SIGNIFICANT EVENTS OF THE SIGNIFICANT EVENTS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONAMERICAN REVOLUTION

Colonists were unwilling to live under

British rule and desired a democratic,

representative government. A committee was

formed to draft the Declaration of Independence.

1776 The Declaration of Independence

A committee composed of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson submitted a landmark document Jefferson had drafted, in which the colonies declared themselves to be independent.

Issues That Prompted the Colonists to Declare Independence

The Declaration of Independence listed the reasons why the colonists were no longer willing to live under British rule. They wanted control of the colonies and respect for the colonists’ rights.

In the Declaration of IndependenceThe colonists complained that the

British king…• suspended their legislatures and abolished

their laws

• imposed taxes without their consent

• deprived them of trial by jury

• kept standing armies in the colonies in times of peace

• quartered troops among the colonists

LEXINGTONLEXINGTON AND CONCORDAND CONCORD

• British marched to British marched to LexingtonLexington and and ConcordConcord to take away colonial weapons to take away colonial weapons and arrest and arrest Samuel AdamsSamuel Adams and and John John HancockHancock..

• First shots fired on First shots fired on April 18, 1775April 18, 1775 when when minutemen and British soldiers faced minutemen and British soldiers faced one another on the town commons.one another on the town commons.

• It was known as “the shot heard around It was known as “the shot heard around the world”.the world”.

BUNKER HILL (BREED’S HILL)BUNKER HILL (BREED’S HILL)

• June 16, 1775June 16, 1775..• BritishBritish planned to drive planned to drive AmericansAmericans from their from their

location.location.• Americans were low on Americans were low on ammunitionammunition. .

American Colonel Prescott shouted the American Colonel Prescott shouted the order ”Don’t fire until you see the order ”Don’t fire until you see the whiteswhites of of their their eyeseyes”. ”.

• Americans lost they ran out of Americans lost they ran out of gunpowdergunpowder and withdrew. and withdrew.

• British British wonwon but suffered heavy but suffered heavy losseslosses..

SARATOGASARATOGA

• October 17, 1777October 17, 1777..• Known as the “Known as the “turning pointturning point” in the war.” in the war.• American American wonwon this battle and it boosted this battle and it boosted

American morale.American morale.• FranceFrance enters the war on the American enters the war on the American

side. side. • British General Burgoyne surrendered and British General Burgoyne surrendered and

handed their handed their weaponsweapons to the Americans. to the Americans.

YORKTOWNYORKTOWN

• OCTOBER 19, 1781OCTOBER 19, 1781..

• Lord Cornwallis surrenders to Lord Cornwallis surrenders to American colonistsAmerican colonists..

• British British suppliessupplies were low; supply line were low; supply line had been cut by had been cut by French Navy.French Navy.

• Colonial Colonial PatriotsPatriots won the battle at won the battle at YorktownYorktown. .

TREATY OF PARIS 1783TREATY OF PARIS 1783

• Treaty was signed Treaty was signed September 3, 1783September 3, 1783..• Benjamin Franklin, John JayBenjamin Franklin, John Jay, and , and John AdamsJohn Adams

represented the United States.represented the United States.• Treaty a triumph for the United States.Treaty a triumph for the United States.• Great BritainGreat Britain recognized the U.S. as an recognized the U.S. as an

independentindependent nation. nation.• The territory for the The territory for the newnew nation extended from nation extended from

the the AtlanticAtlantic Ocean to the Ocean to the MississippiMississippi River and River and from from CanadaCanada to Spanish to Spanish FloridaFlorida. .

• British promised to withdraw all their troops. British promised to withdraw all their troops. • Treaty ended the Treaty ended the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution..

Articles of Confederation

However

• The Articles of Confederation were approved by Congress in 1777.

• The document was the first national constitution of the United States.

• The Articles created a single national governing body called the Confederation Congress.

• Congress had the power to make laws with the approval of 9 of the 13 states.

However, the Articles had a number of weaknesses!

Inability of Congress to amend the articles without the approval of all 13 states

Lack of an executive branchInability of Congress to regulate trade

between the statesInability of Congress to impose taxes

By 1787 many Americans had By 1787 many Americans had become become dissatisfieddissatisfied with the way with the way

the national government the national government functioned under the functioned under the Articles of Articles of

ConfederationConfederation. On May 25, . On May 25, 17871787, , the Constitutional Convention the Constitutional Convention

was convened in Philadelphia to was convened in Philadelphia to revise the Articles. However, the revise the Articles. However, the

result was the creation of an result was the creation of an entirely new document.entirely new document.