American Revolution Final Exam

Edward Rutledge

-American politician and youngest signer of the US declaration of independence -Another major supporter of Lee's Resolution -Later served as Governor of South Carolina -Worked to have African Americans expelled from the Continental Army

Prince Hall, Richard Allen, and Daniel Coker

-Free blacks and abolitionists -Hall considered to be the founder of black "freemasonry"

Pennsylvania State Constitution

-Most liberal of all the state constitutions -Bills had to be passed twice so that the people had a chance to review them -Popular form of government with unicameral directly elected by the people -No property requirement to vote -Had a "Council of Censors" would be elected every 7 years to evaluate all aspects of government action -Significance-state constitutions very important in the eyes of the people

William Pitt

-PM of GB after Grenvill from 1766-1768 -Opposed the completely uncompromising policy towards the American colonies-and likely for this reason replaced Grenville whose policies had worsened the crisis -Supported the colonial position but was still unable to stop the war -Passed the Declaratory Act upon repealing the Stamp Act as well as passing the Townshend duties which led to problems in the colonies despite his belief that these indirect taxes would not have the same effect as the Stamp Act had

The Dominion of New England

-Second attempt at unity within the colonies in 1686 -Included all of New England Colonies as well as NY and NJ into one colony to be ruled by one governor and an appointed council -The royal governor Edmund Andros attempted to suppress the Puritan religion and resulted in a revolt and the dominion fell apart

Loyalists

-Term for those who remained loyal to Great Britain during the Revolutionary War -Some were loyalists because they actually supported the crown while others just opposed violence and independence -Tories were another term for loyalists

3 Main Controversies in Debate over the Articles of Confederation

1. Question of Representation -Should voting be based on population or should it be one state one vote 2. Taxation -Extended debate about whether the common expenses of war should be divided up among the states on the basis of total population including slaves or on the basis of free population only 3. Western Territories -Big division in the debate between large landed states with extensive western land and other small landless states -Small states saw the Confederation Congress as a successor to the Crown's property rights in the west-wanted to take over this western territory and convert them into common stock to decrease national war debt

Albany Congress

-1754 alliance created due to the threat on the colonies from the French and Native Americans in the year before the start of the French and Indian War -Followed skirmishes on the Pennsylvania frontier between French forces and American colonial forces led by George Washington -Eventually the Seven Years War broke out after Washington was forced to surrender -Because of these tensions colonists pushed for a meeting in Albany which included most of New England, NY, Pennsylvania and Maryland -Congress discussed the possibility of pooling resources for defense -The memorandum "Short Hints" was published by the Albany Congress which suggested what a proposed union might look like -Eventually the Albany Plan of Union was created by Benjamin Franklin using the proposal from Short Hints -Most importantly it showed colonists investigating the idea of a union of colonies

Thoughts on Government

-1776 influential pamphlet written by John Adams -Originally was a sketch of what he thought a model constitution should look like -Adams intended it to be a response to the final section of Thomas Paine's Common Sense in which Paine recommended a unicameral assembly with no executive -Adams pushed back against this and advocated for a separation of powers and preferred a bicameral legislature in each state, both houses of which would elect a governor with veto power -Most state constitutions ended up being fairly consistent with Adams' ideas -Preserved some features of the Anglo-American government such as the bicameral legislature (resembled Parliament's House of Commons and House of Lords)

Sullivan Campaign

-1779 extended military campaign during the war against the Loyalists and four Native American nations of Iroquois who had sided with the British -Campaign was ordered and organized by GW -Campaign was conducted chiefly in the lands of the Iroquois Confederacy and the goal was to break their morale by destroying their lands -Largely was successful-destroyed over 40 Iroquois villages -Caused many Native Americans to relocate to Canada to seek protection from the British

John Locke

-17th Century English Political Philosopher whose writings significantly effected the development of the US -Known as the "father of liberalism" -Argued that people had natural rights -Part of the enlightenment movement -Two Treatises on Government had a major impact on the American Declaration of Independence (particularly the line "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) -Major influence on the early writers of the Declaration of Independence & Constitution such as Madison and Jefferson

George Washington

-1st President of the US and Commander of the Continental Army during the Revolution -Served in the military during the French & Indian War and became commander of the Virginia regiment -Led opposition to the Stamp act and took a leading role in protests against the Townshend acts -Attended the first Virginia Convention and was elected the Virginia delegate to the First continental congress -Ultimately unanimously appointed commander-in-chief of colonial forces during the war and his military brilliance played a leading role in the colonial victory

Royal Proclamation of 1763

-Act issues by King George that restricted American colonial expansion westward after the end of the French & Indian War -Set a line between the French territories of Quebec and the American colonies -Also attempted to limit fighting between the colonists and the Native Americans -This angered some colonists but was not a major source of tension-though it did make some colonists feel as though their ability for self-determination was limited by the crown

Stamp Act

-Act of Parliament in 1765 which imposed a "direct tax" on the colonies of America -Act required that many printed materials in the colonies be produced only on stamped paper produced in London -Included legal documents, magazines, newspapers, etc. -Stamp Act was part of Parliament's attempt to pay for the costly French and Indian war -Created a crisis in American colonies because Americans considered this to be a violation of their rights as Englishmen--being taxed without their consent because they had no actual representation within the British Parliament -Caused the Stamp Act Congress to be convened in New York City which was the first extralegal joint colonial response to any British measure -Initiated widespread dissent across the colonies and was one of the things that led to the creation of the Sons of Liberty and the escalation of the early revolutionary movement

Northwest Ordinance

-Act of the congress of the Confederation of the US that was passed in 1787 -Ordinance created the "Northwest Territory" which was the first organized territory of the United States -Response to multiple pressures: 1. Westward expansion of American settlers 2. Tense diplomatic relations with Great Britain and Spain 3. Violent Confrontations with Indians 4. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation 5. Empty treasury of the American Government -Established the precedent through which the Federal government would be sovereign and expand westward with the admission of new states -Rather than with the expansion of existing states -Also set a precedent with regard to American public domain lands

Tea Act

-Act passed by Parliament led by Lord North in 1773 which had the goal of reducing the surplus of tea held by the British East India Company -Another goal of the act was to undercut the price of illegal tea which was being smuggled into the colonies -Tea Act actually cut the tax on tea but also granted the East India Company the right to directly ship its tea to North America and the duty-free export of tea from Britain -Act had the goal of convincing the colonists to purchase the company's tea on which the Townshend duties were paid to increase revenue-but was seen as implicitly accepting Parliament's right of taxation -Resulted in massive protest to British rule that ended in the Boston Tea Party where the colonists destroyed the tea cargo of ships in the port of Boston

Virginia Resolves

-Act passed by the Virginia house in 1765 which was led by Patrick Henry who was a great orator and opponent to British taxation -Resolves stated: 1. Colonists that had come to Virginia with equal rights to all British subjects still retained those rights in Virginia 2. Virginia alone had the right to directly tax Virginians 3. Only those who would be affected by taxes had right to pass them -Resolves were widely circulated in the colonies and had a major impact because they helped build a case against the Parliament and why they had no right to tax colonists

Coercive/Intolerable Acts

-Acts passed by the British Parliament led by Lord North in 1774 to punish the colonists in MA for the Boston Tea Party -Result of these acts was to vastly increase the amount of resentment felt towards the British rulers and was important because it unified the colonies against the British rule -Acts included the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice act, and the Quartering Act -Colonists saw these acts as a violation of their constitutional and natural rights-prompted sympathy for Massachusetts and resulted in the formation of the First Continental Congress following a second Massachusetts Circular letter in 1774

Olive Branch Petition

-Adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1775 -Written by John Dickinson who led Congress to believe that they should still try to reconcile with King George III -Opposition was led by John Adams who believed war to be inevitable -Petition affirmed American loyalty to GB and asked the King to prevent further conflict -Petition was rejected and was followed by the Battle of Bunker hill & the King declared the colonies to be in a state of Rebellion -King George Passed the Conciliatory Proposal followed by the Prohibitory Act

William Penn

-Affluent and influential Quaker who founded the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a Quaker colony after persecution in MA -Penn was given land from King Charles II in the late 17th Century in order to repay his debts to Penn's father -Influential because of the role the Quakers had in the colonies from an early point through the lead up to the American Revolution

Articles of Confederation

-Agreement among the original 13 states that served as the first constitution for the US -Drafting by a committee appointed by the Second Continental Congress which began on July 12 1776 -Approved version was sent to the states for ratification in late 1777 -Wasn't formally ratified until early 1781 -Did not bond the people together in anything other than a loos league that had no power to enforce its will -Created in a sense a "firm league of friendship" for the common defense -Each state regardless of size had 1 vote -Delegated only minimal powers to the new central government -States were not to keep navies or armies during peacetime unless Congress deemed it necessary for defense -Central Government not: 1. Tax 2. Overrule local laws 3. Alter a state constitution 4. Interfere with state judicial proceedings -Articles did allow the central government to: 1. Regulate foreign affairs 2. Declare war with foreign countries or negotiate peace treaties 3. Manage Indian affairs 4. Borrow Money -In the context of the time the Articles made perfect sense because they denied to the government the powers and violations that the British had exercised-thus it was designed so that the new central government could not infringe upon the states

The Great Compromise/Connecticut Compromise

-Agreement reached between large and small states at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that defined the legislative structure for the US -Proposed by Roger Sherman -Bicameral legislature where lower house was based on proportional population and the upper house would be weighted equally between the states with two representatives from each state in the upper house

Williams Dawes

-Along with Paul Revere was one of several colonists who warned the colonial minutemen of the approach of the British army prior to the Battles of Lexington and Concord -Rode from Boston to Lexington on April 18th 1775 to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams that they were in danger of arrest -Less remembered due to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "Paul Revere's Ride" which focused entirely on Revere

Joseph Galloway & Pennsylvania Plan of Union

-Alternate plan to the Suffolk Resolves introduced in 1774 at the First Continental Congress -Galloway felt that SR were essentially a declaration of war against GB so he proposed a less radical course of action -Argued for the formation of a separate American legislature called the Grand Council that would be elected by colonial assemblies and would regulate matters that affected the colonies as a whole -Grand Council would be able to veto parliamentary legislation but would still be inferior to parliament itself -Parliament would still be able to pass legislation relevant to the colonies but only with their consent -Ultimately this plan failed which resulted in passage of the Suffolk Resolves

