The First Continental Congress and the Beginning of the American Revolution
First Continental Congress:
Held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in September 1774.
Delegates from the colonies demanded the repeal of the Intolerable Acts.
Sought the same rights as other English citizens, including no taxation without consent.
British Response:
Sent 3000 soldiers to occupy Boston.
Naval blockade to prevent ships from entering or leaving Boston Harbor.
Lexington and Concord (April 1775):
British General Thomas Gage aimed to destroy colonial weapons and supplies in Concord, Massachusetts.
Paul Revere and William Dawes alerted the Minutemen (colonial soldiers ready to fight).
At Lexington, shots were fired, resulting in 17 colonists killed or wounded and one British soldier wounded.
This event was described as "the shot heard 'round the world" by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
British Retreat to Boston:
Patriots attacked the retreating British soldiers, causing over 250 casualties.
The British were trapped in Boston, surrounded by armed colonists.
Battle of Breed's Hill:
Patriots built a fort on Breed's Hill and fired cannons at the British.
The British captured the fort after the Patriots ran out of gunpowder.
The Patriots inflicted heavy casualties on the British, demonstrating their fighting ability.
Benjamin Franklin's Anecdote
Franklin shared a story about an apprentice hatter to illustrate the dangers of public bodies reviewing and amending documents.
The hatter's signboard inscription was progressively reduced from "John Thompson, Hatter, makes and sells hats for ready money" to simply "John Thompson" with a hat image, due to friends' suggestions.
Franklin's message: He preferred not to draft papers for public review because they would inevitably be altered and potentially weakened.
The Second Continental Congress and the Declaration of Independence
Second Continental Congress:
Began in May 1775 in Philadelphia (Independence Hall).
Established the Continental Army, led by George Washington.
British soldiers retreated from Boston in March 1776.
Thomas Paine's "Common Sense": A pamphlet advocating separation from Britain, which significantly boosted support for independence.
Inspiration from the Magna Carta (1215):
The Magna Carta established rights such as representative government, trial by jury, and due process.
Colonists felt deprived of these rights and sought to reclaim them through independence.
Declaration of Independence:
The Second Continental Congress decided the 13 colonies should be self-governing.
Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence.
Approved on July 4, 1776, marking the birth of the United States.
Key principles from the Declaration of Independence:
All men are created equal.
Endowed with unalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Governments derive power from the consent of the governed.
The people have the right to alter or abolish a destructive government and institute a new one.
The Revolutionary War
Loyalists: Approximately 20% of Americans favored British rule.
Advantages and Disadvantages:
The British outnumbered the American forces.
Americans fought on familiar ground.
Britain struggled to sustain and supply its military over a long distance.
French Alliance (1778): France joined the war on the American side, providing money, arms, and naval support.
British Surrender at Yorktown (October 1781): Marked the last major battle of the war.
Treaty of Paris (September 1783):
Granted independence to the United States.
Expanded the new country's territory.
Key Battles of the American Revolution:
Lexington-Concord (April 19, 1775), American Commander: Capt. John Parker
Bunker (Breed's) Hill (June 17, 1775), American Commanders: Gen. Israel Putnam, Col. William Prescott
Quebec (Dec. 31, 1775), American Commander: Gen. Richard Montgomery
Long Island (Aug. 27, 1776), American Commander: Gen. George Washington
White Plains (Oct. 26, 1776), American Commander: Gen. George Washington
Trenton (Dec. 26, 1776), American Commander: Gen. George Washington
Brandywine (Sept. 11, 1777), American Commander: Gen. George Washington
Saratoga (Freeman's Farm) (Sept. 19, 1777), American Commander: Gen. Horatio Gates
Germantown (Oct. 4, 1777), American Commander: Gen. George Washington
Saratoga (Oct. 7, 1777), American Commander: Gen. Horatio Gates
White Marsh (Dec. 5, 1777), American Commander: Gen. George Washington
Monmouth Courthouse (June 8, 1778), American Commander: Gen. George Washington
Siege of Savannah (Sept. 16, 1779), American Commander: Gen. Benjamin Lincoln
Siege of Charleston (Mar. 29, 1780), American Commander: Gen. Benjamin Lincoln
Siege of Yorktown (Sept. 28, 1781), American Commanders: Gen. George Washington, Gen. Rochambeau
From the Articles of Confederation to the U.S. Constitution
Articles of Confederation:
The first government operated under this document.
