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By 1776, American colonists were divided into 3 groups

Loyalists wanted to Neutrals were
remain British colonies undecided about
which side to
choose

Patriots supported separation

from Britain (independence)
 Quick Review:
How did we get to this point?
 By 1750, the American colonists
were loyal British citizens with Second
autonomous, self-governing colonial Continental
assemblies and a thriving trade Congress (1775)
Proclamation
connection with England
of 1763 Lexington and
Concord (1775)
The policy of salutary neglect ended as
Britain imposed greater political authority First Continental
over the colonies, raised new taxes to pay Congress (1774)
off war debts, and refused to allow
colonists representation in Parliament Sons of Liberty
formed Intolerable
Acts (1774)
Townshend Paine’s
Acts (1767) Boston Tea Common
Party (1773) Sense (1776)
Stamp Act Boston Declaration of
Turning Point! Massacre
England defeated (1765) Independence (1776)
(1770)
France in the French and Revolutionary War
Indian War (1754-1763) (1775-1783)

             
 The American Revolution was
inspired by the Enlightenment
John Locke—all
Montesquieu—
Rousseau men
believed are born Thomas Paine’s
that
with
separation
natural
citizens haverights
of powers;
& citizensCommon Sense urged
a social
can revolt
checks
contract from
with&their
balances
tyrannical
gov’t gov’ts
colonial independence
By July 1776,
how had colo
nial attitudes
towards Grea
t Britain chan
ged?
 By July 1776, enough Americans Thomas
were “patriots” that members of Jefferson of
the Second Continental Congress Virginia was
formed a 5-man committee to the principal
draft a Declaration of Independence author
All men are born with Citizens can break their
“natural rights” of life, social contract with their
liberty, & property gov’t when their gov’t
becomes tyrannical

It was based on the “enlightened” ideas of John

Locke & explained why the colonists were rebelling
John Locke
 Said people have rights
that are above that of the
good of society.

 They include life,

liberty, and property.
 Governments and
leaders only exist to
protect these rights.
 There is no such thing
as absolute power.
 The state of nature for man
is freedom.
Quick Class Discussion: Based on this word cloud,
hypothesize THREE major themes present in the
Declaration of Independence?
Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776)

Committee to draft the

Declaration: Thomas Jefferson,
Jefferson
Ben Franklin, John Adams, Robert
Livingston, & Roger Sherman
 Examining Excerpts from the
Declaration of Independence:
Read each passage of the
Declaration of Independence.
Working with a partner, summarize
the main idea and write it in your
own words in the chart
Decoding the Declaration of Independence
1. We should explain why we are declaring
independence
2. All people have natural rights
3. Government power comes from the people
4. If a gov’t cannot protect people, then the people
should create a new gov’t that can
5. King George III has abused his power
6. These are the reasons we believe that the king has
abused his powers
7. We have explained to the king why we are unhappy
but he has ignored us and hurt us
8. Because of the king’s abusive actions, we are
declaring our independence as a new nation
 The Declaration of Independence
& Influences from the Enlightenment

Too Late to Apologize Video (3.22)

 America: The Story of Us
American Revolution (3.31)
■ Watch the video from the America: The Story
of Us series and answer these questions:
– What advantages did the American
colonists have over the British?
– What advantages did the British have
over the American colonists?
– Why did the Americans win the
Revolutionary War?
 The Declaration of
Independence was a
formal demand for
separation, but the
Revolutionary War had
already begun in 1775
Lexington & Concord
Formation of a
Continental Army under
George Washington
Americans were
divided among Patriots,
Loyalists, & Neutrals
 Thompson, Hancock,

Independence Hall Read, Dickinson,

Rutledge. McKean
Wilson

Chase &
Morris

Lee &
Adams

Walton

Hopkins

Adams, Sherman, Livingston,

Jefferson, Franklin
 Quick Class Discussion
■ What was the biggest
advantage the American
colonists had during the
Revolutionary War?
■ What was the biggest
advantage that Great
Britain had during the
Revolutionary War?
■ Based on this chart, who
should win the war?
 Revolutionary War
■ When the war began,
the British had a clear
military advantage:
– 400% larger & more
experienced army
– More money
– The world’s most
dominant navy
– Manufacturing to
make war supplies
 Revolutionary War the colonial
Britain under-estimated
commitment to independence
■ But,
To win,
the the English had to find &
American
defeat the
colonists had:Continental Army
– Familiarity with the
environment
– A commitment to win
the war
– Short supply lines to
their soldiers
– A defensive strategy
to outlast the British
 As leader of the
Continental Army,
George Washington
was the symbol of the
American cause
He had to build a
professional army &
coordinate the militias
Encouraged common
citizens & volunteer
soldiers to support the
war even when the
British seemed destined
to win during the early
years of the revolution
 American
Military:
Continental
Army,
Colonial
Militias, &
Civilians
 Differing Military Strategies
General
The Americans TheGeneral
British
Washington Gage
■ Outlast the British ■ Divide & Conquer
– Defend colonial – Use Loyalists, seize
lands & drag out property,
the war encourage slave
– Guerilla tactics revolts
– Make an alliance – Split the Northern
with France & Southern
colonies
As long as Britain did not defeat the
– Blockade ports
Continental Army, England could not win to
prevent trade
 The American
Revolution began at
Lexington & Concord
British victories from
1776-1777 made an
American victory look
impossible
British Seizure & Burning of New York, 1776
 On Christmas Eve 1776,
Washington gave Americans
hope by crossing the
Delaware River & surprising
British troops in Trenton, NJ
 Crossing the Delaware in route to a
surprise attack at Trenton & Princeton, 1776
From the beginning of the war, American
diplomats, led by Benjamin Franklin,
tried to form an alliance with the French
The French gov’t was
willing, but needed to
see that the Americans
had a chance to win
The French agreed
to join the American
cause after the battle
of Saratoga in 1777
 The Battle of Saratoga
was a turning point
because France joined
the Americans as an ally
 The “turning point” of the Revolution:
The Battle of Saratoga, 1777
After Saratoga, French general Lafayette helped
train American troops while the French navy helped
neutralize the British advantage on the high seas
When French
troops arrived
in the spring
1778, the tide
of the war
shifted in
favor of the
Americans

Marquis de Lafayette
 During the winter of 1777-78,
Continental Army troops nearly
starved at Valley Forge, PA but
Washington & Lafayette inspired &
trained the troops to continue the fight
Near Starvation at Valley Forge, PA in 1778
 From 1778-1781, both
sides traded victories,
but the war finally came
to a conclusion at the
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown

By 1781, Washington
trapped the army of
British General Cornwallis
between the Continental
Army & the French navy
General Cornwallis surrendered
The Battle of Yorktown
to Washington in 1781, ending
the American Revolution

Cornwallis’ surrender was the

“day the world turned upside down”
 The Treaty of Paris in 1783
ended the American Revolution
The treaty gave America:
Full independence
All territory east of
Mississippi River,
between Canada
& Florida
The removal of
the British army
from U.S. claims
in America
 North America
North America 1754 North
1763 America 1783
Crash Course #7