Causes of the American Revolution: Part 3

IntroductionFollowing the passage of the

Intolerable Acts, the Colonies came together to form the First Continental Congress where a debate raged on two topics War or Peace

As events heat up, the Continental Congress appealed to the King George III for a peaceful solution, but their attempts were ignored

With no other option, the founding fathers selected Thomas Jefferson to draft the Declaration of Independence, stating America’s freedom from British rule

Common SenseDefinition: A pamphlet authored by

Thomas Paine making the case that America should not tolerate the British abuse of powerConvinced common people to

support the Revolution movement

Top selling book in the colonies (500,000 copies)

“Paine wrote as a common person speaking to common people”

Battles of Lexington and Concord

100s of British troops marched to Concord, MA to take a large supply of weapons from the Colonial militia.

Militia: Citizen Soldiers

Paul Revere and other members of the Sons of Liberty heard about this and warned colonists of the British coming to Concord.

Thomas GagePaul RevereWilliam Dawes:The most

underrated man in American

History

Lexington and ConcordAs the British enter the city of

Lexington, 70 militiamen block the path to Concord

A shot is fired causing both sides to start fighting, eventually the Colonists were forced to retreat

The British arrived in Concord- the Colonists had already moved the guns

The British march back to Boston, but are attacked by hundreds of angry colonists

The shot

heard

around

the

world!!

Lexington and Concord

In total, British Casualties: 250Colonial Casualties: Less than 100

Significance: First battle of the Revolutionary War

Second Continental Congress

Definition: Meeting of colonial representatives to decide on how to respond to Lexington and Concord

Two plans emergeAppoint General George

Washington to assemble a Continental Army

Write “The Olive Branch petition” to ask for a peaceful resolution

The King rejects the Olive Branch petition, leaving the Colonists with one choice: To declare Independence

The Declaration of

Independence

The Declaration of IndependenceDefinition: The document signed on July 4,

1776 that officially proclaimed American independence from England

The Continental Congress chose Thomas Jefferson to lead the team that was to write the Declaration of Independence Others:

John AdamsBenjamin Franklin

In all 56 representatives sign the DeclarationConsidered treason, punishable by death

The Declaration of IndependenceThe Declaration was set up into

three parts:Part 1: Individual Rights

Focused on the colonists right to pursue their rights

“Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”

Part 2: The Grievances Twenty-seven complaints against the British that

cause us to leave

Part 3: Official separationEstablishes that we are own independent

nation

Social Contract- The idea that people should follow the laws of government so long as the laws are fair and just.

Who was left out of the Declaration?Minority Group (Non-whites,

Women)“All men are created equal”It should have been “all

landowning, white, males are created equal”

The set up of the American GovernmentTHAT’S THE

CONSTITUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!