional English rights- property seized presumed
illegal until proven legal- seizures took place without due process (proper court
procedure)- in some cases prevent lawsuits by merchants whose goods had been
seized improperly
Pamphlets circulated in the colonies protesting the Sugar Act
James Otis argued that Parliament could impose taxes to regulate trade, taxing
Americans to pay for British programs was different, colonies had no
representation in Parliament
Otis’s arguments led to “No Taxation Without Representation”
Sugar Act remained in effect- Grenville passed the Currency Act 1764 slow
inflation, banned the use of paper money in the colonies (paper money lost value)
Colonial farmers and artisans liked paper money because it lost value quickly
• Use paper money to repay loans- money had
less value when loan repaid than when the
money was borrowed- loans easier to repay
• Stamp Act
• Grenville, Sugar Act not enough revenue to cover Britain’s expenses
in America
• Asked Parliament to pass the Stamp Act
• March 1765- taxed printed materials- newspapers, pamphlets,
posters, wills, mortgages, deeds, licenses, diplomas, playing cards
• This was not a tax on trade, it was a direct tax- first direct tax levied
by Parliament on the colonists
• Stamp Act generated debate in the colonies, spring 1765
• Patrick Henry’s speeches led to the Virginia House of Burgesses to
pass resolutions declaring Virginians were entitled to rights as
British citizens and could only be taxed by their own representatives
• Other colonies passed similar resolutions
• Summer 1765- sons of liberty organized demonstrations- intimidated
stamp distributors
• August, Boston, effigies hung to represent several British officialsincluding the stamp agent of Boston
• October, 1765 9 colonies sent representatives to the Stamp Act Congressissued a Declaration of Rights and Grievances, drafted by John Dickinson
• Declared taxation depended upon representation, only body to tax was
the colonial representatives not Parliament
• Also petitioned King George III for relief and asked Parliament to repeal
the Stamp Act
• Stamp Act in effect November 1, 1765
• Colonial response; ignored the law- boycott of British goods
• Substituted goods available in US for British goods
• New York, 200 merchants signed nonimportation agreements
• Not to buy British made goods until the Stamp Act was repealed
• Boycott hurt British merchants
• Thousands of British workers lost jobs
• Merchants could not collect monies owed
them from the colonies
• Protests in England and the coloniesParliament repealed the Stamp Act in 1766
• To assert authority, Parliament passed the
Declaratory Act- Parliament had the power to
make laws for the colonies
• Townshend Acts
• England experienced financial problems
• Protests in England made Parliament lower property taxes- still had to pay
for troops in America
• 1767, Charles Townshend, chancellor of the Exchanger introduced new
taxes
• Townshend Acts- Revenue Act, customs duties on glass, lead, paper, paint,
and tea imported by colonies
• Violators tried in vice-admiralty courts- no juries, did not follow common
law
• Allowed officials to take private property under certain circumstances
without following due process
• Revenue Act authorized writs of assistance- general search warrantcustoms officials could enter any location during the day to look for
smuggling activity
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Colonists upset with Townshend Acts
Winter 1767-1768 John Dickinson published essays, Letters From a Farmer in
Pennsylvania
Reasserted colonial assemblies elected by colonists held the right to tax
Called for colonists to bound together to form one body politic to resist
Townshend Acts
Month after Dickinson’s first essay published- Massachusetts assembly began
organized resistance against Britain
Sam Adams with James Otis February 1768 drafted a circular letter to be circulated
to other colonies criticizing the Townshend Acts
British demanded Massachusetts withdraw the letter- Massachusetts assembly
refused
British government ordered the assembly of Massachusetts dissolved
August 1768 Boston and New York merchants signed nonimportation agreementsnot import goods from Britain
Philadelphia merchants joined boycott
• May 1769 Virginia House of Burgesses passed Virginia Resolves- on
the House of Burgesses could tax Virginians
• Britain dissolved the House of Burgesses- G. Washington, Patrick
Henry, T. Jefferson called assembly members into conventionpassed nonimportation law stopped sale of British goods in Virginia
• Boycott spread, Americans stopped drinking British tea, buying
British cloth
• Women’s groups, Daughters of Liberty spun own cloth- called
homespun
• Wearing homespun became sign of patriotism
• Sons of Liberty encouraged people to join boycotts- 1769 colonial
imports from Britain declined dramatically from 1768 levels
• British response to “no taxation without
representation”
• Virtual Representation,
• - colonists were English citizens
• -English citizens elected members of
Parliament
• -colonists were represented in Parliament
Boston Massacre
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Fall 1768, more violence in Boston
1,000 British troops (redcoats) in Boston
Crowds jeered and harassed the British troops
March 5, 1770- crowd of colonists taunted and threw snowballs at British troops
guarding the customs house
Troops fired on the colonists, five died, six wounded- first colonist to die was
Cripus Attucks (of Native and African descendent)
Shootings called the Boston Massacre
Colonial newspapers made it appear the British were tyrants, willing to kill those
who stood up for their rights
News of the events in Boston spread quickly
Could have set off a revolution- few weeks after the Boston Massacre Parliament
repealed most of the Townshend Acts, kept one tax on tea to maintain right to tax
colonists- allowed colonial assemblies to resume meeting
Temporary peace in Colonial America
• Townshend Acts repealed, smuggling resumed
• British stationed customs ships along the east coast to intercept
smugglers
• The Gaspee off the coast of Rhode Island
• Rhode Islanders despised the commander of the Gaspee due to
search of ships without a warrant- sent crew ashore to take food
without payment
• June, 1772 the Gaspee ran aground, 150 colonists seized the ship
and set it afire
• British response, commission sent to investigate with the authority
to take suspects to Great Britain for trial
• Colonists were angry, violation of right to a trial by jury of peers,
Rhode Island’s assembly sent the king a letter and asked to other
colonies for help
• March, 1773 Virginia House of Burgesses received
the letter from Rhode Island, T. Jefferson
suggested each colony create a committee of
correspondence to open communication with the
other colonies about British actions
• Committees of correspondence helped unify the
colonies and shape public opinion
• Helped colonial leaders coordinate resistance
plans
• Boston Tea Party
• May, 1773- Lord North Prime Minister of England- major error- to
help the British East India Company which was struggling
financially- corrupt management and wars in India- taxes on tea
encourage colonial merchants to smuggle in cheaper Dutch tea
• British East India Company had 17 million pounds of tea in
warehouses- had to sell quickly
• Parliament passed the Tea Act 1773- refunded 4/5thd of the taxes
the company had to pay to ship tea to the colonies- left only the
Townshend Act in place
• East India tea could be sold at lower prices than smuggled tea
Dutch tea
• Allowed East India Company to sell directly to shopkeepersbypassed American merchants who distributed the tea
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American merchants feared they were being forced out of the market for tea
October 1773 East India Company shipped 1,253 chests of tea to Boston, New
York, Philadelphia, and Charles Town
Committees of correspondence decided the tea must not be unloaded from ships
First shipment arrived in New York and Philadelphia- colonists forced East India
agents to return home with the tea
Charles Town, customs officers took the tea and stored it in a local warehouse,
remained there unsold
Boston- December 17,1773- the night before customs officials were to bring the
tea ashore- group of 150 men gathered at the Boston dock
George Hewes, struggling shoemaker, among the group- despised the British for
questioning him on the street and nonpayment for shoes- witnessed Boston
Massacre- dislike became political
Put soot on his face, joined the group- boarded the ships and destroyed the tea
Several thousand cheered the actions as 342 chests of tea went into Boston
Harbor
Men were dressed as Native Americans, many knew their identities
• Sam Adams and John Hancock were among the group that boarded the
ship
• Coercive Acts, Boston Tea Party last straw for King George III- informed
Lord North, concessions had made matters worse
• Spring 1774, Parliament passed four new laws known as the Coercive Acts
• Laws were to punish Massachusetts and end colonial challenge to British
authority
• 1st act, Boston Port Act- closed the port until the city paid for the tea
• 2nd act, Massachusetts Government Act, required all council members,
judges, and sheriffs in Massachusetts to appointed by the governor, not
elected- banned town meetings
• 3rd act, Administration of Justice Act, governor could transfer trials of
British soldiers and officials to Britain to protect them from American
juries
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4th act, Quartering Act, local officials required to provide lodging for British
soldiers, in private homes if necessary
Enforcement of acts- 2,000 British troops moved to New England, General Thomas
Gage appointed new governor of Massachusetts
Coercive Acts violated traditional English rights- right to trial by jury of peers, right
not to have troops quartered in one’s home, king was not to keep a standing army
in peacetime without the consent of Parliament
Parliament had authorized troops, colonists felt own local assemblies had to grant
consent as well
July, 1774- Quebec Act- governor and council appointed by the king would govern
Quebec- also added Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana, Wisconsin to Quebeccolonists moving west would fall under royal control with no ability to elect
assemblies
Quebec followed the Coercive Acts- implied British trying to take control of
colonial governments
Colonies heard of harsh treatment of Massachusetts- sympathy and outrage
Coercive Acts and Quebec Act together known as the Intolerable Acts
EQ: How did the colonies prepare for
war with Great Britain?
