1. Ch 2 The coming of independence
5/5/2019

2. Introduction Why it matters?
What problems might a basketball team with five star players have?
**Individual brillance without teamwork does not win championships
You will learn how 13 individual colonies learned to work together
5/5/2019

3. OBJECTIVES:
Explain: how Britain’s colonial policies contributed to the growth of self-government in the colonies
Identify: some of the steps that led to growing feeling of colonial unity
Compare: the outcomes of the First and Second Continental Congress
Analyze: the ideas in the Declaration of Independence
Describe: the drafting of the first State constitutions and summarize the constitutions’ common features
5/5/2019

4. Britain’s Colonial Policies
Who controlled the colonies?
Self-government
What did London provide?
Shift in power
Submit or Revolt
Who controlled the colonies? Separately controlled under the king, largely through the Privy Council and the Board of Trade in London. Parliament took little part in the management. It left matters of colonial administration almost entirely to the crown.
Self-government. Because London was 3000 miles away, which took more than 2 mos. To sail the colonist used self-government.
By the mid-1700’s the govt in london was responsible for colonial defense and foreign affairs. It provided a uniform system of money and credit and a common market for colonial trade. NO direct taxes were taken to pay for the central govt. How can London then protect them? What are other options to pay for protection? (Barter)
Shift in power: 1760 Restrictive trading acts were expanded and enforced. New taxes were imposed (mostly to support the British troops stationed in N. America). The colonist objected claiming this was “Taxation without representation”. What does this statement mean? (Class discussion)
What were the choices of the colonists?
5/5/2019

5. Growing Colonial Unity
Early attempts
New England Confederation
“league of friendship”
The Albany Plan
Congress of delegates
The Stamp Act 1765
Declaration of Rights and Grievances
Boycott/Boston Massacre/Boston Tea Party
In 1643 Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, New Haven, and Connecticut settlements formed the New England Confederation. A confederation is a joining of several groups for a common purpose. The confederation formed a “league of friendship” for defense against who? (the Native Americans). As this threat dissolved (how did it dissolve—disease brought by the colonist wiped out a majority of the Indian population) the confederation lost importance and dissolved in 1684.
The Albany Plan: 1754 The british board called a mtg of 7 of the northern colonies at Albany. The purpose was to discuss the problems of colonial trade/the danger of attacks by the French. Here Benjamin Franklin came up with the Albany Plan of Union.
Plan-proposed the formation of an annual congress of delegates. They would have the power to raise military and naval forces, make war and peace with the Native Americans, regulate trade, tax and collect custom duties. This proposal was turned down. (But was his idea used later? Yes!)
Who can tell me what the Stamp Act is? The law required the use of tax stamps on all legal documents, on certain business agreements, and on newspapers. Again, the colonist were claiming “taxation without representation”
The colonist prepared the declaration of rights and grievances. The first time the colonies had joined to oppose the British govt. British repealed the Stamp Act but put in other policies and laws tying the colonies to London. Mob violence erupted and the colonies supported a boycott of English goods (do boycotts work? What boycott recently took place – immigration no work boycott)
Boston Massacre: Mar british troops fired on a jeering crowd killing 5
Boston Tea Party-Organized resistance continued and was carried on by the committees of Correspondence formed by Samuel Adams. The famous Boston tea party took place on dec 16, a group of men disguised as native americans boarded 3 teaships and dumped the cargo into the boston harbor.
5/5/2019

6. The 1st Continental Congress
Philadelphia
Sept. 5, 1774
Debate
Decl. of Rights
Boycott trade
Full support
Britain passed another set of laws to punish the colonists-the laws (which the colonist called the Intolerable Acts) prompted a mtg of all the colonies called the 1st cont. congress.
They met in PHL 9/5/1774 and debated the worsening situation with Britain. They sent a Decl of Rights protesting Britains colonial practices to King George the III. They refused trade from England until the taxes and trade regulations were repealed. They adjourned Oct. 26th with a call for a 2nd mtg in May. All colonial legislatures gave their full support to the actions of the congress.
5/5/2019

7. The 2nd Continental Congress
Philadelphia
May 10, 1775
“The Shot Heard around the world”
Representatives
Our First National Government
Results of the Congress
On May 10, 1775 in PHL the 2nd cont cong was held. By then the revolution had already started.
All 13 colonies were represented..some newcomers were Benjamin Franklin (PA) and John Hancock (MA). Hancock was chosen pres. Of the congress.
1st thing created was a continental army (George Washington was appointed commander in chief. Thomas Jefferson then took Wash place as delegate for VA.
1st natl govt. Had no constitutional base. Condemned by the British as an unlawful assembly.
Served as govt for the first 5 years from the decl of ind until the art of conf 1781.
Results: fought a war, raised armies, a navy, borrowed funds, bought supplies, created a money system, made treaties with foreign powers,
5/5/2019

8. The Declaration of Independence
“Resolved, that these United colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”
Resolution of June 7, 1776
Congress named a committee of 5 to prepare a proclamation of independence. The decl. was almost wholly the work of Jefferson.
This decl announces the ind. Of the u.s. in its 1st paragraph. Much of the rest of the document speaks of the repeated injuries that led to the revolt.
5/5/2019

9. First State Constitutions
Drafting State Constitutions
Common Features:
Popular Sovereignty
Limited government
Civil Rights and Liberties
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances
The Congress urged the colonies to adopt individual state constitutions as well so througout most of most of the states did so.
Pop Sov-Govt can exist only with the consent of the governed. The people hold power and the ppl are sovereign
Limited Govt-Powers delegated to govt were granted relunctantly and hedged with many restrictions
Civil rts/lib: Sovereign ppl held certain rts and the govt must respect them at all times
Sep of pow/cks and bal: Divided among 3 branches (executive, legislative, judicial) Each branch was given powers with which to check the other branches of the govt.
5/5/2019

10. Close/Re-teach
The Declaration of Independence describes the basic rights on which the nation was founded. The men who signed it made a brave commitment to pursue revolutionary ideals regarding human rights.
Reference pg. in your text to do the following:
List some of the basic rights and ideals outlined by the signers of the Declaration.
These rights and ideals have remained a cornerstone of American Government and society today. Explain.
5/5/2019