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American Revolution
Declaration of Independence
Shot Heard around the World
Constitution
Federal Govt takes shape
George Washington alliance with the French
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British Suggested that the colonies organize
under a federal govt. This was called the
Albany plan of union.
The French and Indian War was the British and
its Indian allies and the French and its Indian
allies.
Treaty of Paris ended the war in 1763. Ending
French power in North America. Britain the
loan super power in North America
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1763 Natives started attacking forts and towns
Proclamation of 1763- This limited western
settlement from going across the
Appalachians mountains
Taxes
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Sugar act- changed tax rates on sugar, molasses
imported from foreign colonies. (also silk, wine,
coffee, pimento)
Taxation w/o represntation
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Stamp act 1765- required for most printed
material .
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Newspapers, pamphlets, wills, dice, and playing
cards
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Declaratory act- which gave England the
power to make laws for the colonies.
Townshend Acts- Charles Townshend
introduced a new set of Regulations and taxes
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Revenue act of 1767- new customs duties on glass,
lead, paper, paint and tea.
 Allowed for writs of assistance- British officials right to
seize property without following due process.
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Sons of liberty encouraged colonist to support
the boycott of British goods.
1770 British troops fired into colonist in
Boston killing a man named Crispus Attucks.
This became known as the Boston massacre.
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Britain started intercepting colonist ships in the
Atlantic ocean smuggling goods.
Thomas Jefferson- wanted colonies to create
committee of correspondence-communication
between colonies what Britain is doing.
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Unified colonies more
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Dec. 1773 tea ships arrived from British east
India company and colonist boarded ships
and dumped tea in harbor. Became known as
Boston tea party.
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Boston Tea Party led to British passing the
Intolerable acts.
Boston harbor closed
 Military governor over Massachusetts
 Expanded Canadian boarder.
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First Continental congress met in Philadelphia.
1774
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Wrote the declaration of rights and Grievanceswhich expressed loyalty to the king but
condemned the coercive acts.
A plan for every town to boycott British goods
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. Town of concord created a special unit called
the minutemen
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Minutemen- trained and ready to fight the British
at a minute’s warning.
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Loyalists- remained loyal to the king and felt
British laws should be upheld.
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Govt. officials, merchants, landowners
Patriots- thought the British were tyrants.
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Artisans, farmers, planters, urban workers
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General Gage were going to seize a supply
depot in concord.
To get there British army need to pass through
Lexington.
Paul Revere and William Dawes were sent to
Lexington to warn the people the British were
coming (midnight Ride)
Dr. Samuel Prescott went to warn people of
concord.
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First shots of the war were at Lexington .
This is the shot heard around the world.
Concord there were about 400 minutemen.
They pushed back the British.
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Battle of bunker Hill- colonist turned back
two British advances.
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Proved colonist could stand with the British army.
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July 1775 Continental Congress sent the olive
branch petition to the king.
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Stated the colonist were still loyal to the king
Same time radicals in Congress had ordered an
attack on British troops in Quebec.
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Thomas Paine wrote the pamphlet called
common sense which inspired the colonist to
call for independence.
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July 4 1776 Committee approved a document
Thomas Jefferson had wrote most of the
Declaration of Independence
The continental congress issued the Declaration
of independence
The American Revolution had begun.
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British
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Gen William Howe commander of a disciplined,
well grained, and well equipped British army.
Continental Army- Army of colonist George
Washington commander
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Was inexperienced, poorly equipped and had
difficulty keeping soldiers
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British army had to fight the continental army
and local militias.
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Militias often used Guerilla warfare- hid behind
trees, walls and then ambushed troops
British needed to win war quickly before public
opinion changed.
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George Washington planned unexpected
winter attacks on the British mercenaries called
Hessians at Trenton an Princeton, NJ
He Lead his troops across the Delaware river.
Continental Army camped at Valley Forge for
the rest of the winter.
Conditions were terrible at valley forge but
Washington trained his army
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Saratoga- is where 5000 British troops were
taken prisoners and was the turning point of
the war.
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This convinced France to send troops
Feb 1778- Americans signed two treaties with
France.
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France 1st country to recognize the U.S. as
independent country
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American Warships attacked British merchant
ships to disrupt trade.
Congress issued letters of marque- licenses to
private ships owners authorizing them to
attack British merchant ships.
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The British started focus attention on south,
they thought they had more loyalist support
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Charles Cornwallis took over for Clinton in
south.
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Battle at kings mountain- the militia destroyed
the loyalist army. This battle was turning point
of war in the south.
Francis Marion (swamp Fox)- most famous
person who led hit and run raids on British
camps.
