The American Revolution and Confederation, 1774-1787

The American Revolution and Confederation, 1774-1787 APUSH

First Continental Congress • All colonies except Georgia met in Sept 1774 in response to the Intolerable Acts • No intentions or desire for independence at this time • Just wanted to protest British taxes and go back to the way things were prior to the French and Indian War • Delegates included: Patrick Henry, John Adams, George Washington, & John Jay

Actions of the First Continental Congress • Created the Suffolk Resolves which called for immediate repeal of the Intolerable Acts, makes military preparations, and boycotts British goods • Issued Declaration of Rights and Grievances to the King and Parliament • Formed “The Association”, urged creation of committees to enforce boycotts • If Britain didn’t make changes, they promised to meet again

Britain’s Response • King George III angrily dismisses the petition of FCC • Declared Massachusetts in a state of rebellion • Sent additional troops to deal with the unruly colonists • Fighting will soon erupt

Lexington and Concord April 18, 1775 • General Gage and his British soldiers go to Concord to seize colonial supplies • Paul Revere and William Dawes warn the militia that the British are on their way • In Lexington, the militia is forced to retreat and the British continue their march to Concord • In Concord, they destroy some colonial military supplies

Lexington and Concord • While returning to Boston, the British soldiers were attacked by militiamen and suffered 250 casualties • Very humiliating for the British • Unclear which side actually fired the first shots

Bunker Hill (Breeds Hill)June 17, 1775 • Actual battle, not a scuffle like Lexington and Concord • Occurred on the outskirts of Boston • British managed to capture the hill from the militia but suffered heavy losses • British had about 1,000 casualties

Second Continental Congress • Met in Philadelphia in May 1775 • Some delegates wanted to declare independence, some still wanted to make peace with Britain • Congress adopted plan to establish an army, led by George Washington • Sent the “Olive Branch Petition” to King George III as a last attempt at peace

Common Sense • King George III rejected the petition and declared the colonies in a state of rebellion • Thomas Paine published his essay, Common Sense which persuaded many colonies to push for independence • He said it went against common sense for a tiny country (England) to rule a large country (America)

Declaration of Independence • Lee Resolution was adopted on July 2, 1776, formally declared independence • Committee was formed to write a statement to support the resolution • Thomas Jefferson drafted the declaration which included a list of grievances against the king and other reasons for revolution • Declaration was adopted on July 4, 1776

Patriots • Most were from New England and Virginia • Continental Army was made up of farmers that would fight for a while then leave to go home and work • Washington only had about 20,000 troops at one time • Short on supplies, poorly equipped, and rarely paid

Patriots • African Americans participated in most of the military actions of the war • 5,000 would fight on the side of the Patriots • Most were freemen from the North • Some fought in units of mixed race, some fought in all African units • Peter Salem was an African recognized for his bravery

Loyalists • Tories: Americans who maintained their support of the King • Tories fought alongside the British and provided food, supplies, and information • About 520,000-780,000 Tories during the war • Most from Georgia, New York, and New Jersey • Most Tories were wealthy government officials or Anglican clergymen

Native Americans • Tried to stay out of the war at first • Attacks by Americans led most Native Americans to side with the British • British promised to limit colonial settlement in the west

Initial American Losses • 1775-1777 went badly for Washington’s troops • By the end of 1777, the British controlled New York and Philadelphia • After losing Philadelphia, Washington and his troops suffer through the winter at Valley Forge (2,000 die from exposure) • Trade was difficult, supplies were scarce, and inflation was rampant • American paper money was considered worthless

Alliance with France • Turning point for Americans was the Battle of Saratoga in Oct 1777 • Diplomatic result was most important • The American win persuaded France to join their side against the British • Marquis de Lafayette and Benjamin Franklin both worked as ambassadors to secure this alliance • French provide money, supplies, and troops

American Victory • British started to concentrate their efforts in the South were there were more Tories • 1781 the last major battle will occur at Yorktown, VA • British General Cornwallis was trapped between Washington and the French navy and forced to surrender

Treaty of Paris 1783 • After Yorktown, the war lost support in England because the toll it was taking on the economy • Treaty stated: • Britain would recognize American independence • Mississippi River would be the west boundary • Americans would have fishing rights off Canada • Americans would pay debts owed to British merchants and return Loyalists property

State Governments • By the end of the war, most colonies had a written constitution • Each constitution had the following: • List of rights and freedoms (basic) • Separation of powers (executive, legislative, judicial) • Voting (property holders) • Office-holding (property holders)

Articles of the ConfederationStructure • Created by John Dickinson and submitted to the states in 1777 for “ratification” • Finally ratified in March 1781 • Created a central government with a unicameral Congress • Each state got one representative • 9 out of 13 states had to agree to pass a law • To amend the articles, all 13 states had to agree

Articles of the ConfederationPowers • Congress could wage war, make treaties, borrow money, and deal with foreign nations • Congress was NOT given the powers of regulating trade, collecting taxes, or enforcing its own laws • There was no president, executive branch, or federal courts

Articles of the ConfederationAccomplishments • The Articles, although weak, accomplished the following: • Winning the war and negotiating a favorable treaty with Great Britain • Land Ordinance of 1785: surveyed western lands and set aside land in each for public education • Northwest Ordinance of 1787: set rules for creating new states in the west

Articles of the ConfederationProblems • Financial: Congress could not tax to raise money • Foreign: Other nations did not repect the US because the national government was weak and it couldn’t pay off debts • Domestic: Shay’s Rebellion highlighted problems of debt and worthless currency. Made national government weaknesses obvious

Social Change • US would not grant titles of nobility • States adopted the policy of separation of Church and State • Women still treated as second class citizens even though they had kept the farms and businesses running during war. Some even fought in battles • Many called for end to slavery but Southern states thought it was essential to their economy

The American Revolution and Confederation, 1774-1787