SSUSH4 – The student will identify the
ideological, military, & diplomatic aspects of the
American Revolution.
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Standard 4
•Declaration of
Independence
•John Locke
•George Washington
•Delaware River
•1783 Treaty of
Paris
Battle of Saratoga
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*Battle of Trenton
•Valley Forge
•Benjamin Franklin
•Marquis de
Lafayette
•General Charles
Cornwallis
•Battle of Yorktown
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Paul Revere was sent to alert John Hancock and
Samuel Adams of the British’s plans.
Paul Revere promised to warn them when the
British soldiers started to march.
Since he wasn't sure that he would be able to
get out of Boston with the message, he made
plans to alert people by putting lanterns in the
Old North Church steeple.
He would light one lantern if the British were
coming by land, and two lanterns if the British
were coming by sea.
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a. Explain the language, organization, and
intellectual sources of the Declaration of
Independence; include the writing of John
Locke and the role of Thomas Jefferson.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What was the purpose of the DOI?
Who was the main author of the DOI?
Where did the author get his ideas from?
How is the DOI organized?
What is the purpose of the Preamble of the
DOI?
What is in the 2nd section of the DOI?
What is in the 3rd section of the DOI?
Learning Target: The student will be able to explain the
language, organization, and intellectual sources of the
Declaration of Independence
1.
2.
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4.
5.
The Declaration of Independence was the
ideological explanation for American
independence.
Thomas Jefferson
John Locke’s Second Treatise on
Government
Broken into 3 sections
The reasons why the colonist broke away
from Britain along with the belief about
natural rights and the role of government.
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6. List of 27 grievances against King George
7. How the colonist tried to remain peaceful
with britain, but
unsuccessful attempts to get relief from
Britain and ends
 April
18, 1775
◦Revere was able to warn the
colonists in Lexington
◦The colonists had organized a
group of militia, called the
Minutemen.
◦8 minutemen were killed
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Revere was captured before reaching
Concord, but other messengers were
able to warn the colonists.
◦ Colonists were able to hide supplies
at various places.
◦ British soldiers headed back to
Boston.
◦ Along the way, 73 British soldiers
were killed.
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After the Battles of Lexington & Concord,
colonial leaders met at the Second Continental
Congress.
◦ George Washington was appointed as head
of the new Continental Army.
◦ They adopted a provisional govt. linking the
13 colonies.
◦ June 7, 1776, Virginia delegate Richard Lee
proposed that “all political connection”
between the colonies & England should be
dissolved.
July 4, 1776 – delegates of the Second
Continental Congress issued the
Declaration of Independence.
 Thomas Jefferson wrote the document.
 Delegates believed that govt. was a
social contract.
◦ If the govt. became harmful, the people
had the right to change it.
◦ Outlined what King George III had done
wrong.
◦ Declared the colonies’ independence.
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1)
Preamble
 Purpose of the Declaration
2)
Declaration of Natural Rights
 People have certain rights & the govt. should
protect those rights.
3)
List of Grievances
 Colonists’ complaints esp. against King George III
4)
Resolution of Independence
Declares that the colonies are “Free & Independent
States”
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Colonists wanted a govt. that served the
people.
Wanted to be a self-governing people.
Declaration was heavily influenced by
Englightment thinkers.
◦ John Locke held life, liberty, & property as
natural rights.
◦ French Philosopher, Charles Montesquieu,
wrote in The Spirit of the Laws, “that power
in govt. should be divided among an
executive & a legislative body.”
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b. Explain the reason for and significance of
the French alliance and foreign assistance
and the roles of Benjamin Franklin and the
Marquis de Lafayette.
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Why was the alliance with France an
important factor in the American Revolution?
What role did Ben Franklin and Marquis de
Lafayette play in the American-French
alliance?
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Benjamin Franklin
◦ Helped secure a French alliance that provided
military & financial aid.
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The most distinguished scientific and literary
American of his age, he was the first
American diplomat.
◦ 19 yr old French soldier who
volunteered to serve in the
Continental Army at his own
expense.
◦ Congress appointed him a majorgeneral.
◦ Was a military genius
◦ Worked closely with George
Washington
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He was charged with the critical task of gaining
French support for American independence.
French aristocrats and intellectuals embraced
Franklin as the personification of the New World
His popularity and diplomatic skill--along with the
first American battlefield success at Saratoga-convinced France to recognize American
independence
He was the first American ambassador to be
received by a foreign government.