Limited central government power due to states' desire for autonomy.
Problems included regulating trade and national defense.
U.S. Constitution (1787):
Created to correct the problems of the Articles of Confederation.
Established a federal system with central and state governments.
The central government is divided into executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
The central government has power over national functions, such as defense and trade regulation.
State governments have authority over functions not assigned to the central government.
Comparison of the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution:
Articles of Confederation:
States represented in Congress by no less than two, nor more than seven members.
Each state maintained its own delegates.
Each state had one vote in Congress.
U.S. Constitution:
Legislative powers vested in a Congress consisting of a Senate and House of Representatives.
Representatives and direct taxes apportioned among states according to their numbers.
The Senate composed of two Senators from each state, chosen by the Legislature thereof for six years; each Senator has one vote.
Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists:
Federalists: Favored a strong central government with control over the states.
Anti-Federalists: Believed in more freedom for the states and feared a strong central government.
Anti-Federalists' Objections to the Constitution:
Opposed the strong central government.
Believed it threatened state power and individual rights.
Demanded a Bill of Rights.
Feared it favored the wealthy.
Compromises and the Bill of Rights:
Compromises were made to address the concerns of both groups.
The Bill of Rights (the first 10 amendments) was added to guarantee individual rights.
Preamble to the U.S. Constitution: The words "We the people…" indicate that the power of the government comes from the people.
The War of 1812
Louisiana Purchase (1803):
Under President Thomas Jefferson, the United States purchased a large area of land from France.
Doubled the size of the United States.
Neutrality and Trade:
Presidents Jefferson and Madison sought to maintain neutrality in the conflict between Britain and France.
The United States wanted to continue trade with both countries.
Causes of the War of 1812:
British naval vessels stopped American merchant ships.
American sailors were forced to serve in the British navy.
Americans believed the British were supplying weapons to Native Americans.
Key Events:
Congress declared war on Britain in June 1812.
The British navy blockaded U.S. ships.
Washington, D.C., was attacked and burned by the British in August 1814, including the White House.
Treaty of Ghent:
Signed to end the conflict.
Did not award territory to either country.
Restored pre-war boundaries.
Effects of the War:
British blockades led to shortages, prompting Americans to manufacture their own goods.
Increased American nationalism and economic prosperity.
The Monroe Doctrine
Context: President James Monroe was concerned about potential European invasions in the Americas after the War of 1812.
Monroe Doctrine (1823):
The United States would resist any European efforts to establish new colonies or attack countries in the Americas.
The United States would remain neutral in European conflicts as long as European countries did not interfere in the Americas.
Significance: The Monroe Doctrine positioned the United States as a player in worldwide politics.
Core Principle: The American continents were "not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers."
U.S. Policy Regarding Europe: Not to interfere in the internal concerns of any of its powers; to consider the government de facto as the legitimate government; cultivate friendly relations with it, and preserve those relations by a frank, firm, and manly policy, meeting in all instances the just claims of every power, submitting to injuries from none.
U.S. Policy Toward Native Americans
Andrew Jackson's Actions:
Defeated Creek Native Americans, forcing them to cede 22 million acres in Georgia and Alabama.
Invaded Spanish Florida to fight the Seminoles, acquiring more land.
Negotiated treaties, acquiring Native American land in the Southeast for land in the West.
Cherokee Nation and the Supreme Court:
The Cherokee appealed to the Supreme Court to protect their land.
In 1831, the Court ruled that the tribe had the right to their own government and was not subject to Georgia laws.
The state refused to follow the ruling, and President Jackson did not enforce it.
Indian Removal Act:
Authorized the forcible removal of Native Americans east of the Mississippi River to a new "Indian territory" in the West.
Seminole Resistance:
The Seminoles refused to leave their land, leading to three wars against them by the U.S. Army.
The remaining Seminoles were eventually paid to move to the West.
