Chapter 4: The American Revolution

Right of Revolution

The belief that people have the right to revolt if the government is tyrannical

Statement by Thomas Jefferson and inspired oppressed people all over the world for over 200 years

Actual Representation

The belief that people in a region should be represented by someone who can be held accountable there

Convention

A meeting of people

Nationalism

A strong pride and devotion to one's country

• Nationalism was a result from independence

• Arose from: common sacrifices, war caused many people to move from place to place, practical problems in wake of war that demanded common solutions brought them together

• Economic developments had unifying effect

Battle of Lexington and Concord 1775

British troops marched to Concord to retrieve hidden guns and ammo, but was pushed back by the colonists

START of the American Revolution

Battle of Bunker Hill 1775

The British scaled Breed's Hill where the colonists were raining down on them and pushed back the colonists, but lost a lot more men

Declaration of Causes and Necessity for Taking Up Arms

A declaration by Jefferson explaining why the colonists revolted

-In response to Battle of Bunker Hill

-Justifying the American people and to the world the necessity for armed Resistance

Common Sense 1776

Written by Thomas Paine

Famous pamphlet that argued for revolution

Declaration of Independence July 4. 1776

Announced and justified the American separation from Britain and the creation of a new country

Battle of Long Island 1776

Howe defeated Washington’s Army but Howe hesitated and Washington escaped

-Washington attacked Hessian troops at Trenton, New Jersey, on Christmas day and scored a morale boosting victory  

• Captured 900 Hessians

Battle of Saratoga 1777

The Americans blocked the British from grouping up and defeating them, raising moral and getting French support

• October 17, 1777: Burgoyne and 5,700 British troops surrendered at Saratoga

• This led to an alliance with France and Spain since they all hated the British and wanted their piece (they heard news about the victory in saratoga)

Battle of Yorktown 1781

The American and French forces besieged the British base at Yorktown and forced them out, winning the war

ENDED revolution

Peace of Paris (1783)

Negotiations between Britain, France, Spain, and the US where the US was declared an official country

ENDED american revolution and formally reorganized the United States as an independent nation

Articles of Confederation 1777

The first national constitution of the United States

limitations : gave the federal government no power to raise an army, no executive or judicial branch, gave each state one vote regardless of the state's population

Land Ordinance (1785)

To establish a system for surveying and selling land in the western territories north of Kentucky, between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River

• provided a mechanism for the federal government to generate revenue from land sales, which was crucial under the Articles of Confederation, where the government lacked the power to levy direct taxes. 

Northwest Ordinance (1787)

• Established governments in the west by having population requirements for becoming a state and governing the Northwest Territory and protecting civil liberties of settlers

• a precedent for future westward expansion and the orderly admission of new states into the Union.

• passed by Continental Congress

Second Continental Congress 1775

Elected George Washington as Commander-in-chief of the army and adopted the Declaration of Independence

• May 10, 1775: met in Philadelphia

• Group more radical than the first

• John Hancock: Voted president of Congress

• Organized forces around Boston into Continental Army and appointed George Washington commander

George Washington

Commander-in-chief of the revolutionary army and first president

• Commander of Continental Army

• National hero

• In battle of Battle of Long Island (Howe vs Washington), Saratoga (Burgoyne vs Washington), Yorktown (Washington vs Cornwallis/Clinton)

William Howe

General for the British army, replaced General Gage

Hessians

German soldiers (said to be VERY powerful) who were sided with the British during the American Revolution

Thomas Paine

Wrote Common Sense 1776

Thomas Jefferson

Drafted the Declaration of Independence

• Wrote Declaration of Causes and Necessity for Taking up Arms

• Part of the Second Continental Congress

George III

King of England during the Revolution

Loyalists (Tories)

About 1/5 of the American population who remained loyal to the British, but lacked organization and impact

John Burgoyne

British general who recaptured Fort Ticonderoga and lost at Saratoga

Horatio Gates

American general who won the Battle of Saratoga

Replaced by Nathaniel Green after he was in charge of the southern army

Nathanael Greene

American general in charge of the Southern army, best known for his guerilla tactics

Charles Cornwallis

• British General during American Revolution 

• Surrendered at Yorktown 

• Surrender was important because this led to peace negotiations with GB and America

Benedict Arnold

American military officer who ends up betraying the Americans after going with the British to fight against the Americans

Noah Webster

American writer known for writing Webster's dictionary