chapter 4 section 3,4,5 ideas behind the revolution & fight for independence objective: explain...
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 4 Section 3,4,5
Ideas behind the Revolution& Fight for Independence
Objective:•Explain major points of the Declaration of Independence.•Summarize the first Battles between Britain and the colonists.•Describe the strategies behind the Northern Campaign•Summarize the scope of the war at sea.
I. Setting the Scene- the American Revolution was very much about ideas - ideas that would bring about major changes
Chapter 4 Section 3
Ideas behind the Revolution
Old South Meeting Church
Thomas Paine
A. Common Sense- one of the most influential pamphlets in
American History (120,000 copies sold)- written by Thomas Paine, a recent immigrant from England in 1775- first published in Philadelphia in 1776- Common Sense > written in simple and direct style that the common man could understand- Paine argued that it made “common sense” for the colonies to be independent from Britain- Paine called the king a “Royal Brute”- Paine declared that a republic should be
created in America with power deriving from the people
Paine’s thought on the rule of Monarchies
• “Hereditary succession…opens a door to the foolish, the wicked, and improper…Men who look upon themselves born to reign, and other to obey…selected by mankind their minds are early poisoned by importance…they succeed to the government are frequently the most ignorant and unfit of any…”
B. The Declaration of Independence1. The Second Continental Congress- second meeting of colonial representatives that met beginning in May 1775- some delegates were outspoken Patriots – other delegates were very moderate
Patrick Henry > “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”
2. The Olive Branch Petition (Nov. 1775)- drafted by a moderate, John Dickinson, of
Pennsylvania- in this petition, the delegates pledged their
loyalty to Britain and to the King and asked that King George III answer their complaints and end hostilities in America (this was after the Battle of Bunker Hill)
- it was a last-ditch effort on the part of the moderates
- the King refused the petition and declared that “the line had been drawn in the sand”
• “To the King's Most Excellent Majesty. Most Gracious Sovereign, We, your Majesty's faithful subjects of the colonies of…The union between our Mother Country and these colonies, and the energy of mild and just government, produced benefits so remarkably important, and afforded such an assurance of their permanency and increase, that the wonder and envy of other Nations were excited, while they beheld Great Britain rising to a power the most extraordinary the world had ever known…That your Majesty may enjoy a long and prosperous reign, and that your descendants may govern your dominions with honor to themselves and happiness to their subjects is our sincere and fervent prayer.
3.Drafting the Declaration of Independence
- in May 1776, the Virginia House of Burgess proposed a resolution that independence be declared
- the Virginia assembly instructed one of the Virginia delegates to the Second Continental Congress, Richard Henry Lee, to put forth a resolution of independence before the Congress
- Congress accepted the resolution and in June 1776, appointed a committee to draft a declaration of independence.
- The Committee included:1.Thomas Jefferson - Virginia2. John Adams - Massachusetts3. Roger Sherman - Connecticut4. Robert Livingston – New Jersey5. Ben Franklin – Pennsylvania
- The Committee chose Thomas Jefferson to formally draft the Declaration of Independence
Independence Hall… birth place of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution
4. Ideas behind the Declaration- Jefferson was influenced by the Age of Reason or Enlightenment which emphasized science
and reason as a way to improve society- John Locke was an Enlightenment English
philosopher that had the most influence over Jefferson.
- Locke had wrote that all men had natural rights to life, liberty, and property
John Locke
5.Parts of the Declaration
a. Preamble-the introduction in which Jefferson
explained the purpose of the document (to explain why)
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
b.Declaration of Rights
- Jefferson explained the ideas behind the document (and thus behind the Revolution)
- Jefferson expanded on John Locke’s natural rights theme
- “inalienable rights” > rights that could not be taken away
-Social Contract Theory > said that people form governments to protect their natural rights.
* If the government does not act in the best interest of the people to protect those rights, then people have the right to revolt and replace the government with a new one
c. List of Complaints- Jefferson included a list of complaints against the king. 27 grievances were listed
- Jefferson also condemned slavery in the Declaration of Independence but it was stricken from the document during debate
d. Resolution- Jefferson wrote, “these United Colonies are, and
of Right ought to be free and independent states.”
6.Debate and Adoption
- Jefferson thought he had written an almost perfect declaration. Yet, the delegates to the Second Continental Congress debated and changed the document.
- July 2, 1776> Declaration was adopted- July 4, 1776> Declaration was printed
C.“Remember the Ladies”
- the idea that “all men are created equal” did not apply to women, African American, or Native Americans
- All of these groups were shut off from politics- Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams, was very
politically aware- She wrote to her husband and routinely told him to
“remember the ladies”- Yet both Abigail and John knew that the idea of
women’s rights was far to outrageous for the time.
Colonel William Prescott
Battle of Bunker Hill