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Spring 1781 British invaded Virginia, hoping to
keep the south
General Cornwallis linked up with Benedict
Arnold to conquer Virginia.
Cornwallis troops had to retreat to Yorktown.
American and French troops surrounded
Yorktown and the British surrendered on Oct
1781.
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Treaty of Paris was signed on September3,
1783.
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British recognized the U.S. as a new nation with
Mississippi River as it western border.
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Nov 1777, continental congress adopted the
articles of confederation. – loose union of that
states under congress. 1st govt of United States
Articles- had power to declare war, raise
armies and sign treaties .
National level could not impose taxes or
regulate trade and only met once a year.
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Shay’s rebellion- Massachusetts 1786 raised
taxes
Farmers could not pay tax. Daniel shay led a
rebellion with about 1200 farmers. They tried to
seize a state arsenal.
This showed the weakness of the articles of
confederation. Needed a stronger national
govt.
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Weaknesses
Federal govt Could not tax
 Congress needed 9 states to pass a law
 Congress had no power to enforce laws
 Did not provide for a governor or courts
 States could ignore laws
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United States won its independence from
england.
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Peace treaty of Paris 1783.
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People who supported a strong central govt.
were called nationalist.
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Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, Alexander
Hamilton
Virginia Plan
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National govt. made up of 3 branches of Govt.
Congress would be two houses(bicameral) based on
population
Benefited large states.
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Wanted to Revise the articles to make central
govt. stronger
Congress single house(unicameral) with each
state having equal representation
Benefited small states
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Great Compromise
House of Representatives- states represented
according to population
 Senate would have equal representation
 Voters elected house of representatives
 State legislature would choose the senators
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Three-fifths compromise- for every five
enslaved people they would count as three free
person.
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Determining Representation and taxes
The new constitution would need 9 our of 13
states to ratify it.
3/5 and great compromises deal with
representation in congress
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Constitution based on popular sovereigntyrule by the people.
Federalism- divided govt. between national
and state
Separation of powers among the 3 branches
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Legislative- make laws(two houses)
Executive – enforce laws
Judicial –interpret
Montesquieu said need 3 branches (S o P)
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1 .Checks and balances
Keeps one branch from becoming to
powerful. Each branch can check or
restrain the power of the other.
Amendments- change to constitution
 Proposal has to have 2/3 of congress
 Ratified by 3/4 of the states.
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2. popular sovereignty- will of the people
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Government is also limited by the rule of law.
This means that the law applies to everyone
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This split of authority among the legislative,
executive, and judicial branches is called the
separation of powers.
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Baron de Montesquieu came up with separation of
powers
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Under federalism, power is shared by the
national government and the states. Americans
must obey the laws of both.
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Federalist- people who supported the
constitution.
Antifederalists- opponents of the constitution.
They wanted a bill or rights
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Example John Hancock and Patrick Henry
The federalist explained why the constitution
should be ratified in The Federalist papers.
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Written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and
John Jay
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George Washington and James Madison
presented strong arguments at the Virginia
convention for ratification
A bill of rights was added and Virginia ratified
constitution
By 1788 all but two states had ratified the
constitution .
Bill of rights is the first 10 amendments
James Madison is known as the father of the
Constitution
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George Washington became the 1st president.
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Alexander Hamilton became head of the treasury
department.
Judicial branch and the first federal judges was
established. John jay 1st chief justice of supreme
court.
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Alexander Hamilton got the bank
of the united states started by using
the necessary and proper clause.
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Whisky Rebellion- Hamilton got a tax on
American Whisky.
Western farmers were mad and started a
rebellion.
Washington had to send 13,000 troops in.
This showed the new constitution was strong
not like the articles
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Congress split over Hamilton’s financial plan
Federalist- (James Madison,Hamilton and
John Adams) strong national govt. in the
hands of the wealthy
Republicans- ( Jefferson)- believed strength
came from its independent farmers.
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Civil war in France- known as the French
revolution
1793 France Declared War on Britain.
Washington issued a proclamation that U.S.
would be neutral .
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Jay’s Treaty gave Britain right to seize
American cargo
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U.S. got most-favored nation status- American
merchants would not be discriminated against
when they traded with Britain
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Pinkney’s treaty- gave the U.S. right to navigate the
Mississippi and deposit goods in New Orleans.
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Avoid sectionalism
Warned against political parties
Entangled alliances
United States should be neutral (policy
of Neutrality)
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French angered over jay’s treaty
stopped American ships.
 Adams sent negotiators to France.
This became known as XYZ affair
 Wanted a bribe