James Madison

-American Statesman and 4th President of the US -Known as the "Father of the Constitution" because of his significant role drafting and promoting the US constitution and the Bill of Rights -Served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and collaborated with Alexander Hamilton to write the Federalist Papers which were among the most important treatises in support of the constitution

Ezra Stiles

-American academic and educator, congregationalist minister, theologian, and author who also served as the 7th President of Yale -Gave sermons criticizing the British Acts -When the British invaded New Haven in 1779-there was a volunteer company of around 70 Yale students who formed to fight against the British and were led by James Hillhouse -Also promoted the Yale non-importation attempts to stop importing certain goods such as wine that were produced by Britain

Samuel Thompson

-American insurgent who sparked a crisis in 1775 known as Thompson's war -Elected commander of the Brunswick militia in 1774 and was the leader of the local enforcement committee for the Continental Association created by the first Continental Congress -Thompson's militia captured the ship called the "Canceaux" after the battles of Lexington and Concord -Militia vented frustration by looting homes in the area -Responsible for enforcing the importation ban -The confrontation resulted in retaliation by loyalists/British which resulted in the Burning of Falmouth

James Hillhouse

-American lawyer and politician from New Haven who represented Connecticut in the US House and Senate during his career -Served as Captain of the Second Company of the Governor's Foot Guard -After the successful British invasion of New Haven on July 5th 1779 he commanded troops alongside Aaron Burr with Yale student volunteers to fight the British

Robert R. Livingston

-American lawyer, diplomat from NY, and Founding Father -One of the members of the Committee of Five that drafted the declaration of Independence -Member of the Jeffersonian Republicans (later known as the Democratic-Republicans) who opposed the Federalists (founded by John Jay and Alexander Hamilton) -Served as Chancellor of NY, US Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and US Minister to France -While Minister to France he negotiated the Louisiana Purchase

John Hancock

-American merchant, smuggler, and statesman who became a prominent patriot during the American revolution -Before the revolution he was one of the wealthiest men in the 13 colonies due to his inheritance of a mercantile business -Worked under Samuel Adams in Boston and eventually used his wealth in the early revolutionary period to support the colonial cause -One of the leaders in Boston during the crisis which ultimately led to the revolution-he then served two years as the President of the Continental Congress between 1775-1777 -First man to sign the Declaration of Independence -Became Governor of MA afterwards due to his popularity

Thomas Paine

-American political activist and philosopher & one of the US Founding Fathers -Author of two of the most influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution 1. "Common Sense" 2. "The American Crisis" -Common Sense in particular played a major role in convincing the average American colonist the reasons they should support the revolutionary cause -Major proponent of democratic rule and strictly anti-monarchy-after his significant role in the American revolution he would live in Paris and make arguments against French monarchy with his work "Rights of Man"

Patrick Henry

-American politician and statesman who was crucial during the instigation of the independence movement -Led the opposition to the Stamp Act in Virginia in the 1760s and became famous for his oration-specifically the line "Give me liberty, or give me death!" -Also a leader in promoting and passing the Virginia Resolves -Considered to be one of the most influential people in promoting independence along with Samuel Adams and Thomas Paine (in terms of radically pro-independence) -After the revolution he was a major anti-federalist and opposed Alexander Hamilton's policies arguing that they endangered states rights

Alexander McDougall

-American seaman & merchant who was a Sons of Liberty leader from New York -During the Stamp Act Crisis he became active within the Sons of Liberty as the leader of the organization within New York -Organized New York's reaction to the Tea Act in 1773 and eventually became a member of the Committees of Correspondence -Also served as General in the Continental Army

Paul Revere

-American silversmith who was a leading Patriot in the American Revolution -Famous for his "midnight ride" where he alerted the patriot militia to the approach of the British forces before the Battles of Lexington and Concord -Wealthy Bostonian who organized the intelligence and alarm system during the years leading up to the revolution to keep watch on the British military -Later served in the MA militia as an officer

Noah Webster

-American textbook pioneer who has been called the "father of American scholarship and education" -Wrote the Merriam-Webster dictionary-his name has become synonymous with dictionary -Was a freshman at Yale in 1775 when GW passed through with his army-watched Yale students drill with GW

Newburgh Conspiracy

-Appeared to be a threatened uprising in the continental army in 1783 -Anonymous letter was circulated around the army camp in Newburgh NY which suggested that the soldiers were discontented over their pay -Lack of funding for promised pensions -That the soldiers should refuse to disband as an army until they are paid -George Washington personally stopped the conspiracy by giving an emotional address to his officers to support the supremacy of congress

Powder House Day

-April 22nd 1775 -When the Governor's foot guard under Captain Benedict Arnold demanded the keys to the powder house in New Haven in order to arm themselves and begin the march to Cambridge -Marked the entry of New Haven into the American revolution -After the news of the Battle of Lexington reached New Haven-the Second Company of the Governor's Foot Guard voted to assist their fellow patriots

Cato

-Author of the anti-federalist papers -Argued that a stronger national government would pervert the liberties of the people -Anti-federalists were successful in at least pushing through the Bill of Rights to secure individual rights

Battle of Bunker Hill

-Battle fought on June 17th 1775 during the siege of Boston in the early stages of the war -Majority of the combat actually took place on Breed's Hill -Colonists attempted to station themselves on Breed's hill overlooking Boston -British attack to prevent the colonists from taking control of the hill -Eventually the British claimed the hill but it was an expensive victory since the British took heavy losses -Colonists only had to surrender because they ran out of ammunition & retreated to Cambridge -Gage learnt a lesson here about the spirit of the colonists-noted that they were not just the despicable rabble he believed them to be -Colonists also learnt a lesson-that war was inevitable at this point

France's Recognition of America

-Benjamin Franklin was in Paris and became a fad of the French court -Franklin was in Paris when news of the victory at Saratoga arrived -Upon hearing the news of Saratoga-France decided to both formally recognize America as an independent nation and enter the war as allies to the Americans -French were particularly eager to help Americans because they were long-time enemies of the British and because they thought they might be able to take over much of the lucrative trade with America that Britain had previously enjoyed -France and US signed two treaties: 1. Treaty of Amity and Commerce 2. Treaty of Alliance

Black Loyalists vs. White Loyalists

-Black Loyalists included both free and enslaved black Americans many of whom were drawn to fight with the British because of the proclamation by Lord Dunmore which called on slaves to fight for the British and in return would be freed and would receive land in England after the war -Other black loyalists decided to go to Canada to avoid being involved -White loyalists tended to see themselves as aristocrats many of whom chose to be loyalists for various reasons such as members of the government, people in a religious or cultural minority who felt defensive and didn't trust the whims of the majority, and people in the backcountry who were away from the eastern seaboard -Loyalism was strongest in the middle states as well as parts of the South (New York also had a strong loyalist community)

Cassandra Pybus, Mary Perth, Harry Washington, Moses Wilkinson

-Black methodists who "escaped from slavery and founded a nation" -All escaped slavery in different forms and ended up in Sierra Leone-created by abolitionists as a home for emancipated slaves residing in England or evacuated from North America at the end of the Revolution -Significance is the story and plight of slaves during the revolution which remains relatively unknown in popular history

Timothy Bigelow

-Blacksmith in MA who fought as a patriot in the American Revolution -Grew up in Worchester MA and was taught by John Adams-eventually became one of the Patriot leaders in the county and one of the chief promoters of the Sons of Liberty -Was one of the founder of the American Political Society (APS) which was a radical group of well-known and well-liked non-elite commoners who became important in rallying commoners to the cause of the Revolution -Eventually served in the revolutionary army when the war broke out

Harbottle Dorr

-Boston intellectual and merchant -Member of the Sons of Liberty -Known for his compiling of articles and newspapers from the revolutionary period which he kept and annotated that ultimately became a valuable historical resource -His goal was to create a history of the time period -His compilation included several unbroken runs of newspapers in Boston for significant periods of time leading up to the revolution

East India Company

-British Company which imported goods such as Tea to the colonies and elsewhere in the Empire -Had a surplus of Tea in 1773 which led to the passage of the Tea Act which attempted to reduce the surplus of British tea held by the East India Company -Their goods weren't being bought because of the smuggling that was going on during the time -Company's tea stockpile held in the Boston Port was destroyed by the protest led by the Sons of Liberty known as the Boston Tea Party -In response the British passed the Intolerable Acts that included the Boston Port Act which closed the port until the East India Company was repaid for its destroyed goods -Important because of the role they played in escalating the conflict between the British and the colonies

General Thomas Gage

-British General known for being the military commander in the early days of the American Revolution -Served as Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in America from 1763-1775 -Believed that the Boston Massacre was deliberate and arranged by the colonists-likely argued this because he was fearful he would be held responsible -Appointed military governor in MA in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party and was responsible for implementing the Intolerable Acts -His attempts to seize Patriot militia's military stores in 1775 sparked the Battles of Lexington and Concord

George Grenville

-British Whig who was Prime Minister of GB in 1763 until 1765 under King George III -Upon becoming PM his biggest issue was the debt facing Britain from the Seven Years War -Imposed duties in England on domestic goods but then also turned to the colonists who he believed should be paying more -First attempt to get money from colonies was to reduce smuggling by increasing the power of customs-he demanded that smugglers be subject to courts -Passed a number of duties on goods such as Coffee, wine, Molasses and Sugar which became known as the Sugar Act of 1764 -Also passed the Currency Act of 1764 which restricted the colonies from minting their own currencies -Eventually passed the Stamp Act in 1765 which caused a crisis in the colonies and began the debate of virtual representation vs. actual representation -Stamp Act was the first direct tax levied on the colonies (as opposed to a duty on imports) -Was eventually dismissed in 1765 due to his foreign policy failures including the crisis in the American colonies

General Charles Cornwallis

-British army officer and colonial administrator who was one of the leading generals in the American war of independence -Led the British southern campaign in the fourth phase of the revolutionary war -Surrender to the combined French and American forces at Yorktown in 1781 marked the end of significant hostilities in the war & resulted in peace negotiations

