Section 2 at a Glance
American Independence
• After the French and Indian War, the colonists rebelled against British
attempts to assert control over the colonies and against new British
taxes.
• In 1775 the Second Continental Congress called for the writing of a
formal Declaration of Independence.
Chapter 2 Content Statement
Content Statement 5
As the supreme law of the land, the U.S. Constitution
incorporates basic principles that help define the
government of the United States as a federal republic
including its structure, powers and relationship with the
governed.
Content Elaborations:
Basic principles which help define the government of the
United States include but are not limited to popular
sovereignty, limited government, federalism, separation of
powers, and checks and balances.
Chapter 2-2 vocab p. 37
• New England Confederation
• Iroquois Confederation
• Albany Plan of Union
• Stamp Act
• First Continental Congress
• Second Continental Congress
• Virginia Declaration of Rights
Chapter 2-2 vocab p. 37
• New England Confederation: an alliance formed in 1643 by the Plymouth,
Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, and New Haven colonies in order to defend
themselves from threats posed by Native Americans and by settlers from nearby
Dutch colonies.
• Iroquois Confederation: an alliance of six Native American nations ( the Mohawk,
Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora) formed in 1570 to end wars
between the nations and to stand together to resist European takeover.
• Albany Plan of Union: (1754) first plan for uniting the colonies: proposed by Ben
Franklin.
• Stamp Act: (1765) law passed by the English Parliament that required a government
tax stamp on paper goods an all legal documents, such as contracts and licenses.
• First Continental Congress: (1774) a meeting of colonial delegates in Philadelphia
to decide how to respond to the abuses of authority by the British government
• Second Continental Congress: (1775) meeting in Philadelphia three weeks after
Lexington and Concord. Organized a militia to be led by George Washington in order
to defend colonies from British.
• Virginia Declaration of Rights: (1776) a declaration of the citizens’ rights issued by
the Virginia Convention. Virginia declares independence from Britain before U.S. as a
whole.
American Independence
Main Idea
The British imposed new policies on their American colonies, sparking
rebellion and, in time, the American Revolution.
Reading Focus
• How did British colonial policies lead to American independence?
• What were the aims of the Continental Congress?
• Which ideas and events inspired the Declaration of Independence?
• How did the first state governments reflect the conflict that led to the
American Revolution?
The Colonies Become States
The Road to Independence
The road that led the American colonies to unite with one another and break
with Great Britain was long and fraught with conflict.
1. Early Attempts at Unity
• 1643: New England
Confederation formed to defend
against threats from Native
Americans and Dutch colonies
• 1754-1763: French and Indian War
spurred new drive toward unity
2. Growing Tensions
• Mid-1700s: colonists used to
handling affairs without interference
from British
• 1760: King George III began to
tighten control over colonies
• Most colonists viewed selves as loyal
• 1754: Great Britain urged signing of
subjects of British Crown
treaty with Iroquois Confederation
• Parliament began to think colonies
• Ben Franklin proposed Albany
had become too independent
Plan of Union to control trade,
• Following French and Indian War,
raise armies, build settlements,
Parliament placed new financial
equip fleets
burdens on colonists
3. Changes in British Policies
• British victorious in French and Indian War, but incurred massive debts
• Parliament looked to colonies to offset cost of war, defense of colonies
• Enforced trade restrictions benefiting Britain, including series of taxes
• Colonists resented being taxed without their consent. “No taxation without
representation”
4. The Stamp Act Congress
• 1765: Stamp Act: Parliament’s first attempt to tax colonists directly
• Required tax stamp on paper goods such as legal documents and newspapers
• October 1765 9 colonies formed the Stamp Act Congress to craft a united response to
the tax measure. **BOYCOTT**
• Angry colonists responded with protests; in 1765, delegates from 9 colonies sent
strong protest to king declaring power to tax should remain with colonial assemblies.
5. Colonial Protests
• 1766: Stamp Act repealed; colonies protested, organized resistance; Boston Massacre
• 1772: Committees of Correspondence formed by Samuel Adams.
• 1773: Boston Tea Party protested American tea trade given to one British company.
• 1774: New harsh laws, Intolerable Acts, ended all forms of self-rule in Massachusetts.
Compromise
6. First Continental Congress
• Most colonists held out hope for compromise
to roll back taxes.
• 1774: First Continental Congress passed
Declaration and Resolves demanding repeal of
Intolerable Acts.
• Virginia and Massachusetts assemblies
called for meeting of colonies in Philadelphia.
7. Second Continental Congress
• 1775: Second Continental Congress
organized Continental Army, named George
Washington as commander. Authorized the
formation of militia
• 12 of 13 colonies attended the meeting.
• Olive Branch appeal sent to King George II in
July 1775.
• King refused to read it and said every effort
would be made to suppress the rebellin.
• Revolutionary War began as colonists sought
independence from Britain
• 1775: British rejected demands; British troops
clashed with colonial militia at Lexington and
Concord—the first armed resistance by
colonists. “Shot heard ‘round the world”
*Common Sense of Democracy*p.41
• 1776: The Common Sense pamphlet argued
case for break with England.
• Thomas Paine: independence was the only
“common sense” for colonists
• Saw history of world hanging on outcome of
colonies’ rebellion
8.The Declaration of Independence
• Armed conflict continued for months before independence officially declared
• June 7, 1776: resolution proposed to Second Continental Congress to
officially declare independence from Great Britain; resolution passed July 2
• Committee appointed to write formal statement justifying resolution
• Thomas Jefferson wrote most of document, drawing on Virginia
Declaration of Rights adopted by Virginia House of Burgesses one month
earlier.
• John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman also
contributed to Declaration of Independence.
• Virginia declaration declared “all men are by nature equally free and
independent and have certain inherent rights” that cannot be denied.
• Echoed philosophy of John Locke that people have rights to “life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness”
• Also echoed idea of government as social contract based on consent of the
people
• July 4, 1776: Declaration of Independence was adopted. Britain’s thirteen
colonies ceased to exist as new nation emerged.
9.The State Constitutions
By 1780, each of the 13 newly independent states had adopted its
own written constitution. Each tested ideas about how to design a
republican government that protected individual rights.
9.Self-Government
• All new state constitutions
established republican governments
with strong legislatures with elected
representatives.
• Voting rights varied from state to
state.
10.Separation of Powers
• Three branches of government:
legislative, executive, judicial
• States had real power to govern.
• Powers included conducting foreign
affairs, declaring war
• Most legislatures had two houses.
• Some states granted the right to vote • Some elected governors and judges.
to adult male taxpayers, others had
property qualifications; only New
Jersey allowed women to vote.
11. Limited Government
• Strong legislative bodies reflected general mistrust of monarchy.
• Colonists did not grant unlimited power to legislatures.
• Annual elections, term limits, separation of powers
established as checks
• Kept powers of governors deliberately weak, limited
term
12. Individual Rights
• Protecting people’s rights seen as way to protect from
excesses of government
• 1780: Massachusetts constitution included bill of rights
to protect individual liberties.
• Liberties included trial by jury, freedom of assembly,
and speech.