Trail of Tears:
A minority faction of the Cherokee agreed to a removal treaty.
When the majority had not moved by the treaty deadline, the U.S. government forcibly expelled 16,000 Cherokee.
4000 Cherokee died along the journey due to hunger, cold, and disease.
Impact of Jackson's Policy:
46,000 Native Americans were expelled from their lands.
Added 25 million acres of land for settlers.
Manifest Destiny
Context:
In 1845, the United States annexed the Texas Republic.
This reignited efforts to expand the United States further.
Belief in Manifest Destiny:
Many believed that the United States had a "manifest destiny" to occupy the entire North American continent, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
Expansion After the Mexican-American War (1846-1848):
The United States gained huge new territories in the West after defeating Mexico.
The area of the United States increased by more than 60%.
Westward Migration:
Large numbers of people migrated westward.
New territories and states were organized west of the Mississippi River.
California Gold Rush (1849):
Gold was discovered in California, attracting thousands of Americans.
California became a state in 1850.
Civil War and Reconstruction
Sectionalism:
Economic, cultural, and political differences between regions led to conflicting policies and demands.
The North's economy was based on industry and trade, while the South's economy was based on agriculture and slave labor.
Economic Differences:
Northerners supported high tariffs to protect manufacturing.
Southerners opposed high tariffs and favored policies protecting slavery and agricultural exports.
The Issue of Slavery:
The expansion of slavery into new territories was a major point of contention.
"States' rights" proponents believed each state should decide on slavery.
Abolitionists believed slavery was wrong and should be banned everywhere.
Dred Scott Decision (1857):
The Supreme Court ruled that slaves were property and had no legal rights.
The southern states supported the Dred Scott decision, while the northern states did not.
Election of Abraham Lincoln (1860):
Lincoln opposed the expansion of slavery.
Southern states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America, electing Jefferson Davis as president.
Civil War (1861-1865):
The Confederacy initiated the war by firing on Fort Sumter in April 1861.
The North had advantages in industry, finance, resources, and transportation.
The war resulted in over 600,000 deaths.
Emancipation Proclamation (1862):
Lincoln declared all slaves in Confederate states free.
180,000 former slaves joined the Union army.
End of the War:
Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union Commander Ulysses S. Grant in April 1865.
Reconstruction:
Lincoln's Reconstruction plan aimed to reunite the country.
Andrew Johnson became president after Lincoln's assassination.
The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in December 1865.
Radical Republicans vs. President Johnson:
Radical Republicans in Congress favored harsher treatment of the South and protection of African American rights.
Johnson's Reconstruction policy was considered too lenient.
Southern legislatures enacted Black Codes restricting African American rights.
Radical Reconstruction:
The Freedman's Bureau was supported by radicals to help freed slaves.
The Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to former slaves.
The Fifteenth Amendment outlawed restrictions on voting based on race.
The United States Becomes a Major Industrial Nation
First Industrial Revolution (began in 1793):
Key Invented the cotton gin: Processed as much cotton in one day as 1000 slaves could, and it increased tenfold the profits of southern planters.
Steamboat: The upriver travel this enabled drove the New England textile industry.
National Transportation System:
Included canals, paved roads, and the transcontinental railroad (completed in 1869).
Linked agricultural and industrial regions to expand markets for goods.
The railway boom enabled the cattle boom of the 1870s, transporting cattle to Chicago slaughterhouses.
Factory Working Conditions (Pre-Civil War):
Low wages, 60- to 85-hour workweeks, and unsafe conditions.
Constant immigration allowed easy replacement of dissatisfied workers.
Exposure to industrial pollution and dangerous machinery.
Second Industrial Revolution (Post-Civil War):
Instant long-distance communication (telegraph, telephone).
Typewriter for perfect printed letters.
Electric lightbulb for cheap, steady lamplight, revolutionizing work and leisure.
Bessemer Process:
Enabled cheap conversion of iron ore into steel.
Led to a surge in steel production.
Cities built skyscrapers, suspension bridges, and elevated train lines.
Rise of Reform and Labor Unions:
Progressive Party and labor unions helped workers enjoy profits from their labor.