General Henry Clinton

-British army officer best known for his service as a general during the American war for Independence -Served as British Commander-in-Chief in North America from 1778-1782 -Communicated with Benedict Arnold through Major John André and wanted Arnold to surrender the West Point fort to him -Clinton refused to give Arnold any reward until he had successfully surrendered the fort -When André was captured Clinton refused to trade Arnold for André

General John Burgoyne

-British army officer who designed an invasion scheme known as the Saratoga Campaign -Goal was to command a force moving south from Canada to split New England and end the rebellion -Army's slow movement from Canada gave the Americans time to concentrate their forces -General Clinton instead of coming to Burgoyne's aid as part of the plan decided to move south to capture Philadelphia -Failure of the Saratoga campaign is often thought to be a turning point in the revolutionary war because it resulted in France's recognition of America

Sir William Howe

-British army officer who replaced Thomas Gage in 1776 as the Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in America during the Revolution after the Battle of Bunker Hill -Successfully captured both New York City and Philadelphia -But the failure of John Burgoyne's Saratoga Campaign was due to poor British campaign planning in 1777 that Howe was partially responsible for -Resigned as commander-in-chief in 1778 when he returned to Britain

Major John André

-British army officer who was hanged as a spy by the Continental army for assisting Benedict Arnold's attempted surrender of the fort at West Point to the British -Coordinated with the Arnolds through Joseph Stansbury and conveyed their messages to General Henry Clinton -After Arnold was given command of West Point-André insisted on acting as an in-between for Clinton and the Arnolds because he hoped to earn a promotion -Went in disguise but was captured with letters in his boots-plus the ribbon in his hair was dusted with powder which suggested he was someone of higher rank -André assumed he would be exchanged for an equivalent American officer and Washington did offer an exchange of André for Arnold but Clinton refused -Washington had André hung -Adoration of André in songs/poems and art show some of the American inferiority complex to the British

Second Phase of the Revolutionary War

-Capture Major city -Defined by the British change in strategy to capture a major city as a show of force-focused on New York City -British assumed that if they seized NYC they would split the colonies in half along the Hudson valley and end the war -British descended on NY with an armada but Washington dug in on Brooklyn Heights -Howe was so confident in victory he waited another day to deal the final blow which gave Washington time to withdraw his troops over night (example of Washington's maneuvering of his army so that if circumstances weren't overwhelmingly favorable to him he could retreat to a more secure spot) -Other parts of the second phase include: 1. Crisis Essays 2. Battles of Trenton and Princeton

Federalist Papers

-Collection of 85 articles written under the pseudonym Publius -Written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison -Promoted the ratification of the US constitution -Commented on how to prevent tyranny by the majority, how to create a republic, the need for a Bill of Rights, judicial review, and the need for a single one-man chief executive as well as the idea of checks and balances -Most famous articles: 1. Federalist #10-Madison argues that a strong unified republic would be better able to guard against the dangers of factions 2. Federalist #51-Madison summarizes his arguments for the system of checks and balances 3. Federalist #70-Hamilton outlines argument for a one-man chief executive

Lord Dunmore

-Colonial governor of New York and eventually Virginia -Noted for his dissolving of the Virginia House of Burgesses which had been the colonial government in Virginia--this sparked the Virginia conventions and Virginia's solidarity with MA when their government was replaced by the Intolerable Acts -Proclaimed martial law in Virginia in 1775 to try to turn back the rebel cause-but later fled to New York after the burning of Norfolk in 1776 -Proclaimed that slaves who aided the British cause would be freed and given land in England (Lord Dunmore's Proclamation, 1775) -Important because his actions dissolving Virginia's colonial government sparked Virginia's involvement in the revolution and their solidarity with MA

Nathaniel Bacon

-Colonist from the Virginia Colony who became famous for starting Bacon's Rebellion in 1676 -Rebellion was a protest against corruption in government and a demand that Native Americans be driven out or killed from the Virginia frontier -Argued against unfair taxes that were being imposed by the administration -Rebellion ultimately collapsed after Bacon's death

Native Americans in the Revolution

-Colonists had to invent a new American identify and drew on the Native Americans (dressed as NA during the Boston Tea Party) -Indigenous people had no love of the British but largely supported them in the war because they thought they would get a better deal from the British than from the land-hungry settlers -Sullivan campaign -Chickamauga Nation

Editing Process of the Declaration of Independence

-Committee of Five presented the draft to Congress on June 28th 1776 and debating and editing began on July 1st -Some edits were small such as the wording of the king being guilty of "unremitting" injuries changed to "repeated" injuries -Ultimately the document was a list of why the king has displaced himself from control of the colonies-the list of grievances -On July 2nd the Congress voted to declare independence and on July 4th the document was signed making the colonies states -Document was sent to state assemblies, American military commanders, etc. to make sure it was widely publicized

Mount Vernon Conference

-Conference hosted by George Washington where he invited commissioners to Mount Vernon -It was a meeting of delegates from Virginia and Maryland -Discussion was of the navigational rights in the states' common waterways -Disputes between Maryland and Virginia about navigating the Potomac River in 1785 -Drew up a 13-point proposal to govern the two states' rights on the Potomac River, the Pocomoke River, and the Chesapeake Bay -Extended to issues such as toll duties, commerce regulations, fishing rights, and debt collection -Became a model of interstate cooperation outside the framework of the Articles of Confederation -Encouraged James Madison to advocate for further discussions on the constitutional issues facing the states -Meeting helped pave the way for the Philadelphia and Annapolis conventions

Second Continental Congress

-Convention of delegates from all 13 colonies that met in 1775 in Philadelphia -Was the de-facto national government of the US -Congress declared that the American Revolutionary War had begun -Congress managed the war effort and moved towards independence and eventually adopted the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4th 1776 -Also made the formal treaty known as the "Olive Branch Petition" written by John Dickinson in an attempt to avoid war with Britain -When the 2nd Continental Congress met they were not entirely set on independence but were both trying to reconcile with Britain and prepare an army for defensive purposes -Resembled a meeting of delegates from seperate nation states-there was no single method of determining how many delegates each colony sent so they each sent however many they wanted to -Named George Washington the commander-in-chief of the Patriot armies

Stamp Act Congress

-Convention that was in response to the Stamp Act and growing opposition to the Parliament in the colonies in 1765 -Attended by 9 Colonies and was the first of several extralegal organizations that were created outside of regular colonial political system to resist British policies -Passed four resolutions: 1. Colonies owed their allegiance to the Crown like any British subject 2. Colonists were entitled to rights and liberties of any British subject 3. Colonies couldn't be taxed without their consent 4. Trial by jury is the right of every British subject in the colonies -Did not argue that Parliament did not have the right to regulate trade or impose duties in the colonies but just could not impose direct taxes without representation -Congress sent petitions to Parliament and King George III but the extralegal nature of the organization caused alarm in Britain

Continental Army

-Created in May of 1775 after the Battles of Lexington and Concord -Creation of the Continental Army is a kind of case study for the major problems with creating an American union-regionalism propped up from the onset (particularly when deciding who would be commander-in-chief of the army) -New England-believed that since most of the conflict was occurring in New England that the commander should be a New Englander -South-favored Virginian George Washington because of his military experience & Adams nominated GW -George Washington was appointed commander-in-chief on June 15th 1775 -Other problems with the Continental Army (other than regionalism): 1. Localism-people tended to think about their own locality first and foremost and feared surrendering local control which made it difficult to organize the war effectively because the Continental Congress had virtually no power of enforcement 2. Attitude of American Troops-didn't want to receive and follow orders but wanted to take part in decisions 3. Enlistment-soldiers tended to sign up for one year at a time and go home at the end of each year which meant there was essentially a new army every year 4. Social Rank-Washington wanted gentlemen to serve as commanding officers because he thought he could use social rank to enforce military rank -This didn't work well because there was a lot of anti-social class system sentiment in America

Peggy Shippen

-Daughter of a wealthy merchant in Philadelphia who was ambitious and aggressive -Married Benedict Arnold and worked with him to betray America -Peggy wrote the letters that Arnold passed to John André through Joseph Stansbury because if they were discovered most likely letters written by a woman would be deemed not important -Peggy eventually joined her husband in England after they were discovered-travelled to London at the end of 1781

Title Controversy

-Debate in 1789 at Congress about the proper title for US President -Whether or not they should be addressed as "his majesty" or "his highness" or simply "Mr. President" -John Adams favored the lofty title because he thought it would allow the president to maintain authority over the senate as well as put him on equal footing with the executives of other countries which at the time were mainly kings and princes -George Washington who was president at the time was a significant opponent to the use of "highness" as a title -Ultimately it was agreed upon that the title will merely be "President" to reflect the views of the country -Important because it showed America's opposition to monarchy and support for democratic principles

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

-Debate on the passage of the US constitution was heavily determined by the debate between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists Federalists: 1. Believed that the states and the national government could have large areas of power with the federal courts acting as arbiters about the limits of state and federal power 2. Brilliance of federalism is this suggestion that sovereignty could be divided between the two levels of government Anti-Federalists: 1. Feared that state rights, state boundaries, and state constitutions would be violated by a tyrannical national government 2. Believed the constitution would foster a standing army and an overbearing aristocracy would take over -Ultimately the federalists won the debate because they were national-minded and able to create a united publicity campaign to argue on a national level in a way that the anti-federalists couldn't -Also anti-federalists offered no concrete alternatives to the Constitution -The Anti-federalists did push for a bill of rights to make sure that the citizenry had personal rights that they would be aware of -Ultimately the constitution was ratified only with the promise that the bill of rights would be amended and added to the constitution once ratified

Three-Fifths Compromise

-Decision at the constitutional Convention of 1787 between delegates from Southern States and Northern States -Debate was how slaves should be counted when determining a state's total population for legislative representation and taxation purposes -Issue was important as it would determine the number of seats the state would have in the US house of representatives (lower house of the bicameral legislature) -Compromise was proposed by James Wilson and Roger Sherman -Decision was to count 3/5 of slaves as part of the population -Boosted Southern power

