1. A. 2nd Continental Congress
May 1775 – Delegates from 12 colonies met in Philadelphia
They created the Continental Army
Named George Washington commander of army
Signed the Olive Branch Petition

2. B. A Call for Independence
January 1776 – Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense
47 page pamphlet
Urged for separation from Britain
June 1776 – The Second Continental Congress creates a committee to write a document declaring the colonies’ independence.

3. C. Declaration of Independence
Committee Members: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, Roger Sherman.
July 4th Declared colonies’ break from Britain.

4. C. Declaration of Independence
Part I: basic rights of all men…”life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Part II: argued the king had violated the colonists’ rights.
Part III: argued the colonists had the right to break from Britain…remember Locke?

5. D. Colonists Choose Sides
Patriots – colonists who chose to fight for independence 40-45%).
Loyalists – colonists who remained loyal to Britain, also called Tories 15-30%).
Neutral – undecided (rest)

6. E. Battle of Yorktown Summer 1781
Cornwallis settled in Yorktown on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay.
American and French forces surrounded Cornwallis’ army.
After 12 days of bombardment, Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781.

7. F. Treaty of Paris
In 1783, the United States and Britain signed a peace treaty in Paris.
Britain recognized the United States as a nation
Britain surrended land from Atlantic to the Mississippi River

8. G. The War’s Aftermath French Revolution Haitian Revolution
The American Revolution led to several other nations starting revolutions of their own.
French Revolution
Haitian Revolution
Latin American wars for independence