• First Continental Congress
• May 1774 Virginia House of Burgesses declared arrival of British troops in
Boston a “military invasion”
• Virginia’s governor (royal) dissolved the House of Burgesses, members
went to a local tavern and issued a resolution, colonies suspend trade with
Britain- send delegates to a colonial congress to discuss options
• Patrick Henry ready for war- “I know not what course others may take, but
for me, give me liberty or give me death”
• New York, Rhode Island had made calls for a congress of colonies
• Committees of correspondence coordinated the different proposals,
September 5, 1774 First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia
• 55 delegates represented 12 of 13 colonies- Florida, Georgia, Quebec did
not attend
• Delegates- wide range of views- moderates opposed Intolerable Acts saw
compromise as the solution
• Radicals- time for war
• First Continental Congress endorsed the Suffolk Resolves- prepared by
citizens in Boston and Suffolk County, Massachusetts
• Colonists not obey Coercive Acts
• Arm themselves
• Stop buying British goods
• While discussion took place- Congress learned of the suspension of the
Massachusetts assembly
• Congress issued the Declaration of Rights and Grievances- expressed
loyalty to the King, condemned the Coercive Acts, stated the colonies
would form nonimportation assocation
• Delegates approved Continental Association- plan for every county and
town to form committees to enforce the boycott of British goods
• Agreed to meet for a Second Continental Congress in May of 1775 if the
situation had not improved
• October, 1774
• The suspended Massachusetts assembly organized the
Massachusetts Provincial Congress in defiance of the British
• The Provincial Congress created the Committee of Safety led by
John Hancock- power to call up the militia
• Hancock now challenged the power of General Gage
• Militias began to drill and practice marksmanship
• Concord created a unit of men trained and ready to “stand at a
minute’s warning in case of alarm”
• Minutemen
• Summer and fall of 1774- British control of colonies weakened as
colonists created provincial congresses and militias raided depots
for ammunition and gunpowder
• Actions angered British
• Loyalists and Patriots
• Colonists had to make a decision- stay loyal to the king or support the
independence movement
• Many were loyal to the king- believed British law should be obeyed
• Supporters of the king called Tories or Loyalists
• Loyalists were in every colony and in all social classes
• Government officials, Anglican ministers, merchants, landowners,
backcountry farmers ( saw king as their protector from planters and
merchants who controlled local government)
• Other side- saw king as a tyrant- abuser of rights- called Patriots or Whigs
• Patriots represented a large cross section of colonial society- artisans,
farmers, merchants, planters, lawyers, urban workers
• Patriots had a strong following in New England and Virginia
• Most loyalists lived in Georgia, Carolinas, New York
• Political differences divided communities and some families
• American Revolution a war between the British
and the colonists and a civil war between loyalists
and patriots
• Prior to the Revolution- patriots brutally enforced
the boycott of British goods
• Tarred and feathered loyalists- disrupted Loyalist
meetings
• Loyalists fought back- not as many by number
and not as well organized
• It is possible the majority of the colonists did not
support either side- were caught in the middle
• Lexington and Concord
• April, 1775- General Gage was ordered to arrest the Massachusetts
Provincial Congress- even if it meant an armed conflict
• Gage did not know where the Provincial Congress was meeting- decided
instead to take the militia’s supply depot at Concord
• April 18, 1775 700 British troops marched on Concord- the march took
them through Lexington
• Patriot leaders sent William Dawes and Paul Revere to sound the alarmmade it to Lexington to warn that the British were coming
• Dr. Samuel Prescott headed for Concord- British stopped Revere and
Dawes- Prescott made it and warned Concord
• April 19, 1775 British troops arrived in Lexington- saw 70 minutemen lined
up on the village green
• British marched onto the field- ordered minutemen to disperse
• Minutemen backed away from British troops- shot fired- British fired on
the minutemen, killed 8 wounded 10
• British moved on to Concord- most of the military supplies had
been moved
• Crossing the North Bridge- British encountered 400 colonial militia
• Battle occurred, British forced to retreat
• British marched back to Boston- militia and farmers shot at the
British from behind barns, houses, trees, stone walls
• Arriving at Boston the British had lost 99 men,, 174 wounded
• Colonists lost 49 militia and 46 wounded
• News of the conflict spread across the colonies- militia from all over
New England arrived to fight the British- May 1775 the militia had
surrounded Boston- trapping the British
• Shot heard round the world, first time an armed rebellion had
taken place in a British colony
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Second Continental Congress
Met in Philadelphia two weeks after Lexington and Concord
Issues;
-defense- “adopted” the militia army surrounding Boston- named it the
Continental Army
-June 15, 1775 named George Washington to command the new army
Before Washington assumed command, British landed reinforcements in Boston
British moved to surround the hills north of Boston
With advance warning- militia moved first, June 16, 1775 militia dug in on Breed’s
Hill near Bunker Hill- started construction of a fort at the top of the hill
General Gage sent 2,200 British troops to take the hill
Legend has it that American commander William Prescott told troops “do not fire
until you see the whites of their eyes”
British within 50 yards Americans opened fire- stopped to British attempts to take
the hill- Americans forced to retreat upon running out of ammunition
• Battle of Bunker Hill
• Battle known as the Battle of Bunker Hill built
American confidence- colonial militia could stand
up to one of the world’s strongest militaries
• British had 1,000 casualties in the battle
• General Gage resigned and was replaced by
General William Howe-Boston became a
stalemate- British troops encircled by the colonial
militia
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Declaring independence
Fighting took place in the summer of 1775
Colonists divided on declaring independence
Majority of the Second Continental Congress wanted the right to selfgovernment but not break with England
By 1776 opinion had changed- Britain’s refusal to compromise led many
patriot leader call for independence
July 1775 siege of Boston continued- Continental Congress sent the Olive
Branch Petition to King George III
Written by John Dickinson- stated the colonies still loyal to the king and
asked him to call off hostilities and resolve the problems peacefully
Radical delegates of Congress convinced them to order an attack on
British troops in Quebec- hoped the French in Quebec would rebel and
join in fighting British
American forces took Montreal, but French would not rebel
• Attack on Quebec showed British there was no hope for a
peaceful solution
• Olive Branch Petition arrived in England- King George III
refused to read it- proclaimed the colonies now open and
avowed enemies ordered military to put down rebellion in
America
• No compromise- Continental Congress began to act like an
official government
• Sent delegates to negotiate with the Native Americans and
establish a postal system, Continental Navy, and Marine
Corps
• March 1776 Continental Navy raided the Bahamas and
began seizing British merchant ships
• Revolution began, Governor Dunmore of Virginia organized two loyalist
armies to aid British troops in Virginia
• One was made up of white loyalists and the other enslaved Africans
• Dunmore promised the African slaves enslaved by rebels would be freed if
they fought for the loyalists
• This action in regards to slavery led many southern planters to turn to the
independence movement, otherwise might lose land and labor force
• Planters increased effort to raise large Patriot army
• December 1775- Patriot troops attacked and defeated Dunmore’s forces
near Norfolk- British pulled soldiers out of Virginia- left Patriots in control
• N.C., Patriot troops defeated loyalist troops at the Battle of Moore’s
Creek, February 1776
• British moved to take Charles Town, city militia repelled the attack
• Fighting in the south- Washington ordered his troops to take the hills
south of Boston
• Americans took hills by surprise- surrounded
Boston- British navy evacuated British troopsBoston under the control of the patriots
• British not backing down- December 1775
King George III issued the Prohibitory Act- shut
down trade with colonies- ordered a naval
blockade- British expanded army- recruited
mercenaries- Germany Hessians
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Common Sense
War continued- many moved to a declaration of independence
January 1776 Thomas Paine published Common Sense- until Paine’s publication
most colonists blamed Parliament not the King
Paine attack George III- Parliament did not act without the King’s support
Paine argued monarchies had been set up by seizing power from the people- King
George was a tyrant and it was time to declare independence
This was propaganda, an attempt to influence public opinion
3months of the publication over 100,000 copies sold
G. Washington noted “Common Sense is working a powerful change in the minds
of men”
Provincial congresses and legislatures told delegates to the Continental Congress
to vote for independence
July, 1776 committee made up of Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert
Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson submitted a d ocument (drafted by Jefferson)to
the Congress
• Explained why it was time for independence
• July 4, 1776 Continental Congress issued the
Declaration of Independence
• Colonies now moving to become the United
States of America
• American Revolution officially began
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
• Preamble;
• Statement of what is going to happen- goals of
the declaration
• Dissolve the political bands which had
connected them with another
• Assume powers of the earth, separate and
equal station to which laws of nature and
nature’s God entitle them
• Declaration of natural rights;
• Self-evident truths; all men are created equal,
endowed by their creator with certain
unalienable rights; life, liberty, and property
• Governments are made by men, gain powers
from the consent of the governed
• Government becomes destructive of these
ends, the right of the people to institute a new
government
EQ: HOW DID THE COLONISTS DEFEAT
GREAT BRITAIN?