Suffolk Resolves

-Declaration by Suffolk county in MA against the intolerable acts -Was not introduced by MA in the First Continental Congress because they were seen as radicals so they allowed Suffolk County to send the resolves to congress -Declarations were: 1. Intolerable acts were unconstitutional and not to be obeyed 2. MA should create a new legislature to collect colonial taxes and withhold those taxes from the crown until the MA government was restored 3. Advised people to arm themselves and form their own militias in case of a military response from GB 4. Jailing of any Patriot leader gave colonists the right to jail British officials 5. Recommended stringent economic sanctions against Britain -Was ultimately passed after Galloway's plan of union did not pass-Galloway's plan's failure mobilized the radicals in congress to pass the Suffolk Resolves

Continental Congress Declaration

-Declaration that followed the passage of the Suffolk Resolves in 1774 during the First Continental Congress -Accomplished one of the central goals of the Congress which was to write a clear statement of colonial rights -Stated that the colonies actions were based on three things: 1. Laws of nature 2. Principles of the English constitution 3. Charters of the Colonies -Rights pronounced by the Congress included: 1. Right of assembly 2. Right of petition 3. Right to be tried by a jury of one's peers 4. Right to be free of a standing army 5. Right to choose their own assemblies -Also gave rise to "Continental Association"

Fourth Phase of the Revolutionary War

-Defined by the American encampment at Valley forge and the British shift of the theatre of war to the South due to French entry into the war (to protect the West Indies) -American army encamped at Valley Forge had supply problems (weakness in the Continental Congress) -Southern Campaign: 1. British hoped that by possessing ports in the South which were closer to the West Indies they could maneuver their fighting better and protect the Indies from the French 2. British also assumed that the south would be a large reservoir of loyalist support -British took over Charleston, Georgia, and then attempted to pursue Virginia when they faced supply problems -Ruled captured areas in the South under martial law and made no allowances for loyalists which alienated a lot of their loyalist support -Battle of Yorktown in 1781 was a major American victory and resulted in British peace talks

First Phase of the Revolutionary War

-Display of Force -British thought that a display of force and a little reconciliation would end things which was proven wrong -First phase includes the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, and Fort Ticonderoga -America led an effort to get Canada to join the revolt but they refused not wanting to be a 14th colony -Sir William Howe was sent to NY in July 1776 to replace Thomas Gage -Staten Island Peace Conference

Roger Sherman

-Early American lawyer and statesman and founding father of the US -Served as the first mayor of New Haven and was one of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence -Only person to sign all four great state papers of the US-the Continental Association, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and Constitution -Came up with the Great Compromise that proposed a bicameral legislature for the US and also helped create the 3/5 compromise

George Whitefield

-English American cleric who helped spread the Great Awakening in Britain and the American Colonies -During the Great Awakening he was one of the founders of Methodism & the evangelical movement -Travelled to America in 1740 where he gave sermons that attracted large crowds & had a significant impact on the spread of the religious movement in America would would ultimately be important in the revolution

Boston Massacre

-Event on March 5th 1770 where British soldiers stationed in Boston killed 5 citizens during a riot -British troops had been stationed in Boston in 1768 to protect and support the crown-appointed colonial officials that were enforcing the unpopular legislation of Parliament -Mob formed around the British soldiers and when violence broke out the soldiers fired on the mob -Caused outrage in the colonies partially due to the propaganda of Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and the Sons of Liberty which demonized the British -Soldiers were given a fair trial and defended by John Adams

Women in the Revolution

-Exclusion of women from formal politics-exception was the state of New Jersey -Revolution also changed the number of children people were having-new ideal in limited childbearing -Republican motherhood was a phrase coined to make sense of the cultural phenomena after the Revolution where mothers now had a special role to raise sons who would be virtuous and morale as they were raising the future citizens of the Republic

Ethan Allen

-Farmer, businessman, and American Revolutionary war patriot, hero and politician -Best known as one of the founders of the state of Vermont and for the capture of Fort Ticonderoga along with Benedict Arnold -Led a failed attempt on Montreal after the capture of Ticonderoga-was captured by the British but eventually released in 1778 -Active in Vermont's leadership for recognition by Congress and participated in controversial negotiations with the British over the possibility of Vermont becoming a separate British territory (after the war ended) which showed the weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation

Continental Association

-Final act of the First Continental Congress -Formed a network known as the "Continental Association" which would enforce non-importation -Included localized committees of inspection that would watch to see who was following the boycott and who was not -Impact of Continental Association: 1. Congress reinforced localized political infrastructure that would later be a useful network for organizing the war effort 2. Association brought thousands of people into some state of protest against Britain 3. While the Continental Congress had no official authority it essentially passed a piece of legislation that was applicable throughout the colonies -Committees of Inspection considered themselves to be enforcement agencies of the Continental Congress

Battles of Lexington and Concord

-First military engagements of the American Revolutionary War fought in 1775 -After the Suffolk Resolves were passed by the First Continental Congress which called for local militias to train for possible hostilities -In response the British Government declared MA to be in a state of rebellion & the British Army was given secret orders to capture and destroy Rebel military supplies stored in Lexington and Concord -Paul Revere's midnight ride -British forces fought the Patriots in the towns and British won the battles but Patriots retreated to Boston which began the siege of Boston

Phillis Wheatley

-First published female African American poet -Born in West Africa but sold into slavery and brought to North America where she was purchased by the Wheatley family of Boston -Taught her how to read and write & encouraged her to write poetry when they discovered her talent -Wrote poems that brought her fame in England and America including one to George Washington -Poems also praised King George III for repealing the Stamp Act -Eventually poems turned to themes that praised the ideas of the colonists of rebellion -Also wrote poetic tributes to major American religious figures including George Whitefield

Treaty of Paris (1783)

-Formal treaty signed on September 3rd 1783 which ended the Revolutionary War -Britain acknowledged the US to be sovereign and independent -John Jay negotiated with British Prime Minister Lord Shelburne and agreed on terms -Shelburne saw an opportunity to split the US away from France and create a valuable new economic partner -Terms of the deal: 1. US would gain all area east of the Mississippi River, North of Florida, and South of Canada 2. US would gain fishing rights off the Canadian coasts 3. British merchants and loyalists would be allowed to try to recover their property 4. POW would be released -Also signed separate agreements with France and Spain -Congress of the Confederation ratified the treaty on January 14th 1784

Battle of Salem

-Fought February 26th 1775 -General Thomas Gage (commander of the British forces in America) moved his troops to Salem MA to seize cannons and guns that the colonists had collected there -This was based on Gage's assumption that a single large display of force would end colonial resistance (First Stage strategy of Great Britain) -Standoff occurred when the colonists pulled up a drawbridge so that the British soldiers couldn't advance -British announced that they would capture the bridge if they had to stay there until autumn-didn't want to lose face -British commander proposes to the militia captain that if his men are allowed to cross the bridge they will march 50 feet and return without going after the weapons which is what happened -Symbolic battle that showed that the British were wrong in thinking they could end colonial resistance with one swift motion and shows the colonists acting defensively

Battle of Ford Ticonderoga

-Fought on May 10th 1775 -Small force of Green Mountain Boys (local militia) led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold overtook a small British garrison at the fort -Looted the fort and the cannons and other armaments were transported to Boston to fortify Dorchester heights to break the standoff in the siege of Boston -Important battle for the American war effort and morale: 1. Impeded communication between northern and southern units of the British army 2. Gave the Continental Army a staging ground for the invasion of Quebec 3. Artillery acquired forced the British to withdraw from Boston

Battle of Yorktown

-Fought on October 19th 1781 -American continental army led by GW combined with a French naval fleet led by Admiral de Grasse -Defeated the British army led by General Cornwallis -Siege of Yorktown was the last major land battle of the war and the surrender of Cornwallis prompted the British to negotiate an end to the conflict

Alien & Sedition Acts

-Four bills passed by the Federalist dominated 5th US congress and signed into law by US President John Adams in 1798 -Made it harder for an immigrant to become a citizen (naturalization act) -Allowed the president to imprison and deport non-citizens who were deemed dangerous or were from a hostile nation -Criminalized making false statements that were critical of the federal government -Federalists argued that these laws strengthened national security during an undeclared naval war with France -Critics argued that it was an attempt to suppress voters who disagreed with the Federalist party and that it violated the First Amendment -Acts were repealed after the Democratic-Republican party of Thomas Jefferson took power in 1800

French Impact on the War & Peace Negotiations in Paris

-French are a major factor in the American victory-provided supplies, men, and moral support -Some self-interest from the French (trade with America) but also due to admiration for what they perceived to be a fight for freedom (exemplified by Lafayette) -In July of 1782 Peace negotiations begin in Paris

Marquis de Lafayette

-Frenchman who travelled to America to aid the colonies as a volunteer -Arrived in America in 1777 and was received and made Major General because his motives were so patriotic and he represented a high rank of French nobility -Served under GW at Valley Forge and during the course of the war -Eventually returned home in the middle of the war to lobby for an increase in French support for America -Was a prominent figure in the French Revolution of 1789

Staten Island Peace Conference

-General Howe invited an American commission to hold a peace conference with him on a boat in New York Harbor on September 11th 1776 -Told the American commissioners (Ben Franklin, John Adams, Edward Rutledge) that he didn't want to destroy his brothers -Conference was a failure-Americans insisted on recognition of their recently declared independence and Howe lacked the authority to negotiate on those terms

Lund Washington

-George Washington's distant cousin who managed Mount Vernon while Washington was General of the Continental Army -HMS Savage pulled up near Mount Vernon on the Potomac threatening to burn it unless provisions were granted

Chickamauga Nation

-Group of Cherokees led by "Dragging Canoe" -Younger Cherokees who chose war over appeasement to deal with the colonists and their continued infractions sided with the British -Indian question generally helped bring rural colonists into the war on the side of the Patriots since the rural colonists wanted Indian land

Puritans

-Group of English Reformed Protestants in the 16th and 17th Centuries who wanted to purify the Church of England from Roman Catholic practices -Argued that the Church of England had only been partially reformed -Puritans were some of the earliest colonists to America who travelled to New England on the Mayflower and other early ships -Most famous of which was John Winthrop who wrote the famous "City on a Hill" speech -Important because the Puritans laid the foundations for American religious practices

