Bunker Hill, The Enlightenment, and The Declaration All these things.

2nd Continental Congress This is basically the same delegation members as the 1st, but they meet in May of 1775, in response to the Battles of Lexington and Concord. They do not have a unified vision for how the colonies should proceed. John Adams (Mass) wants independence. John Dickenson wants peace with Great Britain.

Battle of Bunker Hill After Lexington and Concord, Boston militiamen had been on alert and were ready to attack British troops. On a June morning, General Gage (British) moved his troops up Breed’s Hill. Militiamen were waiting to ambush them, but they had little ammunition. They waited until the soldiers were very close, then opened fire. The colonists end up losing, but they killed over 1,000 British Troops.

Olive Branch Petition The 2nd Cont. Congress decided to send a petition to the King for peace. They still felt loyalty towards him and they still were not ready to declare independence. The King rejects the petition and tells Parliament to start making plans for war.

Enlightenment This is a period of time in Europe where many philosophers are thinking about how a government should treat its people. John Locke believed that men had “natural” rights, like life, liberty, and property. He also believed that a government was supposed to protect those rights, and that if it failed to do so, it was the people’s right to rebel against that government.

Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense.” This was a 50 page pamphlet that said it was time for America to declare independence. He said it was America’s “destiny” and that we would be able to trade with whomever we wanted. It was widely circulated and read throughout the colonies.

Declaration of Independence In the early summer of 1776, the 2nd Cont. Congress begins moving towards independence. They urge all the colonies to set up their own governments with their own militia. The set up a committee to write up a Declaration of Independence, led by Thomas Jefferson.

Declaration With the help of John Adams and Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson crafts the Declaration, which is signed on July 4, 1776.

Homework Reading. You should be through 4.2 and 4.3 by Tuesday.

Not every colonist is in favor, however. This is when we really see the divide between Patriots (want independence), and Loyalists (do not want independence).