• Continental Congress voted for independence, British
troops landed in New York Harbor
• Mid August, 1776- 32,000 British troops commanded by
General William Howe
• British believed the rebellion would be short lived
British troops disciplined, well trained, well equipped
• Continental Army, inexperienced and ill equipped
• Over 230,000 men served in the Continental Army rarely
over 20,000 served at any time
• Many deserted, refused to reenlist when terms expired
• Some left to return home to farms at planting and
harvesting time
• List of Grievances;
• He has………
• List of complaints against the British government and King
George III in particular
• Resolution of Independence by the United States;
• Declare colonies free and independent states
• No allegiance to the British crown- all political connections
dissolved
• Powers of independent states; levy war, conclude peace,
contract alliances, establish commerce, all other acts which
independent states have the right to do
• Pledge to each other our lives, fortunes, and scared honor
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War hard to pay for
Continental Congress had no power to tax
Continental Congress did issue paper money; “Continentals” not backed by gold or
silver- became worthless
Robert Morris, wealthy Pennsylvania merchant and banker- pledged large amounts
of money for the war
Morris set up a method of buying supplies and uniforms, arranged foreign loans,
got Congress to create the Bank of North America to finance military
British had to fight both Continental Army and local militias
Militias poorly trained, fought differently, did not line up for battle, hid behind
trees and walls and ambushed British troops and supply wagons
Guerrilla warfare
British faced division at home, merchants, some Parliament members opposed
the war- British needed quick cheap victory before Parliament turned against the
war- Patriots need not win just hold on until British grew tried of paying for the
war
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Balance of Power in Europe, French, Dutch, Spanish ready to take advantage of
British problems
British had to use troops to protect colonies on other continents
Balance of power made it possible that the Patriots could find an ally
British had to win fast- had to convince Americans that the cause was hopelessallow safe surrender without being charged with treason
General Howe had a two part strategy;
-1. sent large contingent of troops to take New York City- separate New England
from the South- show Americans no chance for victory
-2. diplomacy; invited delegates from the Continental Congress to a peace
conference- promised if rebels laid down arms, swore loyalty to king, would be
pardoned
Americans saw Howe no authority to negotiate, refused to continue talks
Northern Battles; Congress asked Washington to defend New York City- New York
fall without a fight, hurt American morale- Washington moved troops to Long
Island, Continental Army attacked by British summer of 1776- many soldiers ran
away- 1,500 wounded or killed- British slow to advance, allowed remainder of the
Continental Army to retreat to Manhattan-
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-Manhattan, joined with the rest of Washington’s army defending New YorkWashington let New York fall when British advanced- British used New York as
headquarters for the rest of the war
Washington sent Captain Nathan Hale to spy on the British- disguised as a Dutch
school teacher- British found him out and hanged Hale- last words “ I regret I have
but one life to lose for my country”
Washington moved troops to White Plains, N.Y.
October 1776, Battle of White Plains- British forced another retreat by
Washington- British then moved on Philadelphia where the Continental Congress
was meeting instead of pursuing Washington – Washington had to move fast to get
ahead of British
-Thomas Paine, The American Crisis, help improve morale- reminded Americans
that “the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph”
Winter set in as both armies approached Philadelphia- British went into winter
camps in New Jersey- 1700s armies did not fight in winter due to weather and lack
of food supplies
-Washington planned a winter attack- crossed the Delaware River, attacked British
at Trenton, 2,400 men in a sleet storm- killed or wounded 1,000 British
• Days after Trenton Washington scattered three British regiments near
Princeton
• Washington then went into hills of northern New Jersey for the winter
• British General John Burgoyne based in Quebec had a plan to cut New
England off from the rest of the colonies
• Three-pronged attack on New York
• -1. take a large force south from Montreal
• -2. another force move from Montreal up the St. Lawrence River to Lake
Ontario, head east into New York
• -3. third force led by General Howe, march north from New York Citythree forces meet near Albany and march east into New England
• British did not coordinate attacks- when Burgoyne marched south, Howe
already moved 13,000 men by ship to Maryland and attacked Philadelphia
• Howe thought by taking Philadelphia and the Continental Congress would
cripple the Revolution and convince Loyalists to rise up and take
Pennsylvania
• Howe had military success, political failure
• Defeated Washington at Brandywine Creek- took
Philadelphia, Continental Congress escaped, no Loyalist
uprising occurred
• Howe failed to destroy the Continental Army• Washington set up winter camp at Valley Forge- cold
and food shortages, killed almost 2,500 men
• Washington joined at Valley Forge by military officers
the Marquis de Lafayette and Baron Friedrich von
Steuben, helped Washington improve discipline and
boost morale despite hard conditions
• Battle of Saratoga, Burgoyne unaware Howe had headed south to
take Philadelphia, headed south from Quebec in June 1777 with
8,000 troops to New York, 900 troops under Colonel Barry St.
Ledger headed down the St. Lawrence River to Lake Ontario- joined
with over 1,000 Iroquois- headed east to Albany
• Iroquois allied with the British- hoped to keep Americans off
Iroquois land
• Burgoyne took Fort Ticonderoga, Congress relieved the American
commander and replaced him with General Horatio Gates
• Burgoyne had to deal with trees felled across roads, lack of food
and cattle in the region, taken by American troops to cut off British
supply of food
• British and Iroquois marched east from Lake Ontario- ambushed by
militia, driven back by American troops led by General Benedict
Arnold
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Burgoyne retreated to Saratoga, New York
Surrounded by American forces, three times the size of the British forces
Oct. 17, 1777 Burgoyne surrender to General Gates, over 5,000 British soldiers
taken prisoner
Victory at Saratoga, turning point in the war
Helped morale, French were convinced to commit troops to help the Americans
Spain and France had been secretly sending arms and supplies to the U.S. before
Saratoga
Congress wanted France to send troops- September 1776 Congress sent B.
