Unit 2: Founding of a Nation
“The Road to Revolution”
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
Growing Discontent
A. After Glorious Revolution of 1688 and collapse of Dominion of New England in America, Britain
made no serious effort to control the colonies for over 70 years
i. Colonies were left to go their separate ways  Salutary Neglect!
B. Britain taxed colonists to pay for F & I War debt – strained relations between colonists & British
i. Stamp Act – taxed documents- wills, licenses and newspapers
 First tax to impact most people - colonists openly protested
 Tax would pay for more British soldiers in the colonies
ii. Sugar Act taxed molasses (for rum)
C. “No taxation without representation” traced back to Magna Carta
i. Britain had no right to tax w/out colonial voice in Parliament
ii. No elected officials to represent colonists
iii. Colonists were outraged - violence erupted
D. Congress organized boycotts, so British repealed Stamp Act
Albany Plan of Union
A. Influenced by the Iroquois Confederacy
B. Plan proposed by Ben Franklin - make laws, levy taxes, and establish defense
i. Called for Grand Council w/ representatives from each colony
ii. Rejected by colonial assemblies
C. Significant because it was the first attempt to unite the colonies
Townshend Acts
A. Taxed imported glass, lead, paper, silk and tea
B. Customs officials sent to ports to stop smugglers
i. Writs of assistance – legal document for search
ii. Colonists protested – searches were illegal
Nonimportation Agreement
A. Colonists response to Townshend Acts
B. Stopped importing British goods – hurt British merchants
C. Colonists organized effort through newspapers
D. Sons of Liberty devised plan - protest British policies and protect colonial liberties
i.. Stop using taxed goods and quit drinking British tea
E. Daughters of Liberty – wear only homespun cloth
Colonial Leaders
A. Samuel Adams (MA) wrote pamphlets and newspaper articles
B. John Adams (MA) had extensive knowledge of British law
C. George Washington (VA) was a riveting speaker & leader in battle
D. Mercy Otis Warren – plays made fun of British officials
E. Trouble in the Cities
i. New York – protested Quartering Act
ii. Boston – harassed soldiers at Boston Common
Boston Massacre (3/5/1770)
A. Angry colonists gathered outside Boston customs house
B. Unknown person fired a shot - British opened fire on crowd
i. Five people were killed including Crispus Attucks (S.O.L.)
C. Paul Revere’s, The Bloody Massacre stirred-up anti-British sentiment
D. John Adams represented soldiers in court – soldiers received light sentences
E. Parliament repealed Townshend taxes – except tea
F. Committees of Correspondence united colonists
i. formed by Sam Adams, most effective radical in the colonies
VII.
Trouble over Tea
A. British East India Tea Company was in financial trouble
B. Tea Act (1773) passed – could sell directly to consumers
i. Meant to lower the price of tea
ii. Colonists were outraged, boycott the “accursed stuff”
C. Boston Tea Party – colonists reaction to the Tea Act
i. Gov. Hutchinson (MA) demanded tea be unloaded from ships
ii. Colonists dressed as Natives boarded the ship
iii. Threw 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor
VIII. Coercive/Intolerable Acts (1774)
A. King George III – people of Boston must be punished
i. Shut down the port of Boston
ii. Town meetings only held once a year
iii. British officials were to be tried in England, not MA
iv. Quartering Act passed – citizens must house soldiers
B. First Continental Congress formed in response to Intolerable Acts
i. 12 colonies attended, not GA
ii. Called for boycott of British goods & stop exporting to England
iii. Urged colonies to form militias
iv. Agreed to re-convene the following Spring
IX.
“The British are Coming”
A. Gen. Gage’s scouts reported Concord, MA had an arsenal
B. On 4/18/1775, Gage sent 700 troops to seize arms
C. William Dawes and Paul Revere warned the colonists in advance
D. Battle at Lexington – “The Shot Heard Around the World”
i. Capt. Parker led 70 minutemen, but British advanced
E. Battle at Concord
i. British returned to find 300 men waiting at bridge
ii. British retreated – 73 dead, 200 wounded
F. FIGHT FOR INDEPENDENCE BEGINS!!!
Unit 2.1 DQ
“The American Revolution”
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Green Mountain Boys
A. Led by Ethan Allen (Vermont)
B. Surprise attack on Fort Ticonderoga resulted in victory
i. Controlled key route to Canada
Last Effort for Peace
A. Olive Branch Petition sent to King George III (England) declaring loyalty
i. Asked king to repeal Intolerable Acts
B. Continental Army formed > leader was G.W.
British Military
A. Strengths - experienced troops, powerful navy, ships could move soldiers
B. Weaknesses - 3,000 miles from home, risked attacks in countryside > didn’t know land
Continental Army
A. Strengths - defending homeland, many owned rifles and were good shots & brilliant leader, GW
B. Colonial Weaknesses – untrained troops, few cannons and little gunpowder & no navy
Bunker Hill > First major battle
A. Patriots led by William Prescott, William Howe led British attack
B. British victorious, but costly (1,000 men dead or wounded)
C. Proved Americans could fight bravely
VI.