Edmund Burke

-Irish statesman who served as a member of Parliament and was also a member of the British Whig Party -Known for his support of the American Revolutionaries because of his support of their claims of grievances to the King -Made a speech in 1775 supporting a motion to repeal the Tea Tax in the colonies and made repeated appeals for peace with America -Believed that Americans would not back down in the face of force and thought that their value as colonies far outweighed the risk of losing them

The Virginia Plan

-James Madison's plan at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 -Had Edmund Randolph (Governor of Virginia at the time) propose the plan because Madison thought he was viewed as too radical to present it himself -Proposal stated that the government should have three branches: 1. Bicameral legislature -Lower house elected by the people where representation was based on population -Upper house selected by the lower house from candidates named by state legislatures -Legislature would have the power to nullify any state law contrary to the constitution 2. National executive -With veto power over acts of congress -Elected by the legislature 3. National judiciary -Consist of one or more supreme judges and some inferior courts to be chosen by the national legislature -Small states did not like the idea of basing any form of representation on population so other plans were presented such as the New Jersey plan

King George III

-King of GB from 1760 until 1801 -Under his reign GB entered into a number of wars that were very costly including the Seven Years War -Appointed George Grenville as PM in 1763 which led to the imposition of new taxes on the colonies that caused the unrest -Also passed the Royal Proclamation of 1763 which limited the westward expansion of the American colonies as part of the Treaty of Paris -Eventually he repealed the Stamp Act due to its unpopularity & dismissed Grenville & replaced him with William Pitt -His poor foreign policy also meant that Britain would not have any allies against the Americans

Samuel Curwen

-Loyalist who moved to Philadelphia to escape persecution for his loyalist position -People of Philadelphia did not accept him either -His account is indicative of how being a loyalist was a serious choice with difficult consequences

Virtual Representation vs. Actual Represenation

-Major point of contention between the colonists and the British Parliament in the lead up to the revolution -Colonists argued that their rights were being infringed because they were not represented in Parliament -Britain's argument was that the colonists were "virtually represented" in Parliament because the members of Parliament represented the entire British realm -Also argued that there were people in England proper that didn't get to directly vote for their own representatives in Parliament -Colonists rejected this idea-stating that Parliament wouldn't understand colonial interests and might actually even be directly opposed to colonial interests

Battle of Saratoga

-Marked the end of the Saratoga campaign which was a 1777 attempt by the British high command to gain control of the strategically important Hudson River Valley -British General John Burgoyne led a large invasion from Canada hoping to meet a similar British force marching north from New York City but the southern force never arrived -Burgoyne was surrounded by American forces in upstate New York -Burgoyne was forced to surrender his entire army which marked a major turning point in the war -Turning point because it won America foreign assistance from France which was the last element it needed for victory-because it gave credibility to the American cause in France

Philadelphia Convention/Constitutional Convention

-Meeting in response to the call by Hamilton at the Annapolis convention in 1786 to meet in Philadelphia to discuss constitutional issues -Took place from May-September 1787 in Philadelphia -Goal was to revise the Articles of Confederation-but many like James Madison and Alexander Hamilton wished to create a new government rather than alter the existing one -Delegates elected George Washington to preside over the convention -Several plans were proposed including: 1. The Virginia Plan 2. The New Jersey Plan 3. Hamilton's Plan -Result was the creation of the US constitution -Debate revolved around a few key issues 1. Proportional representation 2. Executive power 3. Slaves 4. Judicial system

First Continental Congress

-Meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies that met in 1774 to consider responses to the intolerable acts -Followed a circular letter from MA legislature that suggested creation of a joint congress -George was the only state to decline because they were hoping for British support with Native American problems on their frontier -Congress debated topics including a economic boycott of British trade, rights and grievances, and petitioned King George III for redress of grievances -Also called for another Continental Congress if their petition was unsuccessful in stopping the Intolerable Acts -Impact of the Continental Congress: 1. Forced colonists to make their beliefs clear-not only to each other but to themselves 2. Congress became training ground for American statesmen 3. Forced people from very separate colonies to meet and stay with each other for extended period of time 4. Continental Congress symbolized a form of open rebellion -Eventually passed the Suffolk Resolves

Short Hints

-Memorandum written by a committee from the Albany Congress of 1754 that outlined what a proposed union of the colonies might look like -Discussed basic problems with colonial union including that such a union would require approval of the crown and also need to secure the liberties of the people -proposed preserving individual colonial charters but erecting a new structure of government above them-beginning of states rights vs. federal -Proposed a Grand Council with two members from each colony chosen by colonial assemblies which were elected for a term of 3 years -Also would have a President General appointed by the crown -Memorandum was used by Benjamin Franklin to come up with the Albany Plan of Union

Andrew Oliver

-Merchant and public official in the Massachusetts Bay Colony -Born into a wealthy and politically powerful merchant family & eventually became Boston's auditor -In 1765 he was commissioned to administer the Stamp Act in MA even though he was privately against the act -The Sons of Liberty led a protest agains the act which involved burning an effigy of Oliver and damaging his house -He eventually resigned and swore not to act as a stamp distributor ever again

Valley Forge

-Military camp in southeastern Pennsylvania where the American Continental Army spent the winter of 1777-1778 -Due to disease, starvation, malnutrition, and exposure over 2,500 American soldiers died -Showed the weakness in the Continental Congress who didn't have the power to tax or supply soldiers adequately -GW repeatedly petitioned for relief and supplies from Congress but faced criticism-some wanted to replace him with Horatio Gates after Gates' victories at the Battle of Saratoga (called the "Conway Cabal") -Intense training at Valley Forge led by Baron von Steuben which boosted morale and improved Washington's reputation as commander-in-chief -After the terrible winter the Continental Army discovered that France was planning to come to their aid which renewed their energy as well

Annapolis Convention

-National political convention held in 1786 where twelve delegates from the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia gathered to discuss and develop a consensus about reversing the protectionist trade barriers that each state had erected -Showed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation -Final report of the convention was adopted unanimously and sent to congress -It supported a broader constitutional convention to be held in one year in Philadelphia -Expressed hopes that more states would be represented and that delegates would be authorized to examine areas beyond commercial trade -Resulted in the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 where the US constitution was drafted

George Robert Twelves Hewes

-New England shoemaker who wrote a memory of his interaction with Hancock -Hughes stories reveal how average Americans became gradually politicized during the American revolution -Witnessed a British soldier mugging a woman, also witnesses the Boston Massacre -His recollections offer a great example of the ways in which the revolution inspired average americans to become politically active

New Haven/Yale in the American Revolution

-Non-importation-Yale students decided in protest to give up importing fine wines and other goods from Britain -Militant in their support of colonial rights-colleges were hotbeds of radicals -In 1774 the New Haven townspeople had someone come teach them military exercises so that they could organize and protect themselves in the future -Ostracized the loyalist students at Yale -Drilled with GW when his army passed through New Haven in 1775 -In 1777 Yale students were sent to other towns where they were believed to be safer -In 1779 the British invaded New Haven and James Hillhouse led a company of around 70 volunteer Yale students to fight the British

The Conciliatory Proposition (1775)

-One of King George's responses to the Olive Branch Petition and his decision that the American colonies were in a state of rebellion -It was Lord North who took the unexpected role of conciliator in drafting this proposition in February 1775 -Declared that any colony that contributed to the common defense and provided support for the civil government and the administration of justice (against any anti-British rebellion) would be free from paying taxes or duties except those necessary for the regulation of commerce -Noticeably it stated that Parliament would not tax those colonies, not that Parliament did not have a right to tax the colonies -Proposition essentially ignored the extralegal Continental Congress and sent it to all the individual colonial assemblies as part of Lord North's attempt to divide the colonists -By the time the Continental Congress received this-they saw it as "too little too late" and rejected the proposal

Benjamin Franklin

-One of the Founding Fathers of the US -Opponent of British rule and the Stamp Act in particular and became a key member of the early opposition to British rule in the colonies -Spent time in London in the 1760s attempting to oppose Parliament's passing of the Stamp Act -When in France before the war he flaunted his American status and became known as a symbol of American virtue and purity and ultimately became a key diplomat in creating a positive relationship between the French and American revolutionaries which would prove to be a critical alliance in the war -Also a significant inventor whose work in the field of electricity in particular had a huge impact on the advent of electric power -Later served as the Governor of Pennsylvania and became an influential abolitionist

Alexander Hamilton

-One of the Founding Fathers of the US & first Secretary of the Treasury -Joined an American militia force after the Battles of Lexington & Concord and eventually became chief staff aide to George Washington during the Revolutionary War -Joined the Congress of Confederation as NY representative and was one of the critical engineers of the US Constitution -Later went on to found the Bank of New York and had a significant role in creating the federal reserve system for the US as well as the founder of the Federalist Party

Richard Henry Lee

-One of the delegates on drafting a formal Declaration of Independence who put forward a resolution from Virginia on June 7th 1776 -Known as "Lee's Resolution" -Stated that delegates should promote independence because the colonies are and ought to be free and independent states -Famous resolution was a major factor that led to the passage of the US Declaration of Independence -Resulted in the creation of the "Committee of Five" whose role it was to formally draft the declaration -Allies of Lee's in passing the declaration included James Wilson and Edward Rutledge -Also served a one-year term as the President of the Continental Congress and was also a senator from Virginia from 1789-1792 -Also signed the Articles of Confederation

James Wilson

-One of the founding fathers and a signatory of the US declaration of independence -Elected twice to the Continental Congress as a representative from Pennsylvania and played a major role in promoting and drafting the US constitution -Was one of the original six justices of the US Supreme Court appointed by George Washington -Supporter of Lee's Resolution in 1776 that promoted the declaration of independence

John Dickinson

-One of the founding fathers of the US and a politician from Philadelphia -Known for his 12 "Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania" which was published in 1767 and were crucial in uniting the colonists against the Townshend acts -Letters argued that the colonies were sovereign in their internal affairs and that the taxes levied by Parliament were unconstitutional -Member of the 1st and 2nd Continental Congress and drafted the Olive Branch Petition in 1775

