1. Chapter 4: Independence
Section 3: Independence Declared
Pages:

2. Independence Declared
July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted in favor of Independence

3. Independence Declared
Reasons for Independence: (114)
Many colonists favored independence for TWO reasons:
The colonists believed that the British government had violated their rights as British subjects
Some of their fellow colonists had already died defending these rights

4. Reasons for Independence: (114)
Patrick Henry and Thomas Paine emerged as powerful supporters of Independence
Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called Common Sense, which stirred up public support for the Revolution and called for the end of Britain’s rule of the colonies
Common Sense sold 120,000 copies in three months and helped transform a disorganized colonial rebellion into a focused movement for Independence

5. The Declaration of Independence: (115)
The Second Continental Congress appointed a five-person committee to draft the Declaration of Independence
Virginia lawyer and planter, and slaveholder, Thomas Jefferson, became chair of the committee and did most of the actual writing of the Declaration of Independence

7. The Declaration of Independence: (115)
July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence’s immediate purpose was to win support for Independence here and abroad
The Declaration detailed the misdeeds of King George III toward the colonists

9. Reactions to Independence: (116-117)
Declaration of Independence inspired mixed reactions throughout the colonies
Many Patriots rejoiced wildly
Loyalists (Tories): opposed the Declaration of Independence; they based their loyalty to Britain on the long-held belief that to resist the King was to rebel against God
Also, the Loyalists were against Independence because if the colonies won they may lose their wealth

10. Fighting the War: (117)
PROBLEMS for the Colonists:
1.Lack of a powerful central government made the American war effort difficult
2.The Second Continental Congress had no real authority. They could ask the states for help but could not force them to comply

11. Independence Declared
THOSE WHO SERVED: ( )
Patriot forces enjoyed TWO key advantages over the British
The colonists fought on familiar ground
The colonists were motivated by revolutionary zeal

12. CONTINENTALS & REDCOATS: (118)
Most continental soldiers were:
Under 23 years of age
Owned little or no property
Grew up on Farms
Some were drafted and others served as paid replacements for draftees
Some enlisted to receive small cash bonuses and promises of free land after the war
They believed they were fighting for a “glorious cause.”

13. Independence Declared
CONTINENTALS & REDCOATS: (118)
BRITISH SOLDIERS
British soldiers were young men from poor rural backgrounds
British soldiers were highly trained, well-supplied, and accustomed to military discipline

14. AFRICAN AMERICANS & AMERICAN INDIANS: (118-119)
George Washington initially said that black soldiers could not serve in the Continental Army because they feared slaves would revolt if given a gun
In 1775, the Governor of Virginia offered freedom to slaves who would leave their owners to fight in the war on the British side
In Response, the Continental Army began to enlist FREE African Americans

15. AFRICAN AMERICANS & AMERICAN INDIANS: (118-119)
American Indians played an important role in the War
The Native Americans knowledge of the land, made them valuable for both sides

16. AMERICAN INDIANS (con’t)
In the beginning both the British and the Patriots tried to respect the Indians’ neutrality
Soon, however, the urgent need for skilled fighters led both sides to recruit Indian soldiers
Native Americans did fight for the British and the Patriots

17. Patriot women served the revolutionary cause in important ways
Some fought in the war
Some were spies or messengers
Worked as cooks, laundresses, and nurses

18. WOMEN CONTINUED…
Distributed medical supplies, making uniforms, and helping to manufacture bullets
While men at war some women tended to the farms to help keep the colonial economy going
DID THIS FOR PATRIOTS AND THE BRITISH

19. Independence Declared
Deborah Sampson Gannett of Massachusetts, for example, disguised herself as a man and became the “faithful and gallant soldier” Robert Shurtleff.

20. THE END