THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

JUSTIFICATION FOR REVOLUTION

2ND CONTENTIAL CONGRESS AND OLIVE BRANCH PETITION

• Second Continental Congress -- May 10, 1775 – All 13 colonies present – Most significant act of Congress: Selected George Washington to head of the Continental

Army. • Declaration of the Causes & Necessity of Taking Up Arms (written by Jefferson &

Dickinson) – Drafted 2nd set of appeals to the king – Seen as intermediate step towards the Declaration of Independence – Adopted measures to raise money and to create an army and a navy.

• Olive Branch Petition (written largely by John Dickinson) – Last ditch effort by moderates in the Continental Congress to prevent an all-out war. – Pledged loyalty to the crown; sought to restore peace – Appealed to George III to intercede with Parliament to reconsider the “Intolerable Acts” – King refused to recognize Congress; the war raged on

APRIL 19TH 1775 LEXINGTON & CONCORD"The Shot Heard around the World"

• 2ND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS SEND “OLIVE BRANCH PETITITON”– Parliament ordered General Gage, new Gov. of Massachusetts, to arrest

leaders of the rebellion and prepare for military action. – April 1775, 700 British redcoats sent secretly to nearby Lexington &

Concord to seize gunpowder and arrest Sam Adams & John Hancock. – Battle of Lexington and Concord began when Minutemen refused to

disperse on the Lexington Green and shots were fired. – Concord -- British forced to retreat by American reinforcements

Minutemen encamped outside the city and lay siege to Boston. • HOPES FOR RECONCILIATION

JANUARY 1776 TOM PAINE’S COMMON SENSE

• ARGUES FOR INDEPENDENCE– Britain's colonial policies were inconsistent; – Why should tiny England control huge North America?– America had a sacred mission – Persuaded Congress to go all the way for independence – Could not hope for aid from France unless they declared

independence

• ATTACKS THE KING AS “ROYAL BRUTE” • Instant best-seller in the colonies; effective propaganda

JUNE 7TH 1776 LEE’S MOTION FOR INDEPENDENCE.

• JUNE 11TH A COMMITTEE IS FORM TO WRITE A STATEMENT JUSTIFYING INDEPENDENCE

• TOM JEFFERSON, JOHN ADAMS, & BEN FRANKLIN

• JEFFERSON DOES MOST OF THE WRITING.

JULY 2, 2ND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS PASSES LEE’S MOTION

• NOT ANNOUNCED UNTIL JULY 4TH

PURPOSE OF THE DECLARATION

• LEGAL BRIEF FOR THE RIGHT OF REVOLUTION.

• LIST OF AMERICAN GRIEVANCES • PROPAGANDA TO ENCOURAGE THE

AMERICAN CAUSE.• CREATE SYMPATHY IN EUROPE.

STRUCTURE OF THE DECLARATION

• PREAMABLE - STATES PRINCIPLES OF THE REVOLUTION

• BASED ON THE WORKS OF JOHN LOCKE, VOLTAIRE, MONTESQUIEU, AND ROUSSEAU

NATURAL RIGHTS THEORY

• AUTHORITY TO CREATE GOVERNMENT COMES FROM THE PEOPLE

• FUNCTION OF GOVERNMENT TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE.

GRIEVANCES AND FORMAL DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

• NOTE THE GRIEVANCES ARE ALL AIMED AT THE KING.

• KING HAS FAILED TO PROTECT OUR RIGHTS

CONCLUSION

• THE DECLARATION SIMPLY REPEATS LEE’S RESOLUTION.

• “THESE COLONIES …ARE FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES.”

ON WITH THE WAR!

THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR

1775 TO 1783

THE BALANCE SHEET

• AMERICAN ADVANTAGES– Home Ground– Acquaintance with firearms– Superior Rifle– Large number of Officers with Experience• Marquis de Lafayette

– George Washington• Benjamin Franklin

MORE..

• BRITISH ADVANTAGES– Well equipped discipline Army– The British Navy– Money to support the war– Cooperation of the Loyalists (1/3rd of the

population)

MORE..

• AMERICAN DISADVANTAGES– Short Enlistments– Poor Discipline– No Money• Continental money• Husbands/fathers left• Inflation

– Small Navy (John Paul Jones)

MORE…

• BRITISH DISADVANTAGES– A long way from home– Officers slow to adapt tactics– Under-estimated the Americans

KEY AMERICAN ADVANTAGE

BRITISH HAD TO WIN TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOAL• AMERICANS ONLY HAD TO NOT LOSE.

BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL JUNE 1775

• FOUGHT ON BREEDS HILL BY MISTAKE.• AMERICAN LEADER WILLIAM PRESCOTT• BRITISH GENERAL WILLIAM HOWE• BRITISH TAKE THE HILL LOSE 1,054

CASUALTIES• AMERICANS: 367 CASUALTIES

BRITISH STRATEGY

• DIVIDE THE COLONIES INTO 4 SECTIONS• NORTH AND SOUTH• EAST AND WEST• BLOCKADE ALL HARBORS• FORCE A CONVENTIONAL WAR ON THE

AMERICANS

BRITISH SUCCESSES IN 1775-1776

• BUNKER HILL• QUEBEC• LONG ISLAND• FORTS WASHINGTON & LEE• AMERICAN’S ARE NEAR DEFEAT.

Battle of Quebec

Battle Of Long Island

Battle of Ft. Washington

/Lee

COUP AT TRENTON

• DEC 26TH 1776• WASHINGTON CROSSES THE DELAWARE • WINS SURPRISE VICTORY• KEY VICTORY KEEPS HOPE ALIVE.

PRINCETON JAN 3, 1777• ANOTHER SMALL AMERICAN VICTORY• HELPS MORALE

• One week after Trenton, Washington defeated a smaller British force at Princeton

• British forced to pull his outposts back to New York • Trenton and Princeton was a gamble by Washington to

achieve quick victories to revive the disintegrating Continental Army.

