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The Road to RevolutionChapter 6.4
Declaring IndependenceStandards: 7.11.6 & 8.1.2
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Second Continental Congress
In the wake of Lexington and Concord, onMay 10, Second Continental Congress met in
Philadelphia (first capital of US)
Delegates of the 13 colonies decided A. Formed the Continental Army
Appointed George Washington Commanding General
B. Began printing paper money to finance war
C. New Colonial Government
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Battle of Fort Ticonderoga
New York, May 10, 1775 Colonial Victory
Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys
successfully capture much needed artillery(cannons)
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Battle of Bunker Hill
Boston, June 1775
British Victory
Actually fought on Breeds Hill
The under matched Colonial militia take the high
ground as the British storm the hillThe British won the battle but at tremendous
cost Appointed George Washington Commanding General
Significance The inexperienced militia held its own against the
much more experienced and most powerful army inthe world
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Battle of Bunker Hill
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Battle of Bunker Hill
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Battle of Bunker Hill
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Olive Branch Petition
Americans still wavering between war andpeace
Less than 50% of population supportedAmerican Independence
In July of 1775, Second Continental Congressdrafted the Olive Branch Petition to seek apeaceful resolution in ending the conflict
King George III rejects the petition and wasdetermined to crush the rebellion
Established a naval blockade around the colonies
Hired German mercenaries (Hessians)
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Battle of Boston
Boston, JanuaryMarch 1776
Colonial Victory
Artillery from the Battle of Fort Ticonderoga
arrive which were used to surround Boston
Americans threatened to bombard the city,
which forced the 9,000 British soldiers and
1,000 loyalists to retreat and sail off to New
York
Significance
Americans recapture a major port city
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Siege of Boston
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Common Sense
Common Sense was a political pamphletwritten by Thomas Paine
Considered one of the most influential
political documents in history
Convinced colonists to seek American
Independence
A. All monarchies were corrupt
B. Strongly favored a Republican government,
that people should control their own destiny
C. America was economically independent
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Common Sense
Excerpt
Everything that is right or natural pleads for
separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping
voice of nature cries, Tis time to part. Even thedistance at which the Almighty had placed
England and America is a strong and natural
proof that the authority of the one over the
other was never the design of heaven.
Thomas Paine, Common Sense
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Thomas Paine, Common Sense
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Declaring Independence
By May of 1776, the Continental Congress wasstill divided and did not support independence
However, Congress authorized each colony to
establish their own governmentOn June 7, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia
introduced a key resolution that called thecolonies, free and independent states and
declared that all political connections betweenthem and the state of Great Britain totally
dissolved
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Declaring Independence
The Continental Congress formed acommittee to draft a Declaration ofIndependence
Committee Members
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Franklin
John Adams
The committee chose Thomas Jefferson of
Virginia to draft the resolution Great Writer
Needed Virginias support to gain independence
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The Declaration of Independence
On July 4, 1776, Congress adopted thedocument proclaiming it the Declaration
of Independence
Thomas Jefferson borrowed heavily fromthe philosophy ofJohn Locke on the
beliefs of human natural rights that we
are all born with (inalienable rights)
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The Declaration of Independence
Document organized into 5 sections A. Preamble
- Introduction and reasons for document
When in the course of human events, it becomes
necessary for one people to dissolve the political
bands which have connected them with another, and
to assume the Laws of Nature and of Natures God
entitle to them, a decent respect to the opinions ofmankind requires that they should declare the cause
which impel them to the separation.
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The Declaration of Independence
B. Rights of the People to Control their
Government- A. Natural Rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit and
Happiness
- B. Governments main job is to uphold natural rights
- C. People have right to abolish government if natural
are denied
- D. Government is instituted among men and powerscome from the consent governed
C. Grievances against King George III and
the British government (27 Offenses) D. Actions taken by the colonists in seeking
peace and resolution
E. Declaring Independence from Britain
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The Declaration of Independence
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The Signing of the Declaration of Independence
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