Advance to Canada
A. Montgomery seized Montreal (Nov. 1775)
B. Benedict Arnold led troops to Quebec
i. Planned to join forces with Montgomery during horrible winter
ii. French Canadians refused to support Americans
C. Quebec was attacked - Montgomery killed and Arnold wounded
i. Americans withdrew > British controlled Canada
VII. Common Sense
A. Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in Jan. 1776
B. United colonists – stated America should be independent & free from the control of the British
C. Structured it like a sermon & used Biblical references to make his case to the people
D. Sold more than 500,000 copies in the first year
VIII. Declaration of Independence
A. Stated that citizens should abolish the govt. if it abuses power & form a new one
i. Influenced by John Locke – right to life, liberty & property
ii. John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, & Roger Sherman
 Jefferson actually wrote it
B. July 4, 1776 delegates accepted the document
C. Three main parts - Basic Rights / British Wrongs / An Independent Nation
IX.
Competition Within
A. Patriots - colonists who supported independence
B. Loyalists - colonists who remained loyal to Britain
i. Wealthy merchants & former govt. officials
ii. Difficult life > some were tarred and feathered
X.
Campaign in New York
A. British were led by Gen. Howe - 1,400 American causalities
B. Howe pursued Gen. Washington across the Hudson and Delaware Rivers
C. Nathan Hale slipped behind British lines & returned w/ detailed battle plans
i. Caught and hanged as a traitor and spy
XI.
Battle of Trenton
A. GW led a surprise attack
i. Crossed Delaware River on Christmas night 1776
ii. Continental Army launched successful surprise attack
 Caught the Hessians recovering from heavy night of partying
B. Americans then took Princeton > NEW HOPE!!!!!
XII. Battle of Saratoga
A. Turning point of the war
i. Convinced France to openly support the American cause
ii. King Louis XVI declared France an ally to America
iii. French Navy supported America in war effort > HUGE!!!
iv. Provided military aid from France
v. Ended British threat to New England
B. Boosted American spirits
XIII. Valley Forge
A. Continental Army struggled for survival – brutal winter
i. Smallpox outbreak avoided by inoculating the troops
B. Women offered much needed assistance
C. GW skillfully avoided mutiny by the troops
XIV. Help from Abroad
A. Lafayette – Frenchman brought 6,000 trained troops to America
B. Galvez – Spaniard secretly supplied gunpowder, medicine &muskets
C. Von Steuben – Prussian trained soldiers to march and use bayonets
Unit 2.2 DQ
XV.
War in the South
A. Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge (NC)
B. King’s Mountain (SC) was captured & boosted Patriots morale
C. Francis Marion, “Swamp Fox,” led attacks that kept the British off guard in SC
D. Daniel Morgan led Virginia Riflemen to victory at Cowpens (SC)
E. Nathaniel Greene used “hit-and-run” tactics that wore down the British
XVI. An American Traitor
A. Benedict Arnold was a respected leader & close friend of GW
B. Commanded fort at West Point
i. Offered West Point to British
C. Message was intercepted & West Point was saved
D. Arnold escaped and joined British
XVII. Victory at Last!!!
A. Yorktown was the final battle
i. British, led by Cornwallis, camped near Chesapeake Bay
ii. GW knew area well and realized British could be trapped
iii. French support
 Naval fleet led by de Grasse
 Troops led by Rochambeau
iv. GW led troops south from NY
v. Supplies to British were cut off > forced Gen. Cornwallis to surrender
B. Treaty of Paris (1783)
i. U.S. recognized as independent nation
ii. Borders: Atlantic Ocean to Mississippi River
iii. Congress ratified April 15, 1783
C. UNITED STATES BECAME AN INDEPENDENT NATION!
“Forming a New Government”
I.
II.
III.
Reasons for Independence
A. Citizens wanted to limit the power of government
B. Lack of representation – “No taxation without representation”
C. Protect personal freedoms
D. Desired to be represented fairly and equally in the lawmaking process
Ideation
A. English laws traced to Magna Carta, or “Great Charter”
i. Limit power of ruler
ii. Representative govt. w/ Parliament in control
iii. Greater rights for citizens
B. English Bill of Rights protected rights
C. Enlightenment influences
i. T. Paine – “the mind once enlightened…”
ii. J. Locke – right to life, liberty, and property
iii. Montesquieu – separate powers of govt. (3 branches)
American Models
A. League of the Iroquois (Iroquois Confederacy)
i. Influenced Preamble to Constitution and the idea of unity
B. New England town meetings
C. VA House of Burgesses – legislative govt.
D. Mayflower Compact
IV.
