The American Revolution

Revolution= ChangeAmerican Revolution= Change in American from British rule to self government

Causes of the American Revolution1) British were taxing the colonists to pay for the French and Indian war

2) Colonists had lived under Salutary Neglect, and were unaccustomed to direct rule

3) Events: Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, Lexington and Concord

Declaration of IndependenceIn 1776 a committee led by Thomas Jefferson was created to draft a Declaration of Independence. On July 4th, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was formally adopted by the Second Continental Congress.

The purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to explain and justify why the Americans were seeking their freedom from England.

Declaration of Independence

Reading the Declaration“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government…”

Can you identify the Enlightenment values in this passage?

Reading the Declaration“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government…”

Can you identify the Enlightenment values underlined in this passage?

John Locke’s Natural Rights

Reading the Declaration“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government…”

Can you identify the Enlightenment values underlined in this passage?

John Locke’s Social Contract- people give permission to government to set laws that will take care of them

Reading the Declaration“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government…”

Can you identify the Enlightenment values underlined in this passage?

John Locke’s Consent of the Governed- If a government stops caring for the people then the people can change their government

ImportanceThe Declaration of Independence shared with the world why the Americans wanted independence. The colonists believed their liberties had been violated and that they were justified in breaking their connection with Great Britain. The language of the Declaration even inspired other nations to revolt:-1789 French Revolution-Latin America-Africa-Middle East

Key ideas of government

-people have natural rights, including the rights to “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”

-The government receives their power from the consent of the governed and the power is to be used to protect the people’s natural rights

-When a government fails to protect those rights, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish that government

The Declaration of IndependenceThe Declaration of Independence was primarily written by Thomas Jefferson, who was heavily influenced by John Locke’s theories of Natural Rights and Social Contracts.

The Purpose of the Declaration:-To announce to the world that the colonies were a new, independent nation

-To explain and justify the reasons that the colonies were becoming the United States of America.

The Three Parts of the Declaration-A theory of government

-A list of grievances against the king

-A formal resolution declaring independence

According to this cartoon, what is the basis of lasting freedom, peace and prosperity?

Who originally created this idea?

Laws of nature

John Locke (Natural Rights)

UnityThe Declaration of Independence also helped the Colonies unite together to be stronger in their efforts to overthrow the British government.

What do the segments of the snake represent?

What is the message of this cartoon?“E Pluribus unum”

From many, one

American RevolutionThe Americans fought the revolutionary war in a variety of ways. First, George Washington’s troops were well trained and faced the British in open warfare. However, Washington’s army was backed up by local militias, who often used guerilla warfare.

Battle of SaratogaDespite numerous defeats, the Colonial army continued to Grow. In 1777, as a British force of 8,000 descended from Canada to NYC, the colonial army stopped it. In the forests around Saratoga, the American forces captured the British. This proved to be a turning point of the war.

Saratoga was a turning point of the war

because the American victory convinced the

French to be allies

British SurrenderThe American Revolution lasted from 1775 to 1781 when the British surrendered at Yorktown in Virginia. The peace treaty, the Treaty of Paris, was signed in 1783. It was negotiated by John Adams, John Jay and Benjamin Franklin.

The American boundaries were Canada to the North, Spanish Florida in the South and Mississippi river to the West.

Update your maps!!

American VictoryThe Americans, led by George Washington eventually beat the British. Upon independence, each colony became an independent state. Though each state government created a constitution to establish their own state government, Americans realized they needed a central government.

America’s First GovernmentThe colonists had been practicing with self government, but the tyranny of Britain left Americans distrustful of Strong Government. As such, the American states created a Confederacy, where the states had more power than the federal government. This is a form of Federalism

Federalism- division of power between the states and the federal

government

Articles of ConfederationThe Articles set up a confederation among the 13 states. A Confederation is an alliance of independent states. The states give as much power as they choose to the central government, but the states hold most of the power.

Weaknesses

-The government had no power to levy taxes or set a national currency

-The President had no direct authority

-No national judiciary (court system)

-Congress could only raise an army by requesting troops from the states

Articles of ConfederationThe Articles set up a confederation among the 13 states. A Confederation is an alliance of independent states. The states give as much power as they choose to the central government, but the states hold most of the power.

Achievements

-Conclude the war and negotiated the Treaty of Paris

-Land Ordinance of 1785*

-Northwest Ordinance of 1787*

*the Land and NW ordinances set up the guidelines by which new states could join the nation. Prohibited slavery in the NW territory.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787One notable success of the Articles of Confederation was the passage of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. In order to pay off the Revolutionary War debt portions of the Northwest territory was sold for $1 an acre.

The Northwest Ordinance and the Land ordinance of 1785 set up the process for new states to join the union

Update your maps by SHADING in the

Northwest Territory

The Articles of ConfederationThe Articles of confederation sucked because the Feds were

too weak

The Articles of confederation sucked because the Feds were too weak

The Articles of confederation sucked because the Feds were too weak

The Articles of confederation sucked because the Feds were too weak

Shays RebellionRead the article and answer the questions with complete sentences

Call for reformAmericans began to see the need for a stronger central government:

-Shays’ Rebellion sparked fear of mob rule

-The National government was unable to pay war debt

-No national economy hindered trade

In 1787 the states called a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. They met for “the sole …purpose of amending the Articles of Confederation.”

Review“The Only representatives of the people of these colonies are persons chosen therein by themselves; and that no taxes ever have been, or can be constitutionally imposed on them but by their respective legislatures.”

-Statement by the Stamp Act Congress of 1765

What is a valid conclusion that can be drawn from this quotation?1. The colonial legislatures should be appointed by the English King

with the consent of Parliament2. Only the colonists’ elected representatives should have the power

to levy taxes3. The English King should have the right to tax the colonists4. The colonists should be opposed to all taxation

Review

In the 1780’s many Americans distrusted a strong central government. This was shown by the 1. Lack of debate over the ratification of the US

constitution2. Plan of government set up by the Articles of

Confederation3. Development of a Federal court System4. Constitutional provision for a strong president

Review"We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; . . .”

This quotation is evidence that some of the basic ideas in the Declaration of Independence were

1. Limitations of the principles underlying most European governments of the 1700s

2. Adaptations of the laws of Spanish colonial governments in North America

3. Adoptions of rules used by the Holy Roman Empire4. Reflections of the philosophies of the European Enlightenment

ReviewOne accomplishment of the national government under the Articles of Confederation was the passage of legislation establishing1. A central banking system2. A process for admitting new states to the Union3. The president’s right to put down rebellions4. The ability of Congress to tax the states effectively

ReviewAccording to the Declaration of Independence , the people have the right to alter or abolish a government if that government

1. is a limited monarchy2. violates natural rights3. Becomes involved in entangling alliances4. Favors one religion over another

Constitutional Convention