1. Declaring Independence

2. Enlightenment Philosophers
Thomas Hobbes
Need for Gov’t – “Beastly Nature”
Baron De Montesquieu
Separation of Powers, Checks and Balances
Voltaire
“freedoms” – intellectual, speech, religion (against state religion)
John Locke
Natural Rights. What are they?
Two Treatises on Civil Government

3. Natural Rights Philosophy of John Locke
Rights are derived from the people’s basic moral sense supersede the authority of the government
Consent of the Governed
Limited Government
Natural rights are superior to a government
What would be Jefferson’s inalienable rights?
Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness

4. Jean Jacques Rousseau
Wrote Social Contract – People and Gov’t have contract
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Thomas Jefferson

5. Thomas Paine Wrote Common Sense
Essay widely read by the people
Urged colonies to break away and form new country
A new breed of “American”
Would later write The American Crisis pamphlets which would encourage the Americans to continue the fight.

6. Road to Unity- What were early attempts?
Dominion of New England
Albany Plan of Union
Stamp Act Congress
1st Continental Congress
2nd Continental Congress

7. 2nd Continental Congress
Meet in Philadelphia State House
President of Congress – John Hancock
Some early events:
Olive Branch Petition
What did the King do with it?
Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms
Who wrote this?
What did it say?

8. Committee of Five Declaration is proposed by Richard Henry Lee
Committee of Five to write it: John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston
Jefferson actually wrote most of it. Or did he?
“Remember the Ladies” – Abigail Adams
What issues would cause problems in the passing of the Declaration?

9. When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

10. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

11. Loyalists Also called Tories Why would someone be a loyalist?
Respect for the King
“order” and law (no mob rule / mobcracy)
Family ties
Worker for crown (or Church of Eng)
Part of great(est) country
Thought Britain would win
Rich
But how is the American Revolution different than most other revolutions in world history?

12. Patriots and others groups
Patriots was the name for people who supported independence.
What did the King call them?
About what fraction were Patriots? Loyalists?
Then what were the others? Why?
What about these groups of people?
Quakers
Native Americans
Slaves
Canadians
Floridians

14. Western Lands and their relationship to the independence drive
-Did George Washington have anything to gain financially with independence?
Daniel Boone – Wilderness Road – Kentucky

15. Reflection Questions
How did the European Enlightenment writers influence the independence movement?
Why was Thomas Paine important for the independence movement?
Why would someone oppose the independence of the colonies?
How do the western lands figure into the independence movement and the future of the United States?

16. Links
ex.html - Too late to apologize
5A&list=UUZYs757tACChkS- vjS1m66Q&index=1&feature=plcp – Review Video
XYo&feature=related – PP
5Y – School House Rock Fireworks