Written by Thomas Jefferson. Declared the colonies an independent country from Britain. Included a statement of intent, list of grievances, and a conclusion that dissolved ties with Britain
British beliefs after 7 years war
They viewed the colonies as subordinates. They had spent billions on defending them, and thought they'd want to help pay the debt.
Failures of the articles of confederation
France and others wanted their debt paid back, yet the national government didn’t have money. States had individual economies that didn’t collaborate.
2nd Continental Congress
How would the colonists win? George Washington would lead an army
How would they pay for it? New currency
Boston massacre
Parliament sent 1,000 troops to boston to enforce the townshend acts. Protesters began throwing snowballs, and eventually rocks at a group of soldiers. Someone fired a shot, and the soldiers killed 5 protesters
Checks and balances
Different branches of government could check each other to prevent abuse of power.
Lexington and Concorde
British troops marched to take a militia's weapons. They we're beaten back and chased back to boston by militia minutemen
Whiskey rebellion
violent tax protest from 1791-1794.
the whiskey was the first tax imposed on a domestic product by president Washington to pay for the war. It unfairly burdened poor farmers west of the Appalachian mountains because they couldn't do business anymore
Townshend Acts
In opposing the stamp act, the colonists said trade should be regulated instead. Parliament passed the townshend acts and began taxing imports and exports.
Articles of confederation
Democratic Republicans
Weak national government
Proclamation of 1763
Britain didn't want to spend more money defending the colonies from the natives, so they banned settling beyond the Appalachian mountains
XYZ affair
French and british continued to kidnap american sailors, so Adams sent ministers to negotiate. When they arrived, 3 agents demanded a bribe just to speak to the foreign minister. John Adams almost declared war.
All paper products sold in the colonies had to be stamped and pay a small tax. It spurred on revolutionary ideals.
Virtual representation
The idea that each representative in parliament represented the empire as a whole, and therefore, the colonies were represented.
Common sense
Attacked the obstacles to independence. It was the best selling work in American history because it presented his ideas in a vernacular way.
pinckney's treaty
between US and spain, defined border US and spanish florida, guranteed US navigation rights in mississippi river
The Albany conference
Meeting between leaders of 7 colonies to create a plan for joint defense and administration of the colonies. "Join or die"
Annapolis convention
The Virginia plan
The plan for representation favored by large states. It called for 2 houses with population based representation and a strong national government.
A dispute over a French fort spiraled into a global conflict. Indigenous tribes tried to play Britain and France off of each other.
First political parties
Divisions over neutrality in the French revolution, the Jay treaty, the financial plan, and existing sectionalism created the first political parties.
Hamilton's financial plan
1) Establish the U.S. credit worthiness 2) Unify the states' debt 3) Create a national bank 4) Whiskey tax to pay for the revolution 5) Establish tariffs to protect american businesses
The middle ground
The areas where both colonists and native people would trade and coexist
sedition act
applied restrictions to immigration and speech in US made it a crime for americans to print, utter, or publish any false, scandalous, malicious writing about the government
Stamp act congress
Delegates met in New York to send the "declaration of rights & grievances" to the king. They also organized a boycott of British goods.
virginia and kentucky resolutions
British won, but had many casualties. They eventually abandoned Boston
Colonial attitude towards independence
They didn’t want it. Initially the revolution was a petition to get the same rights as other British citizens
