1. Ending the War

2. Why the Americans Won Better Leadership Foreign Aid
Home Field Advantage
Motivation

3. Why England Lost (aka Arrogance)
British Generals assumed that the Colonists were just farmers and were unable to fight
Reasons for War
Fighting for a King vs. Fighting for a purpose
The British strategy was to “divide and conquer”
The American strategy was “fight for our lives” using snipers, spies, and allies
United Allies
France, Prussia (aka Germany), Poland, and MORE helped the US
England had a lot of enemies… specifically the French who were mad about losing the French and Indian War (7 Years War)
Knowledge
George Washington’s spy network allowed him to know what the British knew, and prepare!
England was fighting in a land that they didn’t know very well

4. Costs of the War

5. England, France, and… the United States of America
Treaty of Paris1783
England, France, and… the United States of America
The United States is independent.
Set borders: Mississippi River (west), Canada (north), and Florida (south)
Each side pays the debts they owe to the other countries from before the war
British must return any slaves they had captured or freed.
Congress would recommend that states return property seized by states from Loyalists.

6. Articles of Confederation
America’s First Government

7. Form of Government Last state ratified it in 1781.
ratified means to make official.
The Articles created a republic.
Republic is a system of government in which power is held by the people and their elected representatives.

8. Strengths of the Articles
Under the Articles, the government could
wage war,
conclude peace, and
sign treaties
Weak central government guarded against tyranny
Confederation Congress voted on all laws; very democratic

9. Weaknesses of the Articles
States collect taxes and have to give it as a gift to the Congress.
Legislative Branch (Congress)
No courts, no President!
Could not moderate disputes between states
Could not regulate trade between states
Changes to Articles required approval of all 13 states

10. Two Successful Laws
Land Ordinance of 1785: a way to divide and sell public lands
Set up townships in Northwest Territory
Land sold for $1 per acre
Northwest Ordinance (1787): how a territory could become a state
Population must be 60,000
No slavery in new states
Setup a process for orderly growth of the nation

11. Problems of the Confederation Era
U.S. faced serious problems, but the Confederation Congress did not have the power to solve them:
Great debt from the war
Unable to raise sufficient revenues
Could not pay soldiers’ wages

12. Shays’s Rebellion
Farmers in Massachusetts rebelled against the government because they were losing their farms for non-payment of state taxes.
The state called for help from the army
The army ended the rebellion quickly
The rebellion was the last straw for many in the United States – the Articles of Confederation had to be fixed!

13. The Articles of Confederation in one word:
WEAK