Franklin, Arthur Lee, and Silas Deane to France to ask for troops
French not willing until they thought Americans could win
Victory at Saratoga convinced France to enter war against Britain
February, 1778 U.S. signed two treaties, first treaty, France first nation to recognize
U.S. as an independent nation, second treaty, alliance between U.S. and France
June, 1778 Britain and France at war,
1779 Spain entered the war but as an ally of France, not the U.S.
• War in the West
• 1778 Patriot George Rogers Clark- 175 troops down the Ohio River,
took several towns
• February 1779 British surrendered- Americans controlled region
• Clark fighting British in West, Chief Joseph Brant with four Iroquois
nations joined the British- July 1778 British and Iroquois attacked
western Pennsylvania- burned towns, killed over 200 militia
• Summer of 1779 American troops defeated British and Iroquois in
western New York- destroyed the power of the Iroquois
• Revolution began, Shawnee, Delaware, Mohawk got the Cherokee
to attack settlers in Virginia and North Carolina to drive them off
Cherokee land- American militia overpowered the Cherokee, by
1780 militia had burned hundreds of Cherokee towns
• Naval battles
• American ships attacked British merchant ships
• Congress issued letters of marque to private ship owners
to authorized to attack British merchant ships- end of war
millions of dollars of cargo seized by Americans- hurt
British trade and economy
• John Paul Jones, American naval officer, commanded the
Bonhomme Richard, sailed near Britain September 1779came upon British merchant ships protected by the Serapis
and Countess of Scarborough British sank Jones’ shipBritish asked Jones to surrender, reply “ I have not yet
begun to fight”- tied his ship to the Serapis to prevent it
from sinking, battle lasted three hours, British surrendered
• After the defeat at Saratoga Howe replaced by Sir Henry Clinton
• Clinton ordered British out of Philadelphia and return to New York
City- gather all forces to begin new campaign
• Washington ordered his troops at Valley Forge to intercept British
• Battle on Monmouth- largest battle of Revolution- ended in a
stalemate- first time American troops able to stand against British
regulars in battle –boost in morale
• Clinton was ordered to start a southern campaign where loyalist
numbers were the greatest
• Also take south to disrupt American trade in tobacco and rice
• British with the help of Loyalists hoped to hold the south
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December, 1778- 3,500 British troops took Savannah, Georgia
Controlled Georgia backcountry and returned royal governor to power
Next moved on Charles Town, South Carolina- largest city in the South
14,000 British troops attacked Charles Town
Surrounded the city- trapped American forces- May 12, 1780 5,500 Americans
taken prisoner- greatest American defeat in the war
After the fall of Charles Town, Clinton returned to New York, left Lord Cornwallis in
command- Continental Congress sent General Horatio Gates to destroy British
supply depot at Camden, South Carolina- Gates failed
Battle of Kings Mountain – British moved to control Carolina backcountry after the
Battle of Camden- many settlers were Loyalists and agreed to fight for BritainBritish cavalry officers Banastre Tarleton and Patrick Ferguson led Loyalist forcestroops infamous for brutality
Ferguson tried to take Appalachian region- “over-mountain men” created a militiadestroyed Ferguson’s troops at Kings Mountain- Oct. 7, 1780- turning point of the
war in the south
Southern farmers unhappy with British treatment formed own forces
• American commander Nathaniel Greene in the
South- planned to wear down British in battle
while militia destroyed British supplies
• Greene used hit and run tactics against British
camps and supply wagons
• Francis Marion “Swamp Fox” led a famous unit
• Greene’s strategy worked- by late 1781 British
controlled little of the South- just Savannah,
Charles Town, and Wilmington
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Yorktown- April, 1781 Cornwallis marched into Virginia- needed to break American
control of Virginia to prevent troops and supplies from going south- French troops
on way to America- little time left to win the war- British had to take Virginia
In Virginia Cornwallis joined with forces controlled by Benedict Arnold- Arnold
former American commander had sold military information to the Britishcommitted treason- fled to British controlled New York- given command of British
forces and sent to Virginia
Arnold and Cornwallis’ combined forces began to take Virginia- little American
resistance until June, 1781- General Anthony Wayne led a large American forceCornwallis outnumbered and too far inland for supplies retreated to the Virginia
coast at Yorktown
The retreat created an opening for American and French forces
6,000 French troops arrived n 1780- Washington planned to march on New York
City
Headed to New York City- French General Rochambeau learned a French fleet
under the command of Admiral de Grasse was headed north from the Caribbean
Washington changed plans- with Rochambeau marched to Yorktown
• de Grasse moved into the Chesapeake Bay near
Yorktown- cut off supplies to Cornwallis and
prevented escape by water
• September 28, 1781 American and French forces
surrounded Yorktown- started to bombard city
• Oct. 14, 1781 Washington’s aide Alexander
Hamilton led an attack and captured important
British defensive positions
• Oct. 17, 1781 Cornwallis began to negotiate
surrender- Oct. 19, 1781 8,000 British soldiers
marched out of Yorktown and surrendered
• Treaty of Paris
• -Lord North learns of the Cornwallis surrender realized war
was over
• March, 1782 Parliament voted to begin peace talks
• John Adams, B. Franklin, and John Jay represented the U.S.
• Treaty of Paris signed September 3, 1783
• -U.S. and independent nation- western border was the
Mississippi River
• -Britain gave Spain back Florida
• -France got colonies in Africa and the Caribbean they had
lost to the British in 1763
• November 24, 1783 last British troops left New York City
EQ: How did the Revolution affect
American Society?
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American leaders created a republic – the power to rule lies with the citizens who
are able to vote
Power is exercised by elected officials responsible to the citizens- must govern
according to laws or a constitution
Europeans saw the republic as radical
Americans liked it over other forms of government
Ideal republic- all citizens are equal under the law regardless of wealth or social
status- contradicted traditional beliefs about slavery, women voting or owning
property, and some families being “better” than others
Republican ideas changed American society after the war
Before the Revolution began, Americans wanted state constitutions writtengovernment power over the people should be limited
John Adams and others feared democracy would endanger a republican
government and lead to tyranny
Adams’ democracy = majority rule
Founders afraid of a pure democracy, minority groups would not have rights
protected- poor might vote to take everything from the rich
• Adams pushed for checks and balances in order
to prevent any group from becoming strong
enough to take rights from the minority
• A mixed government was preferred by Adams- a
separation of powers 1. executive branch, 2.
legislative branch, 3. judicial branch- all
independent of the other- legislature should be
bicameral- 2-house legislature- senate to
represent people of property and an assembly to
protect the rights of common people
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Virginia Constitution, 1776- New York Constitution 1777- Massachusetts Constitution 1780 all
established an elected governor, senate, assembly- by 1790 most of the states had created similar
governments
Many states added a list of rights to their constitutions
1776 George Mason, Virginia Declaration of Rights- freedom of speech, religion, right to bear arms,
right to trial by jury- stopped the state from searching homes without a warrant or taking property
without court action
Expansion of voting rights – people of all classes fought together- increased belief in equality- all
men fighting for same cause and risked death for same ideas, all deserved the right to vote for
leaders
War weakened feelings of deference toward the upper class – war had shown artisans and farmers
they were equal to the rich they fought beside
These ideas of equality were part of the new state constitutions-made it easier for men to get the
right to vote- in many states any white male who paid taxes could vote whether he owned property
or not
Elected officials did have to own minimum amount of property- less than before Revolution
Veterans were given grants of land for military service- increased number of eligible people to hold
office
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North before the Revolution over 80% of elected officials were rich, 10 years after
the war a little over 33% of officeholders were rich
South, property requirements kept rich in power- number did drop from 90% of all
officeholders before the war to 70% after the war
Freedom of religion – war changed relationship of church and state
Revolution leaders feared the power of the church, backed by government, make
people worship a certain way
Baptists led movement to stop taxes to support the Anglican Church
Governor T. Jefferson, Virginia, wrote the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedompassed the Virginia legislature due to efforts by James Madison in 1786
-Virginia no longer had an official church
-state could not collect taxes for churches
This ideas spread slowly- Massachusetts constitution allowed for taxation to
support churches- Quakers and Baptists allowed to assign their taxes to support
own churches not the Congregational Churches- did abolish religious taxes in 1833
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The new Nation was founded on the principles of freedom and equality
These principles did not apply to women or African Americans
Women played an important role in the war- helped at home and on the
battlefield
Men away at war, some women took over running the farm
Some traveled with the armies- cooked, washed, nursed the wounded
Women served as spies and couriers- some joined the fighting- Deborah Sampson
of Massachusetts fought in the Continental Army dressed like a man used the
name Robert Shurtleff- Margaret Corbin followed husband to battle, upon his
death took his place at the cannon until battle ended (Molly Pitcher)
Post war- Americans looked revolutionary thinking, women made gains
-easier to get a divorce
-greater access to education
1779 Judith Sargent Murray wrote On the Equality of Sexes – argued women as
intelligent as men, lacked education needed to achieve more in life
Post Revolution- number of schools for women created- number of women who
could read and write increased
• Thousands of African American slaves freed as a
result of the Revolution
• British seized many African Americans and shipped
them to the Caribbean to work on plantations- but did
free other slaves for military service
• American planters freed slaves who would fight the
British
• -G. Washington allowed slaves to join the Continental
Army- urged state militias to admit African Americans
and offer freedom to all who served
• Roughly 5,000 African Americans served in militias and
Continental Army
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Post Revolution- some thought slavery and ideals of liberty and equality did not
go hand in hand
Opposition to slavery had been growing before the Revolution- especially in the
Northern and Middle States- during the war emancipation became a major issue
Northern states began to take steps to ban slavery- Vermont 1777- 1780
Pennsylvania freed all children born enslaved at age 28- Rhode Island law in 1784
all men born thereafter would be freed at age 21, enslaved women at age 18- New
York 1799 freed enslaved men born in that year or later at age 28 and women at
age 25
Ending slavery in the North was gradual- took several decades- showed slavery
could be ended
African Americans victims of discrimination even when emancipated
Got the worst jobs- digging, carrying, sweeping
Free African Americans faced voting restrictions, segregation, possibility of
kidnapping to the South to be enslaved
Freedom did offer choices- could move to cities to find jobs, also able to work in
occupations that earlier they could not- artist, minister
• Some African Americans achieved wealth and statusdiscrimination encouraged them to create own unique
culture
• Religion important role in African American culture- own
style of worship- 1816 African American church leaders
formed the first independent African American
denomination- African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME)
• South- relied on slave labor to fuel agricultural economy
• Southern leaders no interest in ending slavery
• 1782 Virginia passed a law encouraging manumission- free
slaves voluntarily- especially those who fought in
Revolution- about 10,000 slaves obtained freedom-most
remained enslaved
• The end of the Revolution changed life drastically for Loyalists –
support for British caused them to be shunned by former friendsstate governments sometimes took their property
• not willing to live under new government and at times fearful for
lives- Loyalists fled the U.S.
