1. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

2. CAUSES Enlightenment ideas –Personal freedoms and equality Britain’s policy of mercantilism and lack of understanding of its colonies Debt incurred during the Seven Years War Taxation without representation

3. KEY PLAYERS: King George III – King of Great Britain Thomas Jefferson – penned the Declaration of Independence George Washington – Commander-in-chief of the American army General Cornwallis – leader of the British forces during the revolution

4. TIMELINE OF KEY EVENTS

5. The Shot Heard ‘Round the World (Battle of Lexington/Concord) April, 1775 – First armed conflict

6. Battle of Breed’s Hill (Bunker Hill) June, 1775 – 1/6 of all British officers killed in the war died here. Only battle in long siege of Boston

7. Declaration of Independence July, 1776 – 2 nd Continental Congress issues formal declaration of separation from Britain

8. Battle of Trenton Washington crosses the Delaware December 1776 – Hessian army crushed. Casualties: U.S. 4, Britain 900

9. Battle of Saratoga October 17, 1777 – turning point of the war Convinced French of U.S. strength Britain surrenders 5800 men

10. Battle of Charleston December 1779 – British gain control of the South

11. Battle of Yorktown October 19, 1781 – British (Cornwallis) surrenders to Washington as French and American forces trap British on peninsula

12. 1781 - Articles of Confederation FIRST CONSTITUTION OF THE U.S. Because the states feared concentrated power, the Articles did little to provide for a strong central government Weaknesses – it did not provide for the ability to –collect taxes –Raise an army –Regulate trade –Create a national currency

13. TREATY OF PARIS 1783 Granted independence to the American colonies Gave the U.S. control of the western territory from the Appalachians to the Mississippi River

14. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION Summer of 1787 55 delegates met to revise the Articles of Confederation Ended up creating a new constitution which provided for: –3 branches of government –Power to levy taxes, raise an army, regulate trade, and create a currency –Had to be ratified by 2/3 of the states to go into effect

15. 1789 – Constitution adopted Ratified by 9 states Provided for a Bill of Rights with the 1 st 10 amendments

16. RESULTS OF THE REVOLUTION Creation of a new nation with a constitution based on enlightened principles Freedom from British oppression Inspiration to other nations seeking enlightened ideals and freedom from absolutism