Chapter 20 Section 4 Notes

Chapter 20 Section 4 Notes
Events Leading Up to the Declaration of Independence

 April 19, 1775: Battle of Lexington and Concord occurs when Massachusetts’ Governor General Gage is ordered to seize colonists’ military supplies in Concord. Warned by Paul Revere and William Dawes, colonial minutemen engage the British army. 300 British and 100 colonials are killed. A humiliating outcome for the British army.

 May 1775, Second Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia, establishing George Washington as military commander of American Colonial forces. Olive Branch Petition seeking a peaceful negotiation of differences is sent to King George III. It is refused.

 January 1776: Thomas Paine’s booklet, Common Sense, is published and 120,000 copies circulate. It convinces many that it is “time to part” with Great Britain. George Washington even has it read to his troops. Perfect timing to help turn the tide of public opinion towards independence.

 Delegates to Second Continental Congress appoint Thomas Jefferson and four others to draft the Declaration of Independence, founded on ideas of John Locke and other Enlightenment thinkers. It establishes the justification for separation from Britain on the basis of breach of social contract.

 July 4, 1776: Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Congress. It does not have popular majority support from all the colonies. Popular split in the colonies is roughly 1/3 for independence, 1/3 neutral, and 1/3 opposed war. War is now inevitable.

The War of Independence
 Early battles in New York and New Jersey as the British try to divide northern and southern colonies. British have the advantage with well-trained, well-equipped troops; powerful navy; German mercenaries; plenty of war experience.
 American colonists lack adequate weapons and ammunition, clothing, money, food, battle experience, and have no naval power to speak of. They are,however, fighting on their own turf and draw support from their own people. The British must bring in supplies from Britain. American use ambush tactics of guerilla warfare and the British redcoats make excellent targets.
 Turning point of the War comes in October 1777 at Battle of Saratoga, N.Y when British are forced to surrender 6,000 troops to the colonial army. This victory convinced the French to support the revolutionary army with troops and supplies.
 In 1779, Spain declares war on Great Britain. Spain and France send naval forces to attack British in the West Indies and in 1780 the Netherlands join the attack. Britain is now defending itself on several fronts, at home and in America.

 In 1781, George Washington accepts the surrender of the British army and Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. 1783, Britain finally recognizes the American colonies as an independent nation.

The New Government
 1st Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, fails to work. Lacks true federal power and no funding form the States.

 1788: Congress ratifies the United States Constitution, implementing a federal system of government called a republic. This constitution drew on Montesquieu’s idea of the separation of powers between executive, legislative, and judicial branches of gov’t.


 1789: George Washington elected as the first president of the United States of America.

 U.S Congress develops the Bill of Rights as an amendment to the U.S Constitution. Its purpose is to identify and guarantee “natural” human rights and liberties.