• Some went to Great Britain or British West Indies, most moved to
British North America- Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, or near Niagara
Falls- part of Quebec, 1791 made the separate colony of Upper
Canada- today it is the province of Ontario
• Americans had to decide what to do with Loyalist property
• North Carolina patriots took Loyalist land
• New York took Loyalist land and goods
• Massachusetts Constitution 1780 extended rights of life, liberty, and
property to Loyalists and gave land seized form departing Loyalists
to their agents or relatives who stayed
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American Culture, victory over British united Americans and created strong nationalist feelings
-Americans in all states had battled a common enemy- soldiers from all over the nation had fought
side by side in each other’s states
-stories of Revolution and it’s heroes encouraged Americans to think of themselves as belonging to
the same group
American Painters, Revolution led to artistic creativity- John Trumbull and Charles Wilson Peale and
others- paintings contributed to American identity- Trumbull served in Continental Army, aide to
Washington- best known paintings, depiction of battles and important events in Revolution- Peale
fought at Trenton and Princeton, survived winter at Valley Forge, known for portraits of Washington
and other Patriot leaders
Education changes, founders of the nation saw educated public as critical to success of the new
republic
Jefferson, education keystone to the arch of government
State constitutions provided for government funded universities
1795 University of North Carolina first state university in the nation
Elementary schools started and American centered style of teaching- taught republican ideas and
history of the struggle for independence
• Noah Webster, Connecticut teacher- Americans needed
own education system based on own culture, 1783 wrote
textbook A Grammatical Institute of the English Language,
which included The American Spelling Book, textbook used
by teachers for over 100 years- still in print today
• Webster best known for his American Dictionary of the
English Language published 1828- regularized American
English- underscored its differences from British English
• American leaders built a national identity separate form
Great Britain – turned to creation of a government to
promote ideals and beliefs that had been fought for
EQ: Why was a stronger government
needed?
• Prior to independence the Continental Congress realized
the need to unite the colonies under a central government
• November, 1777 Continental Congress adopted the Articles
of Confederation and Perpetual Union (first constitution)
• A loose union of states under the authority of Congress
• Articles of Confederation created a very weak central
government
• States did not wish to give up independence/power to a
strong central government that might become abusive
• Under the Confederation government; once a year, each
state would choose delegates to send to the capital cityreferred to as Congress was the government- no executive
or judicial branches
• Congress could: declare war, raise armies, sign treaties
• No power to tax and could not regulate trade
• No power to tax/regulate trade, Congress depended on state governments
to fund the government
• Congress could raise money by selling western lands
• To sell land and bring in settlers Congress passed the Land Ordinance of
1785 to survey western lands- arranged land into townships, six miles
square
• Township divided into 36 sections of one mile square
• 1795 Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance- set the requirements for
governing western territories- created a new territory north of the Ohio
River and east of the Mississippi River- would be divided into 3-5 states
• Congress selected a governor of the territory, secretary, and three judges
• 5,000 adult white male citizens settled in the area they could elect
territorial legislature
• Population 60,000 the territory could apply for statehood
• Northwest Ordinance guaranteed rights to people in the area- freedom of
religion, property rights, right to a jury trial
• No slavery or involuntary servitude in the territory
• Slavery excluded in the Northwest Territory- US expanded, division
between Southern slave states and Northern free states
• Congress tried to promote trade- post Revolutionary War Britain cut
America out of trade with British West Indies- could trade with Britain but
only goods from one state, cargo could not come from multiple states
• Representatives of Congress negotiated trade agreements with Holland,
Prussia, and Sweden
• Treaty already in effect with France allowed trade with French colonies in
the Caribbean
• By 1790 trade of the US greater than the trade of the colonies prior to the
Revolution
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Accomplishments of Congress
Northwest Ordinance
Land Ordinance
Commercial treaties
• 1760s boycotts allowed artisans and manufacturers to fill
domestic demand
• Post war, British merchants flooded American markets with
cheap British goods- drove American artisans out of
business
• States fought back against British trade practices- restricted
British imports- states did not all impose the same taxes on
imported products- British took goods to states with lower
taxes or less restrictions
• British goods in US sent overland to states that attempted
to keep them out
• Articles of Confederation would not let Congress to
regulate trade
• States set up customs posts on borders to stop British
goods from coming in
• States taxed each other’s goods to raise revenue
• NY taxed firewood from Connecticut, and cabbage
from NJ
• NJ charged NY for a lighthouse on NJ side of the
Hudson River
• Each state acted as an independent nation- threatened
unity of US
• The Articles of Confederation made it difficult for
Congress to address foreign policy problems
• Problems with Britain
• -before the Revolution Southern planters borrowed money
from British lenders- Treaty of Paris required the states to
allow British creditors to recover debts by suing in
American courts
• -Congress no power to make states comply
• -many states restricted Britain’s ability to collect debts
• -when British made it to American courts, judges and juries
sided with American debtors
• -U.S. had also agreed states would return property to
Loyalists lost during the war
• -Congress no power to force states to return property
• -Britain retaliated by refusing to evacuate forts
along the American frontier as specified by the
Treaty of Paris
• -British troops in forts from south of the Great
Lakes into American territory
• -Congress no ability to solve foreign policy
problems
• -no power to tax to make repayments- or pay for
an army to force the British to leave American soil
• Problems with Spain
• -after the war Spain’s support ended
• -Spain saw the U.S. as a rival that wanted to claim more land in North
America that Spain claimed
• -first dispute- border between Spanish Florida and Georgia
• -to pressure U.S. to accept border that Spain desired- Spanish would not
let Americans deposit goods on Spanish territory at the mouth of the
Mississippi River- hurt frontier farmers who used the Mississippi to ship
goods to market
• -Congress had no leverage to force Spain to change policy
• -only could get Spain to agree to a trade treaty, in exchange for the U.S. to
withdraw demands for navigation rights on the Mississippi River
• -proposed treaty angered Southern residents- believed the Northern
states had given in on the issue to help Northern merchants increase trade
with Spain
• -no Southern support- treaty could not pass
• -dispute over the border of Georgia and use of
the Mississippi River were unresolved
• -limited power of Congress under the Articles
of Confederation stopped a diplomatic
solution to problems
• Economic Crisis
• -Americans in poor financial state
• -Revolutionary War ended- decline of trade with
Britain- U.S. entered a recession
• -farmers hit hard by recession
• -not earning as much money as they once did
• -had to borrow to get money to put the next crop in
the ground
• -many farmers had mortgages to pay
• To pay for war states issued bonds as way to borrow
money from wealthy merchants and planters
• War over- people holding bonds wanted to be paid in gold
and silver
• -to pay debts states raised taxes-farmers and others in debt
urged states to issue paper money
• Wanted paper money available to farmers through
government loans on farm mortgages
• -paper money not backed by specie- people did not trust itinflation began
• -debtors would be able to pay debts using paper money
that lost value- pay off debts easier
• -lenders opposed the use of paper money- would not
receive true amount that they were owed
• -1785 seven states issued paper money
• -Rhode Island- paper money worthless, merchants refused to
accept it- mob rioted against merchants
• -assemble of Rhode Island passed a law to force the acceptance of
paper money- anyone who refused was arrested and fined
