Spark of Revolution
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Proclamation of 1763
Stamp Act (1765)
Boston Massacre (1770)
Tea Act (1773)
Intolerable Acts (1774)
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Port Act
Massachusetts Government Act
Quartering Act
Administration of Justice Act
Continental Congress
• 1st Continental Congress 1774
– Boycott English Goods
• 2nd Continental Congress 1775
– Convene after the events at Lexington and
Concord
– Olive Branch Petition
• July 2nd 1776, Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence
• Set up as a syllogism
– Broken up into three parts
– 2 premises and a conclusion
• 1. Each person has a natural right to life liberty
and property. Government is created by the
consent of the governed to protect these rights.
• 2. Our Current Government does not do this.
THEREFORE
• 3. We have a right and a duty to rebel against it
The Declaration of Independence
• “…Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God…”
• “…We hold these truth to be Self-Evident…”
– What does it mean for something to be selfevident?
• “…That all men are created equal…”
– How so? Quantitative vs. Qualitative
The Declaration of Independence
• “…That they are endowed by their creator
with certain unalienable Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of
Happiness…”
– Where do these come from?
– Must look to the Political Philosophy of John Locke
– 2nd Treatise on Government (1689)
Locke’s 2nd Treatise
• Imagine man in a “State of nature”
– Alone, defenseless, armed only with his wits and
brute strength
• Does this person still have rights? How can we
tell?
• Self preservation, freedom, and property
• Why property? Labor + natural resource =
property
The Declaration of Independence
• “That to secure these rights, Governments are
instituted among Men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the governed…”
– How radical a statement is this?
• “That whenever any form of government
becomes destructive to these ends it is the
Right of the People to alter or abolish it…”
– Why do they have this right?
The Articles of Confederation
• Lasted 10 years 1777-1787 (1789)
• "Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and
independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and
right, which is not by this Confederation expressly
delegated."
• Central national government is incredibly weak.
– Cannot levy taxes or print money
– Cannot raise an army
– Need Unanimous vote of all 13 states to pass bills
U.S. Constitution
• Preamble
• Articles
• Amendments
The Preamble
• “A More Perfect Union”
• Why is this important? What does this
acknowledge?
The Articles
• Article 1: The requirements, structure, and
powers of Congress
• Article 2: The requirements, structure, and
powers of the President
• Article 3: The structure and powers of the
courts including the Supreme Court