Colonial Conflict and the
American Revolution
War and Independence
Toward Independence in NC
• First Provincial Congress (August 25, 1774) –
“First in freedom” – elected leaders to
represent NC at the First Continental
Congress (outside of NC General Assembly
and not recognized by Britain)
• Edenton Tea Party – women of NC boycotted
buying of tea to resist British Tea Act
1st Continental Congress
- Called September 5, 1774
- Protest Intolerable Acts
- Not ready to declare independence
(attempting to solve problems with
England)
- Issues Declaration of Rights and
Grievances (ignored by England)
- Agree to reconvene if problems not solved
“Shots Heard Round the World”
• Lexington and Concord – 1st Battles of
American Revolution (April 19th, 1775)
The Mecklenburg Resolves
• May 31 1775
• Mecklenburg County
citizens vote – eliminate
all British offices
• Declare that the rule of
the Provincial Congress
is the only government
of the colony
• Declaration (May 20th v.
Resolves???
Second Continental Congress (1775)
• The colonial leaders
met for the second
time in Philadelphia
during May of 1775 to
discuss what to do
• 65 men met in
Independence Hall to
decide what steps
would be made by the
colonies
Olive Branch Petition (July 1775)
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Document created by Congress to cool relations
Colonies state loyalty to the King
Ask for His help in ending the conflict
Following Bunker Hill, June 1775, (costly victory for
British), King George III proclaimed colonies in
rebellion and hired Hessians to crush rebels and
blockades the American coast.
Second Continental Congress (1775)
•
New England representatives
like John Adams from
Massachusetts wanted the
colonies to:
– Form their own governments.
– Declare independence.
– Recognize the minutemen as
the Continental Army.
– Pick a general to lead an army
against the British.
• Other colonial
representatives [mostly
non-New England colonists]
like John Dickinson from PA
still held out hope to stay
with England.
Second Continental Congress (1775)
• The presiding officer
of the Congress was
John Hancock
• Other participants:
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–
–
–
–
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Thomas Jefferson
Ben Franklin
John Adams
Samuel Adams
Richard Henry Lee
John Dickinson
Second Continental Congress (1775)
• Decisions made by the
Second Continental
Congress
– Military: The Continental
Army was created and
George Washington was
chosen as the commander
– Financial: Authorize the
printing of colonial money.
– Foreign Affairs: The
Congress sent
representatives to France
and other locations
throughout Europe in order
to try to gain allies.
• Ben Franklin participates in this
committee
Second Continental Congress
-Meet in the middle of war
-Philadelphia, PA (May 10, 1775)
-1st Job: Appoint General of Continental
Army (George Washington)
-2nd Job: Decide how to end war
Second Continental Congress
Washington, Commander of
Continental Army
The Halifax Resolves
• April 12, 1776
• First colony to call for total independence
from Great Britain
“…Resolved that the delegates for this Colony in the Continental Congress be
impowered to concur with the other delegates of the other Colonies in declaring
Independency, and forming foreign Alliances, resolving to this Colony the Sole, and
Exclusive right of forming a Constitution and Laws for this Colony, and of appointing
delegates from time to time (under the direction of a general Representation thereof
to meet the delegates of the other Colonies for such purposes as shall be hereafter
pointed out.”
-Segment from Resolves
Notice the dates???
• Thomas Paine published Common Sense, a pamphlet
Common Sense
-Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine
• sells 120,000 copies.
– Appealed to natural law ("an island should
not rule a continent")
– King George was brutish and undeserving of
colonials' respect
– America had a moral obligation to the world
to be independent and democratic
-Rallies support in colonies for
Independence
Second Continental Congress (1775)
• Decisions made by the
Second Continental
Congress
– Independence: Thomas
Jefferson was the
primary author of the
Declaration of
Independence and it was
approved and signed by
the Congress on July 4th
1776
– Government: Approved
the passage of the
Articles of Confederation
as the first government
of the new nation in
1777
The Declaration of Independence
-June 7, 1776; Independence proposed by Richard
Henry Lee of Virginia
-Committee organized to draft document (John
Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman,
Robert Livingstone, Thomas Jefferson)
-Jefferson chosen to write document
-July 4, 1776; Declaration of Independence
adopted by Second Continental Congress
(America is now independent of England)
• Second Continental Congress declared independence
July 2, 1776.
– Jefferson headed the committee drafting the written
statement. Arguments were based on John Locke's contract
theory of government:
• All people have natural rights ("Life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness")
• When a government abuses rights, the people have a right to "alter
or abolish" it
• King George has acted tyrannically. Long list of wrongs done by
King to colonists.
• The colonies are independent.
– Declaration gave a clear position for rebellious colonists, forcing others
to choose rebellion or declare as Loyalists.
July 4, 1776 – Declaration of
Independence (NC Signers)
William Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John Penn
Wrap-up
• Why did the Continental Congress write a
Declaration of Independence?
• How did this declaration change the war?