The Beginnings of American Government Chapter 2 Section 2 Independence

INDEPENDENCE Objectives: * Explain how Britain’s colonial policies contributed to the growth of self-government in the colonies. * Identify the major steps that led to growing feelings of colonial unity. Consider the ways that colonists organized to protest British policies and the contributions of significant individuals, including Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Roger Sherman, John Jay, and George Washington. * Examine the debates and compromises that impacted the creation of the Declaration of Independence.

INDEPENDENCE British Colonial Polices Much of British political history can be told in terms of the century-long struggle for supremacy between the monarch and Parliament. That conflict was settled by England’s Glorious Revolution of 1688 and then through the American colonial period. Parliament did not pay much attention to the American colonies until late in the colonial period. The King and the Privy Council and the Board of Trade in London were the ones to control the colonies.

INDEPENDENCE The Colonies were in theory governed by London, but that was 3,000 miles away and the colonists were mainly self-governed. BY the mid 1700s, the relationship between Britain and the colonies had become federal. This meant that the central government in London was responsible for colonial defense and for foreign affairs. It also provided a uniform system of money d and credit and a common market for colonial trade. Beyond that, the colonies were allowed a fairly wide amount of self-rule.

INDEPENDENCE When George III came to power in 1760, Britain began to deal more firmly with its colonies. – New taxes were levied to help pay the heavy costs incurred by the British during the French and Indian War ( ). – Since the war was fought to protect the colonies, George reasoned that the colonists should have to pay a share of the costs. – Along with new taxes, restrictive trading acts were expanded and enforced. – Many colonists took strong exception to those policies. – They objected to taxes imposed on them from afar. – Because the colonists had no representation in Parliament, they claimed such taxes amounted to “taxation without representation”.

INDEPENDENCE Growing Colonial Unity If the colonists were going to revolt, they would have to work together to make it work. In 1643, The Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, New Haven, and Connecticut settlements formed the New England Confederation – “a league of friendship” for defense against the Native Americans. – As the danger passed, friction among the settlements grew and the confederation dissolved in 1764.

INDEPENDENCE The Albany Plan – 1754, the British Board of Trade called a meeting of seven of the northern colonies at Albany, NY. – The purpose was to discuss the problems of colonial trade and the danger of attacks by the French and their Native American allies. – Benjamin Franklin proposed the creation of an annual congress of delegates from the 13 colonies. – They would have the power to raise military and naval forces, make war and peace with the Native Americans, regulate trade with them, tax, and collect custom duties. – This plan was turned down by the colonies.

INDEPENDENCE Parliament had passed a number of new laws among them the Stamp Act of – This law required the use of tax stamps on all legal documents, on certain business agreements, and on newspapers. – This new tax was widely denounced by the colonists. – The Stamp Act Congress of 1765 was a protest of the Stamp Act. – The Protest was called the Declaration of Rights and Grievances against Britain. – Parliament repealed the Stamp Act, but new laws and policies that tied the colonists were more closely to London.

INDEPENDENCE Mob violence began at many of the ports in the Colonies. The Committee of Correspondence which was started by Samuel Adams in 1772 in Boston. This was a network of cooperation between the colonists. Other protests included the Boston Tea Party in 1773.

INDEPENDENCE The First Continental Congress In the spring of 1774, Parliament passed another set of laws, this time to punish the colonists for the troubles in Boston and elsewhere. The Intolerable Acts were denounced in the Colonies and it promoted widespread calls for a meeting of the colonies. Delegates from every colony except Georgia came to Philadelphia, PA on September 05, 1774.

INDEPENDENCE This would become known as the First Continental Congress – For two months these men met to discuss to worsening situation and debated plans for action. – Most of the delegates were opposed to independence. – There was still hope that a compromise could be reached. – At the end, the delegates sent a Declaration of Rights protesting Britain’s policies to King George III. – Colonies refused all trade with England until the hated taxes and trade regulations were repealed.

INDEPENDENCE The Second Continental Congress During the fall of 1774, the British government refused to compromise, let alone reverse its policies. More restrictive measures would follow. May 10, 1775 the second congress was held in Philadelphia, All 13 colonies sent delegates to this meeting. John Hancock was chosen as president of the Congress.

INDEPENDENCE George Washington was chosen as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. They drafted an Olive Branch petition as a last resort effort to make peace with Great Britain. This petition was rejected by King George III.

INDEPENDENCE Now the Congress was forced to create the first government of the US. – It rested on no constitutional base. – This government would last 5 years. – They would adopt the Declaration of Independence in – They would adopt the Articles of Confederation in – It raised an army and navy to protect the citizens of the colonies. – They borrowed funds to pay for their expenses. – They were an unicameral legislature.

INDEPENDENCE The Declaration of Independence They delegation proposed a proclamation of independence when they wrote the Declaration of Independence to declare the colonists’ freedom from Great Britain. This document had a lot of John Locke’s ideas in it for individual freedom. It said people had a natural right that belonged to them and could not be taken away from them by the government. Not all delegates wanted to break away from England. a lot of debate took place on this issue.

INDEPENDENCE They finally reached a decision on July 02, 1776 to adopt the Declaration of Independence. Now the United States of America was born. They were now free and independent of Great Britain. This document ushered in the idea of human rights and limited government. No political system had ever been founded on the notion that the people should rule instead of being ruled.

INDEPENDENCE The Declaration was also revolutionary because it was founded on the concept of ”the consent of the governed” with certain unalienable rights (rights that the government could not take away). The country right away had an identity that set the United States apart from all other nations. The country moved to have some rights protected by the national government and others protected by the state governments.

INDEPENDENCE The First State Constitution In January of 1778, New Hampshire adopted a constitution to replace its loyal charter. All states had a written constitution – bodies of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of their government. Most of the state constitutions differed greatly from each other

INDEPENDENCE The most common feature was popular sovereignty – limited government, civil rights, and liberties, separation of powers, and checks and balances. The United States government could be conducted only with the consent of the governed. The new State governments could only exercise those powers that were granted to them. The powers granted to the new State governments were divided among three distinct branches: Executive, Judicial, and Legislative

INDEPENDENCE Most of the authority that was granted to government was placed in the legislature. Elective terms of office were made short (one or two years). The right to vote was limited to those adult white males who could meet the rigid qualifications, including property ownership.