State Constitutions
A. Republic put people in power  elected governors
i. Limit govt. control & separation of powers
B. Bill of Rights – George Mason (VA)
C. Suffrage – white males that paid taxes & were property owners
V.
Articles of Confederation
A. Our first Constitution – November 15, 1777
B. Created a central govt. w/ limited powers
i. “Loose alliance” of states
ii. Congress – make and pass laws
iii. 13 States – 1 vote per state
iv. States – enforce laws
v. No President – weary of too much power
C. Ratification required formal approval of all 13 states
i. Conflicts over western lands
ii. VA, NY – largest land claims
iii. MD – refused until they got their share
iv. NY ratified in 1780 & VA approved in 1781
D. Finally ratified in March 1781
VI.
Weaknesses of Articles of Confederation
A. Congress couldn’t impose taxes was the greatest weakness
B. All states had to agree to pass laws
C. No branch to enforce laws passed by Congress
D. Labeled as “feeble and ineffectual”
VII. Western Lands
A. Land of Ordinance of 1785 raised revenue by selling land
i. Sold in large plots – companies not farmers
ii. System settled the NW Territory
B. NW Ordinance established govt. for NW – no slaves
i. Finest achievement under A of C
ii. Five states formed – OH, IN, IL, MI, and WI
VIII. Shay’s Rebellion
A. Economic depression led to uprising
i. Farmers: taxes + debts = foreclosures
ii. Revolt shut down courts in MA
 No courts = no foreclosures
B. 2,000 rebels participated - militia sent in to squash rebellion
C. Impact ~ Articles of Confederation was too weak – not working
i. Congress couldn’t raise taxes
ii. No branch to enforce laws
iii. All states had to agree to pass laws
iv. Couldn’t regulate trade
D. Push for Change
i. Revisions to A of C – national conference held
ii. No NE states or NC, SC, GA ~ Only 5 states attended
Unit 2.3 DQ
IX.
Constitutional Convention
A. Purpose was to revise the Articles of Confederation
B. Philadelphia in 1787 – Independence Hall
C. Preserve the Union!!!
D. 12 states sent 55 delegates - RI refused to attend
i. College educated w/ political experience
E. James Madison - “Father of the Constitution”
i. Best prepared delegate – wanted to preserve states rights w/ a strong Union
ii. Kept detailed records in his daily diary
F. Absent – J. Adams, Jefferson, S. Adams, P. Henry
X.
Virginia Plan – Madison
A. Strong national govt. w/ 3 branches
i. Legislative – passes laws
ii. Executive – carries out laws
iii. Judicial – interprets laws
B. Two-House legislature – based on population
i. Favored large states, so small states opposed
XI.
New Jersey Plan – William Paterson
A. Small states response to VA Plan
B. Three branches
C. One-house legislature: one state = one vote
D. Federal govt. powers: taxes & regulate commerce
XII. The Great Compromise – Roger Sherman
A. Major disagreement between VA/NJ Plans centered on representation of the people in govt.
B. Upper house – Senate gets two reps per state (NJ plan)
C. Lower house – House of Reps. – based on population (VA)
D. Created a bicameral Congress based on population and equal representation
E. Three-Fifths Compromise - Southerners wanted slaves counted
i. Slaves were counted as 3/5 for purpose of representation in Congress
XIII. Opposing Views
A. Federalism – divide power between fed/state govt.
B. Checks and Balances - limit the power of govt.
i. Each branch checks the other two branches
 Congress passes laws but Pres. can veto
 Judicial Branch determines if laws passed by Congress are Constitutional
C. Federalists – supported the Constitution
D. Anti-federalists opposed Constitution because it lacked a Bill of Rights
i. Claimed that it didn’t protect our rights!
XIV. The Federalists Papers
A. Purpose was to rally support for ratification of the Constitution
B. Written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay
C. States wouldn’t be overpowered by fed. govt.
XV. Ratification of the Constitution
A. 9 of 13 states needed to ratify
B. June 1788 – NH was 9th state to approve
C. NY, VA, NC, and RI ratify later
D. Bill of Rights – the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution
E. Amendments – 2/3 vote propose, ¾ vote ratify
1. Speech, religion & press
6. Trial by jury
2. Bear arms
7. Jury in civil case
3. Lodging troops
8. Bail & punishment
4. Search and seizure
9. Power of people
5. Rights of accused
10. Power of states
F. Constitution has three parts: Preamble, Articles 1-7 and Amendments 1-27
> Greatest living document in history!
Unit 2.4 DQ
“Forging the New Republic”
I.