SARATOGA OCT 1777

• KEY BATTLE OF THE WAR• BRITISH LAUNCH 3 PRONG ATTACK– HOWE UP THE HUDSON– ST.LEGER FROM LAKE ONTARIO– BURGOYNE DOWN FROM MONTREAL

• BUT HOWE NEVER GETS HIS ORDERS, CAPTURES PHILADELPHIA INSTEAD.

MORE ON SARATOGA

• ST LEGER’S ARMY IS STOPPED BY THE AMERICAN FORCES.• BURGOYNE BELIEVES GEN HOWE IS COMING• AMERICAN GENERAL GATES SURROUNDS BRITISH AT

SARATOGA.• BURGOYNE SURRENDERS SIGNS “THE CONVENTION OF

SARATOGA”

CONSEQUENCES OF SARATOGA

• MAJOR MORALE BOOST• CONVINCES THE FRENCH TO SIGN AN ALLIANCE WITH THE

AMERICANS

FRENCH HELP

• A NAVY• MONEY• TROOPS• MILITARY LEADERSHIP

VALLEY FORGE 1777-78

• LOW POINT OF THE CAUSE• CONTINENTAL ARMY HUNGRY AND FREEZING• LIMITED SUPPLIES NO BOOTS OR WINTER CLOTHES• WASHINGTON HOLDS THE ARMY TOGETHER.

YORKTOWN AUGUST TO OCTOBER 1781

• BRITISH SHIFT ATTACK TO THE SOUTH• GENERAL CORNWALLIS LANDS ON THE YORK JAMES

PENINSULA • FEELS SAFE BECAUSE OF THE BRITISH NAVY• FRENCH NAVY UNDER ADMIRAL DE GRASSE BLOCK THE

BRITISH FLEET

FINAL DEFEAT

• WASHINGTON AND RACHAMBEAU LAY SIEGE TO YORKTOWN

• BRITISH ARE TRAPPED AND CORNWALLIS SURRENDERS AN ARMY OF 8000 MEN.

• BAND PLAYS “THE WORLD IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN”

TREATY OF PARIS 1783

• U.S. REPRESENTATIVES: JOHN ADAMS, BEN FRANKLIN, & JOHN JAY

• TREATY DELAYED UNTIL FRENCH ARE SATISFIED.

• 1783 NEGOTIATIONS COMPLETED.

BRITISH GIVE UP

• LORD NORTH ON HEARING ABOUT YORKTOWN: “OH GOD! ITS ALL OVER!”

• BRITISH STILL HAD 32,000 TROOPS AND CONTROLLED NEW YORK

• BUT BRITISH DECIDE TO CUT THEIR LOSES• WHIG PARTY COMES TO POWER ON PROMISE OF PEACE

TERMS OF THE TREATY

• BRITAIN RECOGNIZES AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE

• PROMISES TO WITHDRAW FROM U.S. SOIL• US. TERRITORY EXTENDS FROM ATLANTIC TO

THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

MORE…

• U.S. GIVEN FISHING RIGHTS OFF THE GRAND BANKS OF CANADA

• SPAIN IS GIVEN FLORIDA, BUT NORTHERN BOUNDARY IS UNCLEAR

• U.S. PROMISES TO COMPENSATE LOYALISTS FOR THEIR LAND.

• U.S. PROMISES TO PAY PRE-WAR DEBTS OWED TO BRITISH MERCHANTS

COST OF THE WAR

• 5% OF ALL FREE WHITE MALES BETWEEN 16 AND 45 DIED IN THE WAR.

• A LARGE FINANCIAL DEBT TO FRANCE

What do you think will be the problems of victory?

• Write down 5 problems the Americans will have after the Revolutionary war..

PROBLEMS OF VICTORY

• HOW TO GOVERN A VAST COUNTRY?• HOW TO RE-START THE ECONOMY?• HOW TO RE-PAY DEBTS?• HOW TO DEAL WITH THE LOYALISTS?• HOW TO PROTECT AMERICAN MERCHANT

SHIPS?

MORE…

• WHAT WILL BE OUR NEW PATTERN OF TRADE?• WHAT WILL BE THE BALANCE OF POWER BETWEEN THE

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND THE STATES?• HOW TO CREATE A MONETARY SYSTEM?• ARE WE ONE LARGE COUNTRY OR 13 SMALL INDEPENDENT

COUNTRIES?

A CONSERVATIVE REVOLUTION

• NO MAJOR BLOOD BATH• GOAL WAS TO PROTECT WHAT WE HAD, NOT

ESTABLISH SOMETHING NEW

QUESTION: WHAT CAUSED THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION?

WAS IT THE VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ENGLISHMEN?

• WRITS OF ASSISTANCE• USE OF ADMIRALTY COURTS• TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION

WAS IT BAD BRITISH LEADERSHIP?

• KING GEORGE III• WEAK POLITICAL LEADERS IN PARLIAMENT

WAS IT MERCANTILISM AND THE CHANGE OF BRITISH POLICY?

• BRITISH CONCERN ABOUT THE NATIONAL DEBT

• THE GREENVILLE PROGRAM• END OF SALUTARY NEGLECT• THE TOWNSEND PROGRAM

WAS IT THE WORK OF AMERICAN RADICALS?

• TOM PAINE• JOHN HANCOCK• PATRICK HENRY• SAM ADAMS• TOM JEFFERSON

WAS IT TIME AND DISTANCE

• AMERICAN COLONIALS LOST PERSONAL CONTACT WITH BRITAIN

• AMERICANS WANTED MORE FREEDOM, WHILE BRITISH WANT TIGHTER CONTROL