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The French saw the weakening of the British as
an opportunity to finally conquer them &
regain control of the seas.
1781
◦ With French help, the Continental Army defeated
General Cornwallis & trapping 8,000 British soldiers
at the Battle of Yorktown.
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Treaty of Paris 1783
◦ Officially ended the war.
◦ Est. United States of America
◦ Borders were now all land from the Great
Lakes on the north to Florida on the south, &
from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi
River.
◦ The U.S. agreed to pay all existing debts
owed to Great Britain.
◦ The U.S. also agreed not to persecute
loyalists still in America and allow those that
left America to return.
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a. Explain the language, organization, and
intellectual sources of the Declaration of
Independence; include the writing of John
Locke and the role of Thomas Jefferson.
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Purpose: explain the reasons why they were
breaking away from Britain
(language) Simple and direct so everyone could
understand it.
Sources: John Locke influenced the writers
Thomas Jefferson wrote it
Organization
◦ Preamble (philosophical and legal reasons)
◦ 27 grievances of how the King violated their rights
◦ Statement of resolution for independence since they
could not come to a peaceful agreement with Britain
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The Declaration of Independence was the
ideological explanation for American
independence.
The Declaration was drafted by John Adams,
Robert Livingston, Benjamin Franklin, Roger
Sherman, and Thomas Jefferson, although
Jefferson was the principle author of the
Declaration.
Most scholars hold that the ideas of John
Locke’s Second Treatise on Government
played a significant influence on the
Declaration. Locke’s key ideas of “natural
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Most scholars hold that the ideas of John
Locke’s Second Treatise on Government
played a significant influence on the
Declaration. Locke’s key ideas of “natural
rights,” the equality of all men, and the role
of government are featured prominently in
the preamble.
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The Declaration can be divided into three key
parts.
1. The Preamble called the attention to why
the American colonies had chosen to break
away from the British government.
Key ideas included many of those Locke had
outlined earlier.
These ideas included natural rights,
the origin and purposes of government,
the reasons why the colonists had elected to
rebel against the King and Parliament.
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2. The second section is the list of grievances
or justifications.
This section contains 27 separate points of
difference the colonies had with King George
III and his government.
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3. Finally, the declaration offers a discussion
of the Americans’ many unsuccessful
attempts to get relief from Britain
Ends with the conclusion that the only way for
Americans to have their rights restored is to
restore them themselves by declaring
independence from Britain and by controlling
their own government.
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b. Explain the reason for and significance of
the French alliance and foreign assistance
and the roles of Benjamin Franklin and the
Marquis de Lafayette.
EQ: How would you explain the
importance of the French alliance during
the War for Independence?
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Great Britain became the dominate world
power after successfully concluding the Seven
Years War (French and Indian War).
Britain’s traditional enemies
(France, Spain, and the Netherlands) looked
for a way to regain the advantage in world
trade.
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As Britain’s American colonies began
rebelling, Louis XVI’s ministers began
negotiating with the Americans.
Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin
were instrumental in negotiating the
Franco-American Treaty of 1778.
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He was charged with the critical task of gaining
French support for American independence.
French aristocrats and intellectuals embraced
Franklin as the personification of the New World
His popularity and diplomatic skill--along with the
first American battlefield success at Saratoga-convinced France to recognize American
independence
He was the first American ambassador to be
received by a foreign government.
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The alliance essentially turned the tide of the
war against Great Britain.
French naval attacks in the Caribbean and
against British holdings in India forced the
Royal Navy to weaken its blockade along the
eastern seaboard of the United States.
Large quantities of muskets, cannons, shot
and powder were given to Washington’s
forces.
And French forces played a key role in the
defeat of the British at the Battle of Yorktown.
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The Marquis de Lafayette had arrived earlier
and led American forces in battle against
British and Hessian forces.
Lafayette was instrumental in persuading the
French government to commit additional land
forces against the British in the colonies,
He also helped Washington train his men at
Valley Forge.
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c. Analyze George Washington as a military
leader;
include the creation of a professional military
and the life of a common soldier,
and describe the significance of the crossing
of the Delaware River
and Valley Forge.
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The Revolutionary Armies were composed of
two distinct groups-the state militias and the
Continental Army.
Militias were organized by each state and
community and generally provided their own
weapons and uniforms.