Quartering Act

-One of the intolerable acts passed by Parliament in 1765 -Act that applied to all the colonies with the goal of creating a more effective method of housing British troops in the American colonies -There had been a previous act which made colonists required to provide housing for soldiers but colonial legislatures had been uncooperative in enforcing this -The act gave the Royal governor the ability to house soldiers in any buildings they wanted if suitable quarters were not provided which included private homes

Administration of Justice Act

-One of the intolerable acts passed in 1774 -Allowed the royal governor to order that trials of accused officials take place in Britain or somewhere else in the Empire if the Royal governor determined that the defendant would not get a fair trial in MA -Angered the colonists because they believed it would allow British officials to escape justice themselves while also not allowing Americans to have fair trials because if they are shipped elsewhere for trial they will not be tried by a jury of their peers -Particularly bad because the colonists felt that the British soldiers had been given a fair trial after the Boston Massacre

Massachusetts Government Act

-One of the intolerable acts passed in 1774 -Altered the government of MA to bring it under full control of the British -Under the terms of the act almost all positions in the colonial government were to be appointed by Parliament or the King -Also severely limited the activities of town meetings in MA to once a year unless called for by the Royal Governor -General Thomas Gage was in charge of enforcing these acts after he was named military governor of Boston -Colonists were even more angered by this act because they feared the British could suddenly take charge of all of the Colonies' governing bodies

Boston Port Act

-One of the intolerable acts passed in 1774 -Closed the port of Boston until the East India Company had been repaid for the destruction of their cargo during the Boston Tea party and until the king was satisfied that order had been restored -This act in particular resulted in objections that it punished all of Boston's citizens rather than just the individuals involved in the Tea Party -Made colonists feel like they were not given the opportunity to fairly defend themselves

Corporate Colonies

-One of the types of colonies in America during British rule -Included Connecticut and Rhode Island -These were colonies where royal charters granted the powers of government to the inhabitants themselves -These were the colonies that were very independent in spirit and became troublemakers for British during early revolutionary period

Proprietary Colony

-One of the types of colonies in America during British rule -Included colonies of Pennsylvania and Maryland -Where the powers in the colony were vested in the person or family who was given a land grant from the crown -Example: William Penn

Royal Colony

-One of the types of colonies in America during British rule -Type of colony where the British crown appointed the governor and the counsel for the colony -Represented colonies where British had the most direct control and included states such as NY, MA, and Carolinas

Treaty of Amity and Commerce

-One of two treaties signed between France and America in February of 1778 following the American victory at Saratoga -Treaty stated that France recognizes the United States as a sovereign nation -Also gave France trading privileges as a favored nation but America also preserved the right of free trade

Sons of Liberty

-Organization of American colonists that was created to protect the rights of colonists and fight the taxation imposed by the Parliament -Formed during the tension leading up to the Stamp Act and played a major role in instigating protests and violence during the Stamp Act Crisis -Group officially disbanded after Stamp Act was repealed -Sons of Liberty members included Samuel Adams and was largely made up of artisans and shopkeepers who wanted to resist the Stamp Act -Led violent protests including the destruction of Andrew Oliver's house, the burning in effigy of Oliver and a Boot representing the government as well as an attack on Thomas Hutchinson's home and the organizing of the Boston Tea Party -Important because much of their action led to excitement in the lower classes in favor of rebellion

Benedict Arnold

-Originally a bookseller and pharmacist in New Haven when the revolution started -Then served as a captain in the local New Haven military unit and eventually joined the Continental Army -Was assigned to be a part of a group that was sent to capture Fort Ticonderoga--successful capture resulted in his promotion to Brigadier General -But others of his equals were promoted to Major General-though he eventually also became Major General -Arnold decided that Congress owed him money for the personal funds he used to supply his troops-but Congress refused to give him money or a promotion -Arnold then met Peggy Shippen and married her -In 1779 Arnold and Peggy had Joseph Stansbury who they knew to have loyalist sympathies to act as a go-between with the British -Arnold communicated with Major John André of the British Army and the British asked Arnold for help in getting control of the West Point fort -Arnold requested a large sum of money from the British in return but General Clinton refused to commit any money until Arnold achieved something -Eventually Arnold was given command of West Point and André insisted on being the in-between for Clinton and Arnold -André was captured with letters in his boots -GW visited West Point and upon reading the letters realized that Arnold was helping the British and told Clinton that if he surrendered Arnold then Washington would surrender André-Clinton refused -André was executed and Arnold and Peggy fled to England-eventually died hated in both America and England -Example of someone trying to use the war to raise their status

Lord North

-PM of GB from 1770-1782 -Lord North was the one who proposed measures to punish the colonies after the Boston Tea Party in 1773-he passed the Intolerable acts -Important figure because he took a harsher approach than Pitt and attempted to force the colonies into submission which turned out to only provoke them further into rebellion -Also failed in leading the British to victory against the revolutionaries

Common Sense

-Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775 which promoted the fight for independence -Was originally published anonymously and was a major success in the colonies partially because it was written in a style that made it accessible to the common colonist -Critical of monarchy-arguing that monarchies are rigid and unjust and you could have a child king -Shifted anger away from just the Parliament and towards King George -Proposed how the US should be governed-with a congress of 390 members requiring a 3/4 vote -Major success and played a pivotal role in convincing colonists who were "on the fence" about the prospect of revolution to support independence

Declaratory Act

-Passed by Parliament led by Earl of Rockingham in 1776 which was passed on the same day as the repealing of the Stamp Act -Stamp Act was repealed because of the unrest it had caused as well as the boycotts that had damaged British trade in the colonies -Act was passed because the Parliament felt that they had to reinforce their position -Declaratory Act stated that Parliament's authority was the same in America as it was in Britain and therefore asserted Parliament's authority to pass laws that were binding on American colonies -Colonists were upset by this because it implied that the Parliament had the intention of passing more acts & because it sounded like the Irish Declaratory Act which resulted in Ireland being in a position of bondage to the crown

Currency Act

-Passed by Parliament under Grenville's leadership in 1764 which restricted the colonies from issuing their own currencies -Law also stated that any act passed by a colonial legislature that violates this act was null and void and any colonial governor who consented to such an act would be fined and dismissed from office -Caused alarm at the clamping down on the colonies & led to further resentment of the British Parliament and the belief that American colonists were being regarded as second class citizens -Also had a major implication that worried colonists--that Grenville could null and act passed by a colonial assembly -Caused some protests but ultimately it was the more contentious Stamp Act that led to civil unrest on a wide scale

Prohibitory Act

-Passed in December 1775 as part of King George's response to the Second Continental Congress and the Olive Branch Petition -As well as responding to the Continental Congress' rejection of the Conciliatory Proposal -Act prohibited all commerce with the colonies and said that colonial ships were no longer under British protection -Made it essentially legal to attack American ships on the open seas -Also stated that any ship found trading with the colonies shall be forfeited to the king -Goal of the act was to destroy the American economy by prohibiting trade with any country -Adams said this should be called the "act of independency" because it makes the US "independent in spite of our supplications and entreaties"

Battle of Princeton

-Pivotal battle after the Battle of Trenton -January of 1777 -After defeating the British attack in Trenton Washington circled around General Lord Cornwallis' army and went to attack the British garrison at Princeton -Pushed the British army back 60 miles from their goal of Pennsylvania

Hamilton's Plan

-Plan proposed by Alexander Hamilton at the Constitutional Convention -Extremely nationalist plan that called for: 1. Senate chosen for life during good behavior 2. Executive with absolute veto power 3. Each state with a supreme executive and chief executive appointed by the national government -Some belief Hamilton was trying to be so extreme so that people would accept the Virginia plan over the NJ plan

Albany Plan of Union

-Plan to create a unified government for the 13 colonies proposed by Ben Franklin during the Albany Congress of 1754 -Based on the memorandum called "Short Hints" written by the committee from the Congress in charge of putting forth a proposed union for the colonies -Congress instigated by worries of the French and the Indians -Came up with a plan for colonies to pool defensive resources together to repel threats -Important because it was one of the early attempts to form a union of the colonies under a single governing body with the purpose of defense

Joseph Stansbury

-Poet with loyalist tendencies -Met with Benedict Arnold and Peggy Arnold and worked as a go-between for them coordinating with Major John André of the British army -Poets could cross between British and American lines because as men of letters it was quite natural for them to chat, meet, and correspond -Therefore being a poet made him the perfect operative

Whigs (Britain)

-Political faction in Britain who contested power with the Tories -Origins lay in the idea of constitutional monarchy (as opposed to an absolute monarchy) -Played a pivotal role in the Glorious Revolution -Focused on supporting the supremacy of Parliament over the monarch -Certain members of the British Whig party were influential in stimulating colonial republican sentiment-as seen by the fact that early American patriots referred to themselves as Whigs

John Adams

-Political leader during the American Revolution & Second President of the US -Initially became prominent in the colonies by promoting widespread opposition to the Stamp Act of 1765 -Wrote a letter to the representatives of Massachusetts legislature arguing that the Stamp Act should be opposed because it denied two fundamental rights for all Englishmen: 1. Right to be taxed only by consent 2. Right to be tried by a jury of one's peers -Defended the soldiers on trial who had fired on the crowd during the Boston Massacre -Adams also served as one of the Massachusetts representatives to the First Continental Congress & was one of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence -Important because he was one of the leading elites pushing for equal rights and independence & would ultimately become a significant leader in American history

Boston Tea Party

-Political protest staged by the Sons of Liberty in Boston on December 16th 1773 -Demonstrators (some of whom were disguised as Native Americans) destroyed an entire shipment of tea sent by the East India Company that was in the port of Boston -This was in protest to the Tea Act of 1773 which attempted to force colonists to purchase tea sold by East India Company that had the Townshend duties rather than purchase from smugglers -British government responded harshly with the Intolerable Acts in 1774

Thomas Hutchinson

-Politician and governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony -Is known for being a prominent loyalist who despite arguing against the parliament's new taxation laws came to be identified by John Adams and Samuel Adams as a proponent of British taxation -During the Stamp Act crisis in 1765 his Boston home was ransacked during the protests-he was then exposed to a mob attack after the Boston Massacre in 1770 -He was ultimately replaced in 1774 due to the popular opposition to him and his policies -Is identified as one of the major polarizing figures of the early revolutionary period and a significant contributor to the tensions that led to the outbreak of revolution

