Magna Carta – (1215) proclaims basic rights and guarantees specific liberties to the English people

Creates a foundation for American democracy 1607 – Jamestown is founded in Virginia

105 settlers to start, end up with 32January 1608 110 more setters arrive

1619- 20 Africans are brought to Jamestown on a Dutch ship, the beginning of slavery in the American Colonies

The Early Colonies

1620 – Mayflower lands at Cape Cod, MassachusettsThe 41 men sign the Mayflower Compact establishing

a form of local government. Colonists agree to live by majority rule and cooperate for

the good of the colony.Sets the precedent for future colonies

1624 – Dutch colonists arrive in New York (trading post established there in 1613)

1624 – Virginia is officially declared a Royal colonyKing Charles I of England dissolves parliament and

rules as an absolute monarch pushing many to leave for the colonies

The Early Colonies

1630 - John Winthrop leads Puritan migration (900 people) to Massachusetts Bay, Boston is established

1634 – First settlement in Maryland, 200 people most of them Catholic

1636 – Providence, Rhode Island is founded and becomes a safe haven for colonists fleeing religious intolerance

1652 – Rhode Island becomes the first colony to declare slavery illegal

1663 - King Charles II establishes Carolina (will officially split into North and South in 1712)

The Early Colonies

1681 – Pennsylvania is founded by Quaker William Penn

1682 & 1685 – colonists begin coming from Germany and France

1686 – King James II begins combining the New England colonies into one area totally controlled by the King’s representatives

1696 – New England colonists begin trading slaves for profit.

The Early Colonies

1700 – The population of the colonies reaches 275,0001705 – Virginia slaves are given the status of real

estate , a law in New York assigns the death penalty to runaway slaves found more than 40 miles N. of Albany, in Massachusetts marriage between whites and African Americans is declared illegal

1714 – tea is introduced into the American colonies 1725 – population of black slaves reaches 75,0001754 to 1763 –French and Indian War

Under the Treaty of Paris, France gives all territory east of the Mississippi to England (except New Orleans) The Spanish also give up east and west Florida in return for Cuba.

British Rule

Hobbes created the idea of a social contract and believed that it could not be taken away.

Government cannot be overthrown

Social Contract – an agreement by the people in a society to give up some of their rights in return for protection from a government

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)

Locke agreed with the idea of a social contract but added his own beliefs to it:

The contract could be taken away. Government can be overthrown

A government depends on the consent of the people, if that consent is withdrawn then there is no social contract.

Locke also believed that government should not promote or restrict specific religions

Natural Rights – Life, Liberty, Property

John Locke (1632-1704)

The ideas of Locke and Hobbes influenced American Government in many ways:Social contract

Natural Rights

Government can be overthrown (if it is not representing the people)

Locke and Hobbes in the Colonies

Sugar Act 1764Tax on foreign refined sugar Increased taxes on foreign coffee, indigo, and

specific wines. Also banned importation of rum and French wines

Affected only a certain part of the population but they were very vocal about it. This is the first time the colonists wanted a say in how much they were taxed

Events leading to Revolution

Stamp Act 1765Every newspaper, pamphlet and other public

and legal documents had to have a stamp (British seal)

Now they colonists had to pay for this stamp The Crown repealed the Act in 1766 but also

declared that Great Britain was superior to the Colonies in “all cases whatsoever”

The Stamp Act Congress and the Sons of Liberty were formed in response to this act

“no taxation without representation”

Events Leading to Revolution

Townshend Acts 1767Placed new taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea

All were repealed except the tax on tea

Boston Massacre March 5, 1770Five American colonists by British troopsOne man, Crispus Attacks, was killedNo one really knows what happened.

Did the colonists have weapons? Why did the British Open Fire?

American and British relations worsened because of this

Events Leading to Revolution

Boston Tea Party December 16, 1773The Sons of Liberty, angry about another tax on

tea, boarded 3 British ships in in Boston harborThey dumped 342 crates of British tea into the

harbor Similar actions were taken by colonists in New

York, Maryland, and New Jersey with in the next few months

Tea would eventually be boycotted throughout the colonies

Events Leading to Revolution

52 delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia in September 1774

Delegate – a representativeThe meeting was spurred on by the passage of the

Intolerable ActsA series of laws enacted as a response to the Boston Tea Party

They met in secret so that the British wouldn’t know why they were meeting

They talked about a boycott of British trade, publishing a list of rights and grievances, and petitioning the King for a remedy for those grievances

First Continental Congress

Lexington and Concord April 19, 1775“The Shot Heard Round The World”First shots fired between American and British

troops, but no one knows who shot firstBritish were marching on the American arms

depot in ConcordAt Lexington the Americans were forced to

withdraw but slowed the British down At Concord the Americans were waiting when

the British arrived and were quickly forced to retreat

The American Revolution

Second Continental Congress May 1775Organized the war on the American’s sideCreated the Continental Army and named

Washington as commander-in-chiefBattle of Bunker Hill June 1775Thomas Paine’s Common Sense January 15, 1776British are forced to evacuate Boston March 1776Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776British win battle of Brooklyn and occupy New

York City August-September 1776Washington crosses the Delaware December 1776

The American Revolution

The Marquis de Lafayette arrives in Philadelphia July 1777

Washington’s Troops spend the winter at Valley Forge, PA December 1777 (were camped there till June 1778)

Official French Alliance February 1778Articles of Confederation adopted March 1781British Commander Cornwallis is surrounded by

American and French troops and surrenders at Yorktown October 19, 1781

Treaty of Paris is signed September 3, 1783Britain recognizes the independent United States of

America and removes all troops from the new nation

The American Revolution

Declaration of IndependenceProduct of the year

long Second Continental Congress

Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson

Adopted July 4th Finial signature Aug 2nd

Declaration had 4 parts1. Preamble

Introduction, why is it being written?

2. Declaration of Rights3. Grievances

Explains the “unfair actions,” and the actions that can be taken to settle differences

4. Conclusion Declaring

Independence

Creating the Constitution