Enlistments were short term and training was
poor.
They were notoriously unreliable in battle.
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At the urging of Washington, Congress
provided for the creation of a standing
army—The Continental Army.
Enlistments were for one to three years.
Pay was meager.
Rations were short and the army often had to
scavenge to find supplies
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Disease, brought on by close confinement
combined with poor diet and sanitation, was
a bigger danger than the British Army.
The most common killers were influenza,
typhus, typhoid, and dysentery,
dedicated surgeons, capable nurses, a
smallpox inoculation program, and camp
sanitation regulations limited the death tolls.
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George Washington was appointed by
Congress to be Commander and Chief of the
Continental Army in June 1775.
Washington had developed an excellent
military reputation in the French and Indian
War when he led British and Virginian forces
out of the ambush that killed the British
commander William Braddock.
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Washington reorganized the Continental
Army, Called for a standing army.
secured additional equipment and supplies,
started a training program to turn
inexperienced recruits into a professional
military.
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As a field general, Washington was not the
most successful commander.
Despite losing many battles, Washington’s
strong personality and reputation garnered
him the support and respect of American
soldiers.
His force of will is best exemplified at the
Battle of Monmouth Courthouse in June 1778
when Washington personally stopped
American forces from fleeing the battlefield
and led a counter-attack which pushed the
British back.
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Early in the war Washington preferred to
engage the British in quick, strong strikes and
then retreat as a means of overcoming the
inadequate training of American forces and to
boost morale.
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This principle is illustrated when Washington
crossed the Delaware River on December 25,
1776.
His forces routed the Hessian forces at
Trenton, New Jersey in a surprise attack.
Washington then marched his force across
New Jersey and defeated a pursuing British
force before retreating into winter quarters.
These two decisive victories boosted the
morale of American forces, which had been
defeated in New York earlier that year.
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Washington’s skill at maintaining his force
under trying conditions is best shown during
the Winter of 1777-1778 when the American
Army was encamped at Valley Forge,
Pennsylvania.
With winter approaching, Washington
withdrew the Continental Army into a winter
encampment. In the popular imagination,
Valley Forge was the winter home of a
ragged, starving dispirited American Army.
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While clothing was in short supply, the army
was kept fed and remained intact throughout
winter.
However, Valley Forge proved to be critical in
the further development of the army.
European soldiers such as Baron von Steuben
and Lafayette arrived.
Baron Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus von
Steuben taught close-order drill critical for
the maneuver and fire tactics of eighteenth
century warfare.
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d. Explain the role of geography at the Battle
of Yorktown, the role of Lord Cornwallis, and
the Treaty of Paris, 1783.
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Britain’s plan to counter the French–American
alliance was to have General Charles
Cornwallis move the war to the southern
states to try to separate those colonies from
revolutionary forces in the North.
He immediately succeeded in a series of
British victories, but the Americans were able
to prevent a complete victory in the South.
Cornwallis pursued the Americans into
Virginia but met heavy resistance.
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Wishing to maintain communications with Great
Britain by sea, the British general retreated to the
coastal town of Yorktown. While awaiting the
British
While awaiting the British fleet, his forces were
surrounded by the combined French and
American armies. The timely arrival of the French
fleet drove away the British evacuation fleet.
Cut off from any reinforcements, Cornwallis was
forced to surrender, and the American Revolution
came to an end in North America.
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The 1783 Treaty of Paris ended the American
Revolutionary War.
The United States won its independence from
Great Britain and gained control of land
stretching to the Mississippi River.
Britain ceded Florida to Spain and certain
African and Caribbean colonies to France.
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John Locke
George Washington
Crossing the Delaware River
Valley Forge
Benjamin Franklin
Marquis de Lafayette
General Charles Cornwallis
Battle of Yorktown
1783 Treaty of Paris
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Forced to pay taxes they did not agree with
Laws passed by a government they did not
think they should have to follow
Government officials place over them they did
not like want or agree with.
Citizens houses were burnt down
People imprisoned and not told why they
were being jailed
Invaded by soldiers who would steal from
them
Property taken away without due process.
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Forced to pay taxes they did not agree with
Laws passed by a government they did not
think they should have to follow
Government officials place over them they did
not like want or agree with.
Citizens houses were burnt down
People imprisoned and not told why they
were being jailed
Invaded by soldiers who would steal from
them
Property taken away without due process.