• -violence in Rhode Island demonstrated two things to American
leaders
• -1. a mob had forced the Rhode Island assembly to force wealthy
creditors to accept worthless money
• - a government properly designed was needed, or people would
use the power of government to steal from the wealthy
• -2. a strong central government was needed to take on the nation’s
debt and stabilize the currency
• Shays’ Rebellion
• -a rebellion in Massachusetts, 1786
• -Massachusetts raised taxes instead of issuing paper money to pay of its
debts
• -taxes hurt farmers- poor farmers in the western part of the state
• -recession worsened, many farmers could not pay debts- not pay lost
farms
• -angry farmers in Western Massachusetts rebelled late August, 1786
• -closed county courthouses to stop farm foreclosures
• -marched to the state supreme court
• Daniel Shays, former captain in the Continental Army, bankrupt farmer,
emerged as a leader of the rebellion
• -Jan. 1787- Shays and 1,200 farmers headed to the state arsenal to take
weapons before marching on Boston
• Governor of Massachusetts sent a force commanded
by General Benjamin Lincoln to defend the arsenal
• -before Lincoln and troops arrived Shays attackedmilitia defending arsenal opened fire
• -four farmers killed- rest scattered
• -Lincoln arrived the next day and rebellion ended
• -fears of rebellion were present and hard to forget
• -people with income and status saw the rebellion,
inflation, and unstable currency as signs the republic
was at risk
• -feared state legislatures would become more democratic and
responsive to the poor- weaken property rights and vote to take
property from the wealthy
• -General Henry Knox- aide to G. Washington concluded “What is to
afford our security against the violence of lawless men? Our
government must be braced, changed, or altered to secure our lives
and property”.
• -these concerns led many people, artisans, merchants, creditors, to
argue for stronger central government
• -several members of Congress called for the states to correct “such
defects as may be discovered to exist in the present government”
• Confederation Congress’s inability to deal with conditions that may
have led to rebellion, as well as problems with trade and diplomacy
led strength to the argument
EQ: Why were some in favor of a
stronger government?
• Political and economic problems in 1787 concerned American leaders
• Fears were that the new nation could not survive without a strong
central government
• Supporters of a strong central government = nationalists
• Nationalists included; B. Franklin, G. Washington, John Adams, and Robert
Morris
• Most outspoken nationalist was James Madison
• Madison, member of the Va. assembly, head of the state commerce
committee- knew about trade problems with other states and Britain
• Saw a need for a strong national government
• 1786 Madison convinced Virginia to call a convention of all states to talk
about trade issues and taxation- were to meet in Annapolis, Md. only
delegates from 5 states attended- not enough to make any decisions- the
delegates did discuss the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
• New York nationalist Alexander Hamilton
recommended Congress call a convention
• Congress not really interested in calling a conventionShays’ Rebellion changed their minds
• February 1787 Congress called a convention for the
sole purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation
• 12 out of 13 states sent delegates (Rhode Island did
not) to the Constitutional Convention
• May, 1787-Philadelphia Statehouse
• Had to balance the rights of the states with the need
for stronger central government
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The Framers of the Constitution
-55 delegates in attendance
-distinguished leaders in America
-majority were lawyers
-others were planters, merchants
-experienced in colonial governments, state
government, national government
• -7 had served as state governors
• -39 members of Congress
• -8 were signers of the Declaration of Independence
• Virginia’s G. Washington chosen as presiding officer
• B. Franklin from Pennsylvania- 81- had others read his
speeches- provided assistance to younger colleagues,
experience and humor helped during debate
• Alexander Hamilton from N.Y.
• Roger Sherman from Connecticut
• James Madison from Virginia kept a journal of the
debates- his records the best source of info about the
events in the convention
• Meetings closed to the public- ensure honest and open
discussion free from outside political pressure
• Virginia Plan
• -Virginia delegation came with a detailed plan of
government
• -Edmund Randolph introduced the plan
• -a national government ought to be established,
consisting of a supreme legislature, executive, and
judiciary
• -proposed getting rid of the Articles of Confederationcreate a new national government with the power to
make laws that the states must observe- ability to
generate revenue thru taxation
• -bicameral legislature- two houses
• -lower house members elected by voters in each state
• -upper house members named by state government, but
elected by the lower house
• -both houses, number of representatives based on the
population of the state
• -large states would have greater voting power in both
houses than the small states- benefitted Virginia and
Massachusetts
• -Convention delegates accepted the division of
government into executive, legislative, and judicial
branches- smaller states objected to representation based
on population- feared larger states could outvote them
• New Jersey Plan
• -William Patterson presented a counter plan
• -did not do away with the Articles of Confederationmodified them to make the central government
stronger
• -Congress would be unicameral- one house- Congresseach state represented equally- it would have the
power to tax and regulate commerce
• After debate on June 19, 1787 the delegates voted to
proceed with the Virginia Plan
• -this vote moved past the original purpose of the
Convention- to revise the Articles of Confederation
EQ: How did compromise play a role in
creating the new government?
• Geographic division created conflict within the
Constitutional Convention
• Small states feared a government in which
larger states held the political power’
• Northern and Southern states were divided
over the issue of slavery and the new
constitution
• Compromise was needed in order to move
forward with a new constitution
• By July 1787 it appeared the convention was going to
disperse without a new constitution
• Small states demanded all states have an equal vote in
Congress
• Delegates from larger states threatened to walk out
• A committee was formed to work on a compromise plan
• Delegates who were committed to one side or the other
were not on the committee
• Members were the undecided or those open to change- B.
Franklin headed the committee
• Roger Sherman presented a plan which became the basis of
compromise for the committee- Connecticut Compromise
or Great Compromise
• Bicameral legislature- lower house representation based on population
and the upper house representation would be equal
• Voters would elect members of the House of Representatives and state
legislatures would choose Senators
• Slavery and Compromise
• -Franklin’s committee recommended one member of the House of
Representatives for every 40,000 people in population within a state
• -this split the delegates from the North and the South
• -delegates from the South wanted to count slaves in the population count
= more representatives in the House
• -delegates from the North said no- slaves were considered property and
did not have the right to vote
• -North- if slaves counted for representation, then they should be counted
for taxation
• Solution- 3/5ths Compromise
• -five slaves = 3 free people in counting population of a
state for representation and taxation
• Southerners also afraid a strong national government
would impose a tax on the export of farm products and
ban the import of slaves
• Southern delegates wanted assurance that the new
constitution would not interfere with the slave trade
and would limit Congress’ power to regulate trade
• Northern delegates realized merchants and artisans
needed a government that could control foreign
imports
• Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
• -Congress could not tax exports
• -Congress could not ban the slave trade until1808- or impose taxes on the
importation of slaves
• Great Compromise, 3/5ths Compromise, Commerce and Slave Trade
Compromise ended most of the disputes between state delegations
• The convention could focus on details of how the new government would
operate
• Mid-September, 1787 the constitution was complete
• 39 delegates signed the document, thought it an improvement over the
Articles of Confederation
• September 20, 1787 the constitution was sent to Congress for approval
• Congress sent the constitution to the states for ratification- 9 out of 13
were needed for the Constitution to take effect
EQ: Why did some support the
Constitution and why were some
opposed?
