Chapter+5-Monica+Abresch

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** The American Revolution and Confederation, 1774-1787 ** 1) The First Continental Congress a) The Delegates i) Divers group ii) Views about the crisis ranged from radical to conservative iii) Radical faction · Those demanding the greatest concessions from Britain · Led by: Patrick Henry of Virginia, Samuel Adams and John Adams of Massachusetts iv) Moderates · George Washington of Virginia · John Dickinson of Pennsylvania v) Conservative delegates · Those who favored a mild statement of protest · John Jay of New York · Joseph Galloway of Pennsylvania vi) Unrepresented · Viewpoint of loyal colonists who would not challenge the king’s government in any way b) Actions of the Congress i) Joseph Galloway · Proposed a plan, similar to the Albany Plan of 1754, that would have reordered relations with Parliament and formed a union of the colonies with the British empire · Plan failed to pass by just one vote ii) Following measures were adopted: · Various colonies to resist the Intolerable Acts by making military preparations and applying economic sanctions (boycott) against Great Britain · The Declaration of Rights and Grievances was a petition to the king urging him to redress (make right) colonial grievance and restore colonial rights · Urged the creation of committees in every town to enforce the economic sanctions of the Suffolk Resolves · If colonial rights were not recognized, a final measure called for the meeting of a second congress in May 1775
 * Chapter five Outline **
 * The **** United States **** History: Preparing for the AP Exam **

2) Fighting Begins a) Lexington and Concord i) General Thomas Gage · Commander of British troops in Boston · Sent a large force to seize colonial military supplies in the town of Concord ii) Americans forced to retread under heavy British fire iii) On return march to Boston, long column of British soldiers were attacked by hundreds of militiamen firing at them from behind stone walls iv) British · Suffered 250 casualties · Considerable humiliation at being so badly mauled by “amateur” fighters b) Bunker Hill i) True battle was fought between opposing armies on the outskirts of Boston ii) Colonial militia of Massachusetts farmers fortified Breed’s Hill, next to Bunker Hill, for which the ensuing battle was wrongly named iii) British force attacked the colonists’ position and managed to take the hill

3) The Second Continental Congress a) Military Actions i) Declaration of the Causes and Necessities for Taking Up Arms and called on the colonies to provide troops was adopted ii) George Washington appointed commander-in-chief of a new colonial army iii) A force under Benedict Arnold to raid Quebec in order to draw Canada away from the British empire was authorized b) Peace Efforts i) Adopted a contradictory policy · Waged war while sought a peaceful settlement at the same time ii) Many colonist did not want independence, for they valued their heritage and Britain’s protection iii) Delegated voted to send an “Olive Brand Petition” to King George III · Pledged their loyalty · Asked the kind to intercede with Parliament to secure peace and the protection of colonial rights · Prohibitory Act- declared the colonies in rebellion · Parliament forbade all trade and shipping between England and the colonies c) Thomas Pain’s Argument for Independence i) Pamphlet published that soon would have a profound impact on public opinion and the future course of event ii) The pamphlet · Written by Thomas Paine who was a recent English immigrant to the colonies · Argued in clear and forceful language for the colonies becoming independent states and breaking all political ties wit the British monarchy · Argued that it was contrary to common sense for a large continent to be ruled by a small and distant island · Argued for people to pledge allegiance to a kin whose government was corrupt and whose laws were unreasonable d) The Declaration of Independence i) Congress gradually and somewhat reluctantly began to favor independence rather than reconciliation ii) Richard Henry Lee of Virginia · Introduced a resolution declaring the colonies to be independent iii) Five delegates formed a committee to write a statement in support of Lee’s resolution · Listed specific grievance against George III’s government · Expressed the basic principles that justified revolution iv) Congress adopted Lee’s resolution calling for independence on July 2 v) Declaration of Independence adopted on July 4, 1776

4) The War a) Patriots i) Largest number from New England states and Virginia ii) Most soldiers reluctant to travel outside their own region iii) Serve in local militia units for short period, leave to work their farms, and then return to duty iv) Africa Americans · British promised freedom to slaves who joined their side, so Washington and the congress quickly made the same offer · Took part in most of the military actions of the war · Recognized for their bravery b) Loyalists i) Tories · Maintained their allegiance to the king · While Benjamin Franklin was a leading patriot, his son William Franklin join the Tories and served during the war as the last royal governor of new Jersey · Majority tended to be wealthier and more conservative than the Patriots ii) Native Americans · Attacks by Americans moved many Native Americans to support the British · British promised to limit colonial settlements in the west c) Initial American Losses and Hardships i) Washington’s army was poorly trained and equipped ii) Economic troubles added to the Patriots’ bleak prospects iii) British occupation of American ports resulted in a 95 percent decline in trade iv) Goods were scarce and inflation was rampant v) Paper money became almost worthless d) Alliance With France i) News of the surprising American victory persuaded France to join in war against Britain ii) French king believed he could weaken his country’s traditional foe, Great Britain, by helping to undermine its colonial empire iii) Secretly extended aid to the American revolutionaries, giving money and supplies e) Victory i) Yorktown · Washington’s army forced the surrender of a large British army ii) Treaty of Paris · War had become increasingly unpopular in England · Provided that Britain would recognize the existence of the united States as an independent nation · Provided that the Mississippi River would be the western boundary of that nation · Provided that Americans would have fishing rights off the coast of Canada · Provided that Americans would pay debts owed to British merchants and honor Loyalist claims for property confiscated during the war

5) Organization of New Governments a) State Governments i) List of rights · Each state constitution began with a “bill” or “declaration” listing the basic rights and freedoms ii) Separation of powers · Legislative powers to an elected two-house legislature · Executive powers to an elected governor · Judicial powers to a system of courts · Principal of separation of powers was intended to be a safeguard against tyranny iii) Voting · Extended to all white males who owned some property iv) Office-holding · Held to a higher property qualification than the voters b) The Articles of Confederation i) Ratification · Delayed by a dispute over the vast stretches of wilderness extending westward beyond Alleghenies ii) Structure of government · Established a central government that consisted of just one body, a congress · Each state was given one vote · At least nine votes out of 13 required to pass important laws iii) Powers · Gave the congress the power to wage war, make treaties, send diplomatic representatives and borrow money iv) Accomplishments · Winning the war- U.S. government could claim some credit for the ultimate victory of Washington’s army · Land Ordinance of 1785- policy for surveying and selling the western land established · Northwest ordinance of 1787- congress passed an ordinance (law) that set the rules for creating new states v) Problems with the articles · 13 states intended central government to be weak and it was · Financial - Most war debts unpaid - Worthless paper money issued · Foreign - Little respect for new nation from European nations - Britain and Spain threatened to take advantage of U.S. weakness · Domestic - Uprising against high state taxes, imprisonment for debt, and lack of paper money - Rebel farmers stopped the collection of taxes and forced the closing of debtors

6) Social Change a) Abolition of Aristocratic Titles i) State constitution and laws abolished old institutions ii) Weakened by the confiscation of large estates owned by Loyalists b) Separation of Church and State i) Most states adopted the principle of separation of church and state ii) Refused to give financial support to any religious group c) Women i) Patriots and Loyalists depended on the active support of women ii) Followed their men into the armed camps and worked as cooks and nurses iii) Actually fought in battle iv) Maintained the colonial economy v) Ran the family farms and businesses vi) Provide much of the food and clothing necessary for the war effort vii) Remained in a second-class status d) Slavery i) Contradicted the spirit of the Revolution and the idea that “all men are created equal” ii) Continental Congress voted to abolish the importation of slaves iii) Most northern states ended slavery, while south kept slaves