Election of 1800

-Presidential election between Thomas Jefferson of the Democratic Republicans and John Adams of the Federalists -Fourth Presidential Election -Referred to as the "Revolution of 1800" -Vice President Thomas Jefferson defeated President John Adams (incumbent) -Realigning election that ushered in a generation of Democratic-Republican party rule -Resulted in the eventual demise of the Federalist Party -Chief political issues included the fallout from the French revolution, the quasi-war with France, and the alien and sedition acts -Because of a flaw in the constitution where members of the electoral college were able to vote two names for president there was a tie -12th Amendment was ratified in 1804 which called for electors to make a discrete choice between their selections for president and vice president

New Jersey Plan

-Proposed by William Patterson of New Jersey at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and was supported by other small states -Suggested one house legislature in which each state would have 1 vote -Would have a plural executive consisting of more than one person who would be elected by congress -Supreme court would be chosen by that plural executive -Part of a rejection of the aspect in the Virginia plan that suggested representation in the lower house to be based on population

Conciliatory Proposition (February 1778)

-Proposed in the House of Commons by Lord North and had several pieces: 1. Repeal of all the acts that had angered the Americans 2. Britain would have no standing army in the colonies during peacetime 3. No changes in the colonial charters unless the colonial assemblies requested them 4. England would consider American representation in Parliament or if the American preferred, England would recognize the American congress as a permanent institution -As a result of these propositions a British commission was sent to America to deal with the Continental Congress for the first time as a legal body -Congress refused to appoint commissioners to meet with them and responded in a letter instead -Henry Laurens who was President of Congress at the time wrote that the "idea of dependence is utterly inadmissible" -Stated that Americans would be willing to talk peace but only if the King admitted American independence and withdrew all troops from America -British also attempted to bribe American officials which was a failure 1. Offered to make GW a duke 2. Attempted to bribe Benjamin Franklin

Baron von Steuben

-Prussian-born American military officer -Served as inspector general and major general of the continental army during the war as well as GW's chief-of-staff during the final years of the war -Arrived in the US in 1777 with the task of training the Continental Army which was quite inexperienced -Taught the army the essentials of military drills, tactics, and disciplines -Trained the soldiers most famously at their encampment at Valley Forge -Wrote a book that served as the standard US army drill manual until the war of 1812

Quakers

-Religious Christian group which composed a large group of the colonists who left England in the 16th and 17th Centuries seeking religious freedom -Religious beliefs emphasized anti-violence, anti-slavery, etc. -After persecution in Massachusetts the prominent & wealthy Quaker William Penn founded Pennsylvania as a commonwealth where the Quakers could have religious freedom -Important because they were particularly prevalent in New England & were against war with Britain mainly because they opposed any violence

First Great Awakening

-Religious evangelical and revivalist movement that swept through Protestant Europe and colonial America in the 1730s and 1740s -Most famous preacher was Jonathan Edwards who preached in his famous sermon in 1941 "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" that hell was real and that sinners needed to repent -Another significant figure in the American Great Awakening was George Whitefield -Had a permanent effect on American Protestantism because of the powerful preaching that gave listeners a deep sense of personal revelation and their need for salvation from Jesus Christ -Preached self-determination and the power of the individual and was also quite anti-establishment--which would be important in the mindset of the revolutionaries

Horatio Gates

-Retired British soldier who served as an American general during the Revolutionary war -Took credit for the American victory in the Battles of Saratoga Campaign in 1777 but was blamed for the defeat at the Battle of Camden in 1780 -Described as one of the more controversial figures because of his role in the "Conway Cabal" which attempted to discredit and replace George Washington

American Revenue Act/Sugar Act

-Revenue-raising act passed by the Parliament led by George Grenville in 1764 -Established a number of new duties on goods such as molasses, wines, sugar, etc. -Also introduced measures to attempt to enforce the taxation because smuggling had become a major problem for revenue -Part of the new tax regime under Grenville's administration that would ultimately cause concerns over taxation and representation that ultimately led to civil unrest in the colonies

Johnathan Edwards

-Revivalist preacher who became the most prominent leader of the American Great Awakening -Helped to instigate the largest religious revival in America that would have major impacts on the religious practices of the colonists -Famous sermon was called "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" delivered in 1741 which emphasized that hell was real in order to convince sinners to profess their sins and continue their lives with complete devotion to Christ -Preached on the importance of self-determination and anti-establishment

Third Phase of the Revolutionary War

-Saratoga and attempts to capture Washington -Third Phase begins in 1777 -Defined by the British trying to subdue the middle colonies-after the capture of NY they moved on to Philadelphia -Big part of the goal was to capture GW-or "Bag the Fox" as Cornwallis put it -There were clashes at Brandywine and Germantown and many continental troops were killed or captured -Howe occupied Philadelphia -Battle of Saratoga also occurred in the third phase which was a stunning American victory

Dr. Alexander Hamilton

-Scottish Doctor who lived in Colonial Maryland during the 18th Century -Known for his travels throughout the colonies during the Great Awakening and his journal where he kept an account of his journey -Described the differences in religious practices and social sentiment in the colonies during the mid 18th Century -Important because his journals give us insight into the history of the Great Awakening in America and its impact on the colonists

Treaty of Alliance

-Second of two treaties signed by France and America in February 1778 following the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga -Treaty was written to assure the "liberty, sovereignty, and independence absolute and unlimited of the United States" -Would go into effect indefinitely in the future in the case of an attack by British forces -Mutual defense treaty -France also renounced its claims to mainland North America east of the Mississippi River -In return America would recognize any territory France captured in the West Indies (British Islands) -This caused the British to be forced to send thousands of soldiers to the West Indies to guard against a potential French invasion which left less manpower in the US -Resulted in the Fourth Stage of the war where Britain concentrated on the South

Pennsylvania Revolt

-Semi-revolt of Pennsylvania soldiers in 1783 -Congress disbanded a group of soldiers and sent them home without payment -Several hundred marched to Philadelphia and barricaded members of the Confederation Congress in the state house

Virginia Conventions

-Series of 5 political meetings in Virginia after the House of Burgesses was dissolved by Governor Lord Dunmore in 1774 -Conventions served as a revolutionary provisional government until the establishment of the commonwealth of Virginia in 1776 -Many notable Patriots attended including George Washington, George Mason, and Patrick Henry & were largely responsible for Virginia's solidarity with MA and involvement in the war

Crisis Essays

-Series of Pamphlets first published in December of 1776 by Thomas Paine while he was a member of the Continental Army -These essays were read to troops on GW's orders to boost morale -Published during a low point in morale for GW's army since the formal enlistment ended at the end of December -Washington used his personal influence and these pamphlets to ask the army to stay for just six more weeks -Essays were meant to inspire the Americans in their battles against the British army-juxtaposed the conflict between the Good American devoted to civic virtue and the selfish British provincial man

Townshend Acts

-Series of acts passed beginning in 1767 by the Parliament led by William Pitt who believed that these indirect taxes wouldn't be opposed as significantly by the colonies -Acts named after Charles Townshend who was British Chancellor of the Exchequer who proposed the program -Purpose of the acts were to raise revenue in the colonies, to create more effective means of enforcing compliance with trade regulations, and to punish New York for failing to comply with early quartering acts -Resulted in increased tension that caused the British to occupy Boston with British troops in 1768 which resulted in the Boston Massacre of 1770 -Also resulted in the Massachusetts Circular Letter written by Samuel Adams which proposed non-cooperation with the British -Acts included: 1. Revenue Act of 1767-imposed duties on items imported from Britain including glass, silk, paper, paint, and Tea 2. Indemnity Act of 1767-repealed taxes on tea imported to England 3. Commissioners of Customs Act in 1767-created American board of Customs Commissioners meant to enforce trade regulations 4. New York Restraining Act of 1767-Suspended the power of the NY assembly after they refused to comply with the Quartering Act of 1765 5. Vice Admiralty Court Act of 1768-Allowed the Vice Admiralty court that did not include juries of one's peers to prosecute smugglers

Charles Lee

-Served as a General in the Continental Army during the Revolution and had served as an officer in the British Army during the Seven Years' War -Attempted to become commander-in-chief of the Continental army but his goals were thwarted by the appointment of GW -Known as the eccentric general with 11 dogs that went everywhere with him

Committees of Correspondence

-Shadow governments organized by the Patriots that became even more powerful than the colonial legislatures or the royal officials -Committees promoted the boycott of British Products in response to the intolerable acts -Committees were crucial in creating a network of communication and also was critical in setting up the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1774

Ebenezer Mackintosh

-Shoemaker who lived in New England during the American revolutionary period -Became a popular leader of the poor in Boston during the 1760s and was the leader of the "South End Gang" -Key person in the riots and demonstrations during the Stamp Act crisis in Boston in 1766 -Led the common people in riots including the destruction of Andrew Oliver's home and the burning of the effigies -Also led the riot which destroyed Thomas Hutchinson's home which caused Mackintosh to have to flee from the authorities -Played an influential role in getting the common people to join in the revolutionary activity

New England Confederation

-Short-lived military alliance of the colonies of MA Bay, Plymouth, CT, and New Haven in 1643 -Goal was to unite the Puritan colonies in support of the Church and in defense against the Native Americans and the Dutch -Did not have any constitutional sanction & was run by a joint advisory council -Eventually fell apart after Connecticut annexed New Haven and after MA refused to join an expedition against the Dutch -Earliest attempt at colonial unity-showed colonists' willingness to come together for self-defense and self-interest

Battle of Trenton

-Small but pivotal battle during the revolution that took place on December 26th 1776 in Trenton New Jersey -After George Washington's christmas crossing of the Delaware river the night before the battle -Battle was a major victory for the Americans as it boosted the Continental army's flagging moral and helped inspire re-enlistments -Lost only 4 men and captured over 900 prisoners -After the battle Washington's army retreated under cover of night and moved troops to Princeton NJ and captured it as well