• -the constitution was based on popular
sovereignty- rule by the people
• -the Constitution did not create a direct
democracy- it created a representative
democracy- elected officials represented the
voice of the people
• -Constitution created a federal system- divided
governmental power between federal (national)
government and state government
-Constitution created a separation of powers
between three branches of government
-Congress- two house legislature- make laws
-Executive Branch- President- enforces laws made
by Congress
-Judicial Branch- federal courts, interprets federal
law, renders judgment in cases involving federal
law
-no person may serve in more than one branch at
the same time
• Checks and Balances
• -a system to prevent one branch from becoming too
powerful
• Each branch has ability to limit the power of the other two
• President, propose legislation, appoint judges, put down
rebellions, veto or reject acts of Congress- commander in
chief of the armed forces
• President may veto acts of Congress, Congress can override
the veto with a 2/3rds vote in both houses of CongressSenate can approve or reject Presidential appointments,
and treaties
• Congress has the power to impeach- formally accuse a
government official of misconduct, and remove from office
• Judicial Branch- hear all cases arising under federal law and the
Constitution- President nominates judges, Senate must confirm or reject
nominees- federal judges serve for life, leaves them independent from the
executive and legislative branches
• Amending the Constitution
• -framers created a clear system for amending the Constitution- the
process is difficult to prevent unneeded changes
• -amendment process is two steps
• 1. proposal- by 2/3rds vote of both houses of Congress, or 2/3rds of the
states can call a constitutional convention
• 2. ratification- approved by 3/4ths of the state legislatures or by
conventions in 3/4ths of the states
• Washington on the success of the Convention- “little short of a miracle”
• John Adams- “the single greatest effort of national deliberation that the
world had ever seen”
• 9 states had to ratify the Constitution before it could go into effect
• Americans were divided over if the Constitution should be ratified
• Debate in state legislatures, mass meetings, newspapers and daily
conversation
• Supporters of ratification = federalists- emphasized the creation of a
federal system
• Power divided between the central government and regional
governments
• -federalists included large landowners- wanted property protected
by strong central government
• -merchants and artisans supported the federalists- Confederation
Congress could not regulate trade which hurt this group- effective
government could tax foreign goods to protect American business
• Farmers in coastal regions and along rivers supported the
Constitution- so did farmers who shipped goods across state linesdepended on trade, tired of the different tariffs and duties imposed
by states- strong central government to consistently regulate trade
• Anti-Federalists- opposed the Constitution
• Not against federalism- saw a need for a national government- issue
was would state or national government be supreme
• Anti-Federalists; John Hancock, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee,
George Clinton (governor of N.Y.), Edmund Randolph and George
Mason who attended Constitutional Convention turned against the
Constitution because it did not include a Bill of Rights
• Sam Adams also opposed to Constitution –
thought it endangered the independence of
the states
• Many western farmers were Anti-Federalistslived far from coast were self-sufficient and
did not trust the rich and powerful- many in
debt and saw the Constitution as a way for
wealthy creditors to get rid of paper money
• The Federalist
• The Anti-Federalist campaign was negativeFederalists presented a concrete program to
meet national problems
• Anti-Federalists complained of no Bill of Rights,
did not offer an alternative
• Federalist better organized- most of the
newspapers supported the new Constitution
• Federalists presented a convincing case in
speeches, pamphlets, and debates at state
conventions
• Federalist arguments were summarized in The
Federalist, a series of essays (85) written by
James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander
Hamilton- used a joint pen name of Publiuspublished essays in New York newspapers in late
1787 and early 1788
• -essays explained how the new Constitution
worked and why it was needed
• Judges, lawyers, legislators, and historians today
use The Federalist to help them understand what
the original Framers intended
• Ratification battle
• -as state ratifying conventions started- Federalist knew they held
majorities in some states- but would be a close vote in other states
• -Massachusetts, Virginia, and New York would be close
• -first conventions December 1787 and January 1788- Delaware,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Connecticut quickly ratified the
Constitution
• -Massachusetts, Anti-Federalists held the majority when the
convention met in January, 1788-opponents Governor John
Hancock and Sam Adams- signers of the Declaration of
Independence would not support the Constitution unless Federalist
guaranteed that Congress would never infringe on the liberty of the
press, or rights of people to keep own arms, or subject people to
unreasonable search and seizure of persons, papers or property
• Federalists promised to attach a bill of rights if the
Constitution was ratified- also would support amendments
that would reserve powers for the states that were not
specifically granted to the federal government
• -Federalist concessions and support of artisans persuaded
Sam Adams to vote for the Constitution- John Hancock and
his supporters changed sides when Federalists hinted they
would support him for President- in Massachusetts 187
convention members voted for and 168 voted against
• -end of June, 1788 Maryland, South Carolina, New
Hampshire had ratified – Federalists had the minimum
number of states needed to put the Constitution in effect
• Virginia and New York had not ratified
• -needed these two large states in order for the
new government to succeed
• -Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, George Mason
and other Anti-Federalists opposed ratificationsimilar arguments as Sam Adams
• -George Washington and James Madison argued
for ratification to Virginia convention- Madison’s
promise to add bill of rights enabled Federalists
to win
• Promise of bill of rights- governor Edmund Randolph
supported Constitution- did not sign Constitution at the
Convention because it lacked a bill of rights
• -89 for, 79 against
• New York- 2/3rds of ratifying convention members
including governor George Clinton were Anti-FederalistsAlexander Hamilton led Federalist debate- new government
would not threaten liberty- Constitution was written to
limit the growth of tyranny
• Federalists delayed final vote until news arrived that New
Hampshire and Virginia had ratified- new government in
effect- if New York refused they would be on the outside
looking in
• New York City told the convention the city would
secede and independently join the U.S.
• Vote 30 for, 27 against
• July 1788 all states but N.C. and Rhode Island had
ratified- only needed 9 states to start the new
government, mid September 1788 Confederation
Congress set a timetable for the election of the
new government
• March 4, 1789 was the date of the first session of
the new Congress
• N.C. and Rhode Island ratified after the new
government was in place
• N.C. waited until the Bill of Rights had been
proposed and ratified in November 1789
• Rhode Island did not want to lose independence
did not ratify until May 1790 and the vote then
was 34 for, 32 against
• U.S. had new government- not sure if it would be
better than the government under the Articles of
Confederation- American people were confident
due to G. Washington serving as first president
• Influences on the Framers
• Montesquieu- Enlightenment Period- separation of
powers
• Adam Smith- Wealth of Nations, 1776- read by James
Madison and Alexander Hamilton
• -Smith outlined the basic principles of economicspeople left alone would work for their own selfinterest- guided by an invisible hand to use resources
efficiently = laissez-faire economics- “to let alone”
government should not interfere in the marketplace=
basic principle of a market economy – government
role is to ensure free competition
EQ: How does the Constitution and the
Bill of Rights protect the citizens?
• Rule of law = individuals, persons, and the government shall submit
to obey and be regulated by law and not arbitrary action by an
individual or group- evident in stronger central government
• Preamble to the Constitution- Goals of the Government
• We the People……
• 1.to form a more perfect union…..
• 2. establish justice……
• 3. insure domestic tranquility….
• 4. provide for the common defense….
• 5. promote the general welfare….
