1. War and transition to a new government for the colonies

2. Early Influences on Government and Economies
Thomas Paine –Author of Common Sense Common Sense was a pamphlet that state in clear, easy to understand terms why the colonies should break free from British rule. “Tis the true interest of America to steer clear of European contentions, which she can never do while by her dependence on Britain …”

3. Adam Smith Author of Wealth of Nations

4. Laissez-faire…hands off the econony
“Smith is critical of government and officialdom, but is no champion of laissez- faire. He believes that the market economy he has described can function and deliver its benefits only when its rules are observed – when property is secure and contracts are honored. The maintenance of justice and the rule of law is therefore vital.”

5. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Continental and British Armies
See handout

6. Battle of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were actually the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. 
They were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay
The battles marked the outbreak of open armed conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and its thirteen colonies in the mainland of British North America.

7. Battle of Yorktown Battle at Yorktown Virginia
Last major battle of the Revolutionary War
Some British officials had hoped that those representing the colonies would remain part of the British empire…but they insisted on Independence when negotiating the Peace Treaty

8. Treaty of Paris
The Revolutionary War ended in 1781 and America’s victory was confirmed by the Treaty of Paris in 1783.
British delegation refused to pose for pix…Benjamin West's painting of the delegations at the Treaty of Paris: John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, and William Temple Franklin. The British delegation refused to pose, and the painting was never completed.

9. What did the Treaty of Paris do?
Formal recognition of the US
Established U.S. boundaries
Specified certain fishing rights
Restored the rights and property of Loyalists
Opened up the Mississippi River to citizens
Provided for evacuation of all British forces.

10. State Constitutions
The colonies would all have State Constitutions that would provide the rule of law for the states…and protect individuals of that state. Constitutionalism- The idea that government should be based on an established set of principles.

11. Virginia Constitution
Adopted the Virginia Declaration of Rights in
June, 1776.
Included a Declaration of Rights for the people
Served as model for other State Constitutions and later the US Bill of Rights

12. Articles of Confederation
See handout

13. Articles of Confederation weaknesses leads to problems
States bickered with one another.
States made agreements with foreign governments, an action prohibited by the Articles of Confederation.
Many states organized their own military forces.
Many states began creating their own currencies.

14. Shays Rebellion
Armed uprising led by famer Daniel Shays that took place in Massachusetts
Shays was a Revolutionary War vet…as were many of those taking part.
Shays and his rebels shut down debtor courts as the State of Massachusetts was aggressive in going after farmers hurt financially during the war.
Lack of a strong national government demonstrated weak nature of Articles of Confederation
Massachusetts militia men did beat down Shays

15. Movement for change
Meetings took place at Mount Vernon and Annapolis to work out some of the issues, primarily trade disputes, between Maryland and Virginia.
The meetings were so successful that by mid-February 1787 Congress had requested that the 13 states send representatives to Philadelphia “for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation…
This meeting in Philadelphia became known as the Constitutional Convention.

16. All but Rhode Island
12 of 13 States sent delegates to Philadelphia, totaling 55 delegates in attendance.
The “Framers” of the constitution included George Washington, James Madison, Edmund Randolph, George Mason, Ben Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton.
Average age was 42 years old

17. Northwest Ordinance
"An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States North West of the River Ohio,"
Adopted by the Confederation Congress on July 13, 1787.
Established a government for the Northwest Territory, outlined the process for admitting a new state to the Union, and guaranteed that newly created states would be equal to the original thirteen states..

18. George Washington
George Washington was unanimously elected president of the convention.

19. A new national government
The framers quickly determined it would be best to establish a new national government that would consist of a supreme Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches.

20. The Virginia Plan 3 Branches
Bicameral legislature with each house representation based either upon the state’s population or how much money it gave in support of the central government.
Gave strong power to the central government including the power to enforce decisions.

21. The New Jersey Plan Smaller state’s response to the Virginia Plan
Called for a Unicameral, one house, government with all states represented equally.
Called for a weak central government that was based upon the state’s determining the fate of the central government.

22. Politics: The Art of Compromise
The Connecticut Compromise- Congress would
be composed of 2 houses. The smaller of the two,
The Senate, where the states would be
represented equally. The larger, The House of
Representatives, would be based upon a state’s
population.
The Three-Fifths Compromise- Southerners
wanted slaves counted in the population, Northerners did
not. They settled on slaves being counted as 3/5 a person.