Declaration of Independence

-Statement adopted by the Continental Congress in a meeting in Philadelphia on July 4th 1776 -Stated that the 13 colonies regarded themselves as 13 newly independent sovereign states that formed a new union called the USA -John Adams was leader in pushing for independence and persuaded the committee to select Thomas Jefferson to compose the original draft of the document -Declaration was a formal explanation for why Congress voted to declare independence-essentially a list of grievances against the King

Massachusetts Circular Letter

-Statement written by Samuel adams and passed by the MA house of Representatives in 1768 as a response to the Townshend Acts -Reactions to the letter increased tensions between the British Parliament and MA which resulted in the British occupation of Boston in 1768 -Letter was issued by the MA General Court & argued that the Townshend Acts were unconstitutional because MA was not represented in Parliament -Argued that while Parliament was still the supreme legislative body in the Empire that did not permit it to violate the British Constitution or the natural rights of the colonists

Committee of Five

-Team of five men who drafted and presented to congress what would ultimately become the US Declaration of Independence -Members included: 1. John Adams-Representative of Massachusetts 2. Thomas Jefferson-Representative of Virginia 3. Benjamin Franklin-Representative of Pennsylvania 4. Roger Sherman-Representative of Connecticut 5. Robert Livingston-Representative of New York -Jefferson was given the task of drafting the document although he believed that Adams should draft it -Adams said Jefferson should write it for three reasons: 1. You are a Virginian and therefore should be at the head of this business 2. I am obnoxious, suspected, and unpopular which you are not 3. You can write ten times better than I can

Whigs/Patriots (America)

-Term for colonists of the 13 Colonies who rebelled against the British -Whigs believed in Republicanism-major leaders included Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Thomas Paine -Critics of British rule called themselves Whigs after 1768-because they were identifying with the British Whig Party that supported their cause -Were opposed to colonists who supported British authority known as the "Tories" or "Royalists" who identified with "Traditionalist conservatism" -Many of these patriots were active before 1775 in groups such as the Sons of Liberty-had a major role in bringing about the revolution

Rage Militaire

-Term which refers to a passion for arms -Characterized the attitudes of the American colonists during the Second Continental Congress -Early enthusiasm for war in 1775 but quickly gave out as the ravages and deprivations of warfare became more self-evident -Paine criticized this saying that they were "summer soldiers and sunshine patriots" who seemed eager to fight during the beginning of the war but quickly dropped out as the dangers of engaging in warfare increased

Treaty of Paris

-Treaty in 1763 which concluded the Seven Years War -Great Britain was the victor in this treaty as it gained the most territory and marked the beginning of British dominance outside of Europe -Also resulted in the Royal Proclamation of 1763 limiting colonial expansion westward

Han Yerry & Tyona Doxtader

-Two "Friendly" Oneidas who helped the Revolutionaries -The Oneida were the only Iroquois sect that ended up not siding with the British -Horatio Gates ordered a colonel to deliver Tyona a bunch of rum for her services

Samuel Adams

-US Founding Father and one of the leaders of the Sons of Liberty -Became a leading figure in Boston for the movement opposing the Stamp Act in the 1760s -Wrote the "Massachusetts Circular Letter" in 1768 which was a response to the Townshend Acts and called for colonial non-cooperation prompted by the occupation of Boston -Was one of the leaders of the Sons of Liberty who led protests and mob attacks on the British and was known for being particularly radical -After the passage of the Coercive Acts in 1774 he attended the 2nd Continental Congress in Philadelphia and was one of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence -Also helped draft the Articles of Confederation and the Massachusetts constitution -Highly debated figure because of the propaganda techniques he used to provoke mob violence to achieve his goals

Thomas Jefferson

-US Founding father and principal author of the Declaration of Independence -Served as the 2nd Vice President & 3rd President of the US -Served as a delegate from Virginia to the Second Continental Congress & worked with John Adams to draft the Declaration of Independence -Major proponent of the American revolution who argued that the rights of the colonists were being trampled -Founded the Democratic-Republican Party with James Madison to oppose the Federalist Party -Incredibly influential-wrote the line "all men are created equal" in the Declaration of Independence & was a major proponent of natural rights & religious freedom

Shay's Rebellion

-Uprisings in September 1786 -Farmers in the town of Hampshire MA began to protest about the fact that their property was being seized because they were unable to pay off their debts and unable to pay state taxes -Revolutionary war officer Daniel Shays led roughly 1,100 debt-ridden farmers who marched on the MA courts and closed them and then demanded that the state legislature respond to their demands -Confederation Congress called out 800 MA militiamen to suppress the revolt but the militia sympathized with the farmers -Congress next attempted to raise half a million dollars to raise a special force but none of the states responded to the request for funds except Virginia -Farmers increased violence but the warfare ended in 1787 when an economic upturn made it possible for the farmers to pay their debts -Rebellion showed how weak congress was and how ineffectual the new government was

George Mason

-Virginia politician and delegate to the US Constitutional Convention in 1787 -Supported the colonial side as tension increased partially due to being neighbors and friends with George Washington -Worked to find ways around the Stamp Act in the late 1760s and ultimately served in the Virginia Conventions of 1775 and 1776 -Wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Rights in 1776 which was used for the final Virginia Convention -Also wrote the constitution for the state of Virginia -During the war he served in the Virginia General Assembly-but never on the Continental Congress

Seven Years War

-War fought between 1755-1764 which involved every major imperial power in Europe except the Ottoman Empire -Began with a conflict between GB and France-involved the colonies where the war was known as the "French and Indian War" -War ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763 where GB was the most successful and gained the bulk of French territory in North America -George III as part of the agreement also passed the Royal Proclamation of 1763 which restricted colonial westward expansion -The war was incredibly important for the revolution because it was very costly which resulted in the tax regime of Grenville that sparked the revolution -Also was important because it alienated GB such that it had no allies during the American Revolutionary War while the Patriots were eventually supported by the French

Fisher Ames

-Was a representative in the US congress from Massachusetts -Important leader of the Federalists in the house and is remembered for his oratorical skills -Part of the Massachusetts convention that ratified US constitution -Remembered as one of the most eloquent of the federalists -Needs to be equalization between public opinion and our system of government

Abigail Adams

-Wife of John Adams and mother of John Quincy Adams -One of the most significant first ladies because of her influence on John Adams as well as the numerous letters of correspondence between the two -She wrote to John Adams while he was in Philadelphia during the Continental Congress-gave insight into the process -Additionally her letters have numerous important discussions of government and politics which became an incredibly valuable primary source for the American Revolutionary war home front

Factors that Helped Decide the Outcome of the War

1. British logistical disadvantages 2. British assumptions about the logic of warfare 3. George Washington's strategy which differed from old world methods of fighting 4. Different definitions of victory for British and Americans 5. French entry into the war

Challenges of Fighting a Citizen Army

1. Citizen army isn't as predictable as a professionally trained force 2. It wasn't just an army that the British were facing-Americans of all kinds and not just soldiers were prepared to fight if necessary which meant anyone could be an enemy 3. Americans were fighting for political independence which was more inspiring than the British cause and made American soldiers go to greater measures

Weaknesses/Problems with the Articles of Confederation

1. England was not treating the new nation with much respect -They agreed to abandon their forts in western territories but had not done so and had implemented trade restrictions 2. Confederation congress could not consistently summon a quorum of states to conduct business-people were more interested in what was going on in their own states 3. Vermont-there were rumors that Ethan Allen was negotiating with British to abandon Vermont's claims to independence if the British would recognize their separate status -Vermont was also annexing some towns in New Hampshire 4. North Carolina attempts to Secede 5. Boundary issue between Pennsylvania and NY -Congress determined where the boundary should be but Pennsylvania essentially ignored Congress

Three Main Debates at the Constitutional Convention

1. Representation -Population vs. one state one vote -Big states vs. small states -Committee came up with the "great compromise" which was proposed by Roger Sherman where the lower house was based on population and the upper house was one state one vote 2. Issue of Slavery -Northern states attacked slavery on moral grounds and proposed taking no account of slaves as part of the population which was opposed by Southern states -Governor Morris of Pennsylvania vs. Charles Pickney of South Carolina -Eventually settled on the "Three-Fifths Compromise" 3. Issue of a National Executive -Compromise was that the president would serve for a 4-year term and there was no limit on the number of times they could be reelected -Would be elected by the electors in separate states an the states themselves could decide how the electors were chosen -Given a considerable amount of power since executive was commander-in-chief of the army and could exercise a veto on congress (which could be overturned by 2/3 vote by congress)

British Disadvantages in the War

1. Supplies -In other wars the British had colonies nearby to help supply their forces -In the American revolution supplies had to be shipped overseas and then carried along the Eastern Seaboard 2. Size of Battlefield -No single central target that could be attacked -Expanse of land that constituted the "battlefield" was the whole of colonial territories 3. Difficulty raising troops to fight the war -British were not enthusiastic about attacking fellow colonists -Hired a large number of German mercenary troops 4. Different definitions of victory -Americans didn't need to defeat the British army to win the war, only had to keep fighting long enough to exhaust British funds and manpower 5. British couldn't turn their backs on the rest of the world and dedicate all their resources to quelling the colonial revolt -Had to worry about the French who were a long time enemy, particularly after the French joined the war on the side of the colonists

British Assumptions in the Revolutionary War

1. Underestimated the persistence and abilities of the Americans 2. Overestimated their own power and popularity among American loyalists -Reports of loyalist support were often exaggerated and led the British to assume that many colonies were basically loyalists and just needed a shove in the right direction -British army's behavior offended many potential loyalists who turned to the revolutionary side 3. British navy would do most of the damage and largely win the war -England had not fought a long sustained land campaign for some time -When it had fought land campaigns it had fought with allies who had supplied much of the land forces to complement Britain's naval forces

British Southern Campaign

From 1779-1781 -British plan for the 4th phase of the revolutionary war was to attack the South to be closer to the West Indies to protect British holdings there against the French -British seized Charleston in 1780 -Cornwallis proceeded into Virginia next-in 1781 a British raiding force was led by Benedict Arnold -GW sent General Lafayette to counter Arnold -Cornwallis fortified Yorktown and eventually the theatre of war converged on Yorktown