Colonial Development
The Road to Independence
& our First National
Government
Different Countries – Different Reasons
Different
countries came to the New World for
different reasons:
France – Fur trade
Spanish – the 3 G’s
English – Freedom
Why
would the reason for settlement make a
difference in colonists staying or leaving?
Colonial Development
When
the English colonist arrived in North America,
they found the land presented them with dangers as
well as opportunities.
It was the dangers that pushed the colonies towards
unity but only independence would successfully
unite all 13 colonies.
What particular danger made unity a must?
Indian attacks
What finally successfully united all
thirteen colonies?
INDEPENDENCE
The 13 Original Colonies
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Connecticut
Delaware
Georgia
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Rhode Island
Virginia
Reasons of Seeking Independence
1.
2.
3.
There was a physical and political distance.
•
Physical distance – the colonies were separated from Great
Britain by an ocean – they were 3,000 miles apart.
•
Political distance – since the very first permanent settlement
(150 years earlier), the colonies had ruled themselves.
In 1760, the British throne was passed to George III. He agreed
with British Parliament that the colonies had become too
independent.
The Seven Year’s War had plunged Britain into debt. These war
debts had to be paid and Britain saw the colonies as a way of
repaying them. The British began passing several trade restrictions
& taxes on the colonists.
Colonist Were Angry for Two Reasons
1.
2.
Taxes
Trade Restrictions
 Both
were passed without any colonial
representatives in British Parliament
First Continental Congress
Began September 5, 1774 in
Philadelphia at Independence
Hall
 Delegates from all colonies
except Georgia met to discuss
the problems with Great
Britain.

This Meeting Did 3 Things:
1.
2.
3.
It called for a boycott of all
British goods.
•
Boycott – an agreement to
stop buying or using
goods or services.
They wrote a list of
grievances to King George III
They planned to meet again if
the King did not meet their
demands.
Second Continental Congress
Began
May 10, 1775 in Philadelphia at
Independence Hall
Nearly all delegates were in favor of
independence
Appointed a committee of five to write the
Declaration of Independence.
It was approved by the Continental Congress on
July 4, 1776
Declaration of Independence
A Committee of Five:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Thomas Jefferson –
major author
John Adams
Roger Sherman
Robert Livingston
Ben Franklin
Components of the Declaration of
Independence
1.
2.
3.
Lists the reasons the colonies
were seeking independence
Statement of American ideals
– purpose of government is to
protect our natural rights
Mapped out the kind of
government the delegates
wanted.
Our First National Government
The
Founding Fathers realized that the 13
colonies needed a document that outlined how
government should operate (constitution).
The Articles of Confederation became our first
national government.
It passed the 2nd Continental Congress on March
1, 1781.
The End to a Long War & The Beginning
of a Great Nation
The
last battle of the American Revolution
was the Battle of Yorktown – October 19,
1781.
The official end was not until September 3,
1789 when the Treaty of Paris was signed.