Declaration of Independence

• After the Olive Branch Petition was rejected by the King, Paine authors Common Sense attacking the King

• Well received in the colonies, it sold nearly 500,000 copies

The Declaration of Independence• By the summer of

1776, plans for formal declaration of independence from Britain

• Drawing inspiration from Locke, Thomas Jefferson authors the Declaration of Independence

• Adopted July 4, 1776

The Declaration of Independence• Sides are chosen in

the colonies• Loyalists-colonists

who remained loyal to the crown

• Patriots- those who chose to rage against the machine(the machine being the Crown)

Revolutionary War• The war escalates by

end of 1776• Battle of NY sees

British force Washington’s army out

• With only about 8,000 men left, Washington attempts a bold move on Christmas, 1776

• Launches a surprise nighttime attack and captures Trenton

Revolutionary War• Few day later he

defeats British at Princeton giving his Army hope

• Spring 1777, British focus on Philadelphia, it falls by the Fall(haha)

• TURNING POINT-• Battle of Saratoga-fall

1777. US forces win decisive victory convincing French to help us

Revolutionary War• Washington winters in

Valley Forge PA, loses 2000 troops to cold

• Von Steuben Prussian military leader whips Continental Army into shape

• De Lafayette French military leader also helped get France into war

Revolutionary War• By summer of 1778,

British changed plans• Focus becomes the

South• British General

Cornwallis has some early success, however eventually US forces under General Green defeat them at Cowpens, SC

• Cornwallis retreats to Yorktown, VA

Revolutionary War• Cornwallis makes the

fatal mistake of retreating into the Yorktown peninsula

• French and US forces place British forces under seige

• French navy blockades them in and Cornwallis is forced to surrender October 17, 1781

The Peace Process• US , Britain, France and Spain

met to discuss North America• Europeans thought they could

strong arm new nation• Franklin, Jay, John Adams

demand Britain recognize US independence

• Sept. 1783, Treaty of Paris is signed. US boundary now set. Atlantic Ocean to Mississippi River and Canada to Florida

• New challenge is creating the workable government.