American Pageant Chapter 8 APUSH Review

Following Lexington & Concord…

Second Continental Congress

2nd Continental Congress (May 1775) get together in Philly
- Division amongst colonists as to whether or not to declare independence
- Organized the Continental Army with Washington as commander in chief
Bunker Hill (June 1775) British take hill, but colonists hold their own--Builds confidence!
At the same time sought peace by sending Olive Branch Petition to King George lll (July 1775)
- King dismissed the OBP and declared colonies in rebellion

Important: 1775 still no clear consensus for independence

Enlightenment ideas of John Locke and Rousseau strongly influenced the colonists
- Locke said everyone has natural rights and the power of government is derived from popular consent
Thomas Paine's pamphlet “Common Sense" (Jan 1776) argued for independence
- Radical idea at the time
- Called for the creation republic (representative govt.) based on natural rights of the people
- Strongly influenced by the Enlightenment

Thomas Jefferson drafted the formal Declaration of Independence
Goals: Justify independence by listing grievances against King George lll
- Took out the one Jefferson wrote against slavery
To rally support amongst the colonists
To get the assistance from foreign nations
Broad appeal by declaring “unalienable rights" (natural rights) and the power of government rest with the people (popular sovereignty)

Patriots	Loyalists	Neutral/Apathetic
Colonists who fought against the British	Colonists loyal to the British	Most colonists were neutral or apathetic
	Treated as traitors	Didn’t really care
	Property seized, harassed	Loyal to their land and state
	About 80,000 emigrated from the USA

British	Colonies
Great Britain was militarily and economically superior to the colonies	Colonists had the greater familiarity with the land (Use of guerilla warfare)
Considerable loyalist opposition	Resilient military and political leadership (Washington and Valley Forge)
Weak government structure under the Continental Congress (& eventually the Articles of Confederation)	Ideological commitment
	Eventual support from European allies (FRANCE!) (Following Battle of Saratoga)

France hoped to regain its power in North America and Europe
- Remember the bad defeat in the 7 Years War
Other reasons for France to support the colonists:
- End of British mercantile policies means free to trade with colonies
- Caught up in the idealism and Enlightenment ideas
Benjamin Franklin helped negotiate the treaty
Formal alliance (1778) followed the Battle of Saratoga
- Colonists receive money, weapons, naval support, and soldiers

Lexington & Concord (April 1775)
Bunker Hill (June 1775)
Trenton (Dec. 26 1777) Washington crossed Delaware river and captured 1,000 Hessian soldiers
Battle of Saratoga (Oct. 1777) British surrender
- France joins the war on the side of the Americans
Later in war England focused war effort on the South (loyalist and high slave population)
Battle of Yorktown (Oct. 1871) General Cornwallis surrenders to American, French troops
- French blockaded the sea

Ben Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay headed to Paris to negotiate an end to the war
Treaty of Paris (1783)
- England recognized United States independence
- Boundary of the U.s. would extend to the Mississippi river to Great Lakes to Spanish Florida
American Concessions:
- Must respect rights of loyalists
- Debts owed to British creditors would be paid

State constitutions abolished many old European laws and traditions
- No titles of nobility could be granted
Different ideas of what republicanism would mean
Many states eliminated property requirements for voting-(e.g. Pennsylvania)
However the colonial elitee remained and other states restricted political involvement
- Most states did not have full democracy
American Revolution inspired revolutions in France, Haiti, and Latin America

Women played significant roles: maintaining farms & businesses while men away, nurses, cooks, etc.
Impact: Abigail Adams "Remember the Ladies" called for greater rights for women
Ideal of "republican motherhood" which called on women to teach republican values within the family
Native Americans oftentimes fought on the side of the British
- British limited colonial settlement
- (Iroquois Confederation divided over the issue)

African Americans eventually were allowed to fight in the Continental Army
- Royal Governor of Virginia Lord Dunmore promised freedom to any slave who fought for the British
Following the American Revolution gradual emancipation in the northern and middle states
- Pennsylvania Gradual Emancipation Law (1780)
Later on slavery will expand in the south and adjacent western lands
- This will create distinct regional attitudes towards slavery
Slavery will be protected in the constitution