• 6. secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity
• Power of government comes from the people
• Major principles in the Constitution
1. Popular sovereignty- authority of the people- people consent to
be governed and specify the powers and rules by which they shall
be governed
2. Republicanism- voters are sovereign, ultimate authority- elect
representatives- representatives have the power to make lawspeople are the final source of authority= limited power of
government
3. Limited government- Framers limited the power of the
government- restricted the government authority- Congress may
pass no bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, or suspend the right
to a writ of habeaus corpus- Articles 1-3 outline the structure and
powers of each branch- Bill of Rights also limits government
power
• 4. Federalism- states gave up some power to the national
government but also kept some powers – shared powers =
federalism- federal system allows people of each state to address
their needs in their own way- also allows states to act together to
deal with issues that affect all Americans
• -Constitution outlines three types of powers
• -enumerated powers- powers stated in the Constitution- coin
money, regulate interstate and foreign trade create federal courts,
declare war
• -reserved powers- powers for the states- establish schools, set
marriage and divorce laws, regulate intrastate trade- reserved
powers are not listed in the Constitution- 10th amendment- “ all
powers not granted to the federal government nor denied to the
states is reserved for the people and the states”
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-concurrent powers- shared by the state and federal government- power to tax,
borrow money, provide for the public welfare, administer criminal justice
Conflict between state and federal law is decided in a federal court- Constitution
declared that it is the Supreme Law of the Land
Article I section 8 clause 18- Congress may make all laws necessary and proper in
order to carry out its stated duties- Elastic Clause, allows Congress to stretch it’s
powers
5. Separation of Powers- 3 branches each with its own function- Executive,
Legislative, Judicial
-President nominates Judges and Senate must confirm
-citizens vote for members of Congress
-citizens indirectly vote for president and vice-president
-270 electoral votes are needed to win the office of the President
6. Checks and Balances- each branch can check (limit) the power of the other twoveto, override veto, nominate judges, confirm judges, declare actions of the
president and laws of congress unconstitutional
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7. Individual Rights- 1791 first ten amendments were ratified to protect basic
rights of the citizens from http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa35.htmthe
government = The Bill of Rights
1. 5 basic freedoms- speech, religion (separation of church and state,
establishment clause), press, assembly, petition
Freedom of the Press- John Peter Zenger Trial 1735
-Zenger published the New York Weekly Journal, criticized the Governor of New
York William Cosby- Cosby ordered Zenger arrested for printing libel- jury engaged
in jury nullification- obvious he was guilty but the jury thought the law was wrong
and refused to convict- set the stage for freedom of the press
2. right to bear arms in a state militia
3. no quartering of soldiers during peacetime without the consent of the owner
4. no unreasonable searches and seizures
5. can not be arrested and held for capital or serious crime with an indictment by
a grand jury, bans double jeopardy, right not to self-incriminate- may not be
denied life, liberty, or property without due process of law
6. right to a speedy public trial with a jury of peers in a criminal case- legal counsel
is required even if the defendant can not afford one
• 7. right to a jury trial in a civil case
• 8. bans excessive fines, bails, and punishments, forbids cruel and
unusual punishment
• 9. citizens have rights which are not listed
• 10. powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution,
nor prohibited by it to the states are reserved for the people and
the states
• 12. changed the method of electing the president and vicepresident- Electoral College will vote separately for president and
vice-president
• 13. bans slavery and involuntary servitude
• 14. all people born and naturalized in the U.S. are citizens (former
slaves now are citizens)- all citizens are entitled to equal protection
under the law
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15. no person may be denied the right to vote on the basis of race, color, or
previous condition of servitude
-Article One
-created the legislative branch
-two house legislature
-Senate to represent the States and the House to represent the people
-office requirements- Representative- minimum age 25, 7 years a citizen, citizen of the
state they represent- term of office 2 years
-Senator- minimum age 30, 9 years a citizen, citizen of the state – term of office 6
years
-make laws
-coin money
-declare war
-regulate foreign and interstate trade
-naturalization
-admit new states
-establish post office
-provide and maintain Navy
-appropriate funds- (House)
-House will decide President if no electoral majority
Senate will decide V.P. if no electoral majority
Senate must approve treaties with a 2/3rds majority
Senate must confirm presidential appointees- department heads,
ambassadors, federal judges
The House of Representatives can bring formal charges of wrong doing
or misconduct- high crimes and misdemeanors- trial- Senate is jury2/3rds vote needed for guilty verdict and removal from office
-no titles of nobility
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Article Two the Executive Branch
-president, vice-president, executive offices, executive departments, executive agencies- enforce or
carry out the law
-President’s Roles
-chief executive, carry out laws
-chief diplomat, president directs foreign policy, appoints ambassadors, negotiates treaties with
other nations
-commander in chief- chief of armed forces, give orders to the military and direct operations- can
not declare war- Congress holds power to declare war- president can send troops overseas for up
to 60 days but must notify Congress- troops can stay longer with Congressional approval
-chief of state- symbolic leader of all Americans, greet foreign ambassadors or leaders, visit foreign
nations, honor Americans
-legislative leader- propose laws, worked to get them passed by Congress, annual State of the
Union Address, present goals for legislation in upcoming year
President’s cabinet is made up of the heads of 15 executive departments- cabinet advises
president
Qualifications: U.S. citizen by birth, minimum age 33, resident of U.S. for 14 years
Term- 2 four year terms not to exceed 10 years
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Article III- Judicial Branch
-created the Supreme Court and inferior courts as Congress may establish
-three categories of courts
1. District Court- original jurisdiction in criminal and civil cases under
federal law- kidnapping, federal tax evasion, claims against federal
government, cases involving constitutional rights- 91 District Courts at
least one in each state
• 2. Appellate Courts- hear appeals from District Courts when a review of
the case is requested, usually due to a trial being unfair- verdict may be
overturned, or a retrial may be ordered- 14 Court of Appeals-one for each
of 12 federal districts- one military appeals court and an appellate court
for the federal circuit
• 3. Supreme Court- final authority in federal court system- one chief justice
and 8 associate justices- hears cases on appeal from lower courts- cases
involving foreign ambassadors or disputes between states the Supreme
Court would have original jurisdiction
• President appoints Supreme Court justices/federal
judges for life- Senate must confirm appointments
• -Framers hope to avoid judges being pressured by
citizens when making decisions
• Judicial Review- power of the judicial branch to
interpret laws, not clearly defined in the Constitution1803 Chief Justice John Marshall made the Judicial
Branch and the Supreme Court the most powerful
branch of government by striking down Section 13 of
the Judiciary Act of 1789
• Rights of Citizens
• -three categories of rights
• 1. protection from unfair actions- Constitution and Bill of
Rights protect citizens from unfair actions by the
government or the law- right to a lawyer, right to a trial by
jury, protection from unreasonable search and seizure
• 2. equal treatment- all Americans, regardless of race,
religion, political beliefs have the right to equal treatment
under the law- cannot be denied life, liberty, or property
without due process of law (government must follow
procedures established by law and guaranteed by the
Constitution- also entitled to equal protection of the law
• 3. basic freedoms- First Amendment- speech,
religion, press, assembly, petition
• Democracy, power rests with the people- in a
democratic society citizens must be able to
exchange ideas freely- may criticize the
government in speech, press without fear of
punishment
• -rights of Americans are not limited by those
listed in the Constitution- able to assert other
basic rights over time and upheld in court or
granted by amending the Constitution
• Limits on rights- rights are limited, must
respect everyone’s rights equally- permit may
be required to march or assemble- protect
community so the march does not endanger
others- government balances individual rights
with rights of others and the community
• -most accept limits on rights to gain
protection (Locke’s social contract) as long as
restrictions are reasonable
• Americans have duties and responsibilities- ensures good government and
protects rights
• Duties
• -obey the law- laws three functions, 1. maintain order, 2. protect health,
safety, and property of citizens, 3. make it possible for people to live
together peacefully
• -pay taxes- tax monies used to provide services, roads, bridges, assist
needy people- Americans benefit from government services
• -defend the nation- males upon reaching age 18 must register with the
selective service- if the nation needs to it may call males up for military
service (draft)
• -jury duty- right to trial by jury- people must serve jury duty upon
reaching age 18, large group of jurors on hand guarantees the right to a
fair and speedy trial- may have to serve as a witness if called
• Attend school- (state requirement) most until age 16 = compulsory
education- gain knowledge and skills needed to a good citizen
• Responsibilities- should do, not required by law
• -important for society and the government
• -be well informed, know what is happening- express thoughts, makes
government responsive to the people- know rights in order to preserve
them
• -accept responsibility for your actions, support your family
• -enjoy rights but respect the rights of others-even if you disagree with
them- respect and accept others regardless of race, religion, beliefs, or
other differences is essential to a democracy
• -vote- most important responsibility- reach age 18, register to vote- allows
you to participate in government and guide its direction
• -voting = exercising self-government- disapprove of representatives
actions, you must act and elect new people in the next election- contact
representatives and let them know your thoughts, letters, telephone calls,
petitions, take part in public meetings or political rallies