Washington Becomes President
A. Unanimous choice: Moved to NY – temporary capital
B. Felt the responsibility of the nation was on his shoulders
i. “…feelings of a culprit who is going to execution”
C. Established precedents for future Presidents to follow
II.
Washington’s Cabinet
A. Precedent established – surrounded himself w/ trusted advisors
B. Secretary of State – Thomas Jefferson
C. Secretary of War – Henry Knox
D. Secretary of Treasury – Alexander Hamilton
E. Attorney General – Edmund Randolph
III. First Political Parties in the U.S.
Federalists
vs.
Democratic Republicans
Led by Alexander Hamilton
Led by Thomas Jefferson
Strong national govt.
Small national govt. (power w/ states)
Supported manufacturing/industry
Supported agriculture
Loose construction
Strict construction
Favored national bank
Opposed national bank
*Political parties formed due to disagreements over the role of govt.*
IV. Hamilton’s Economic Plan
A. An effective govt. needed an “enlightened ruling class”
B. Govt. should assume all existing public debt from the war
C. The country needed a national bank
D. The nation’s economy should be based on industry and manufacturing
E. Needed to create govt. revenue – Taxes!
i. Tariff – tax on imported goods
ii. Excise “sin” tax – liquor, tobacco and luxuries
F. Compromise reached – moved the capital to Philadelphia, then DC
i. Southerners then agreed to state debt bill
V.
National Bank Issue
A. Most controversial part of Hamilton’s plan
B. Loose construction – loose interpretation of Constitution
i. Hamilton – “necessary and proper clause”
ii. Supported national bank
C. Strict construction – strict interpretation of Constitution
i. Jefferson – “limit the power of govt.”
ii. Opposed national bank
D. President Washington signed the Bank Bill in 1791
VI.
Whiskey Rebellion
A. Farmers objected violently to excise tax
B. Tax affected their pocketbooks - attacked tax collectors
D. 2,000 rebels threatened Pittsburgh
E. GW and Hamilton led 13,000 troops to squash rebellion
F. Farmers scattered “without spilling a drop of blood”
VII. Remaining Neutral
A. Washington issued Neutrality Proclamation in 1793
i. U.S. would be friendly and impartial w/ France and Great Britain
ii. GW opted to stay out of French Revolution
B. Edmund Genet, French ambassador, openly defied Neutrality Proclamation
C. Washington demanded France replace Genet
D. Diplomatic challenges
i. Jefferson resigned as Sec. Of State
ii. British seized American ships & sailors imprisoned
iii. Britain stirred up trouble in NW Territory w/ natives
E. Jay’s Treaty (1794) - Chief Justice John Jay negotiated w/ British
i. Brits paid for damages to ships & left forts in NW Territory
ii. No more impressments of sailors
F. Pinckney’s Treaty- settled border and trade disputes w/ Spain
VIII. Conflicts in the NW Territory (1790’s)
A. Violence over land w/ Native Americans - Ohio and Indiana
B. Little Turtle led forces to victory - greatest Native American victory over white man
C. Battle of Fallen Timbers - Miami’s were defeated
D. Treaty of Greenville (1795) gained OH, IN, IL and MI
IX.
Farewell Address by Washington
A. Precedents established for our future leaders
i. Warned of dangers of political parties (divided country)
ii. Avoid foreign entanglements – supported his policy of neutrality
iii. Two-term limit for the President
iv. Executive Cabinet
B. Religious principle would guide national morality
X.
President Adams
A. Election of 1796: Adams (F) defeated Jefferson (D-R) 71 to 68
B. Flaw in the Constitution- Jefferson was VP, (Adams rival)
C. XYZ Affair
i. Jay’s Treaty didn’t sit well w/ France
ii. US diplomats were disrespected and French wanted bribes
iii. Adams went to Congress and named French agents X,Y and Z
iv. Americans wanted war
v. Congress responded - cut-off trade w/ France, cancelled wartime treaties, built warships
and captured French vessels
vi. US skillfully avoided costly war w/ France
D. Alien and Sedition Acts
i. Response to XYZ and resentment of foreigners
ii. Foreigners must register w/ govt.
iii. Allowed president to jail or deport “dangerous” foreigners
iv. Prohibited criticism of public officials (FREEDOM OF SPEECH?)
v. Jefferson and Madison argued that acts were unconstitutional
> Created deeper divide in Congress and the country
XI.
Marbury vs. Madison
A. Supreme Court defined its power of judicial review by declaring an act of Congress unconstitutional
B. John Marshall ~ “Father of the Supreme Court”
i. Chief Justice from 1801 -1835
ii. Established Supreme Court as co-equal third branch of govt.
C. Helped establish power of judicial branch w/ judicial review
i. Judicial review provides checks and balances w/ other two branches of govt.
Unit 2.5 DQ