Unit Two: The Revolution and Constitution

==FLASHCARDS: http://quizlet.com/863459/apush-colonial-revolution-flash-cards/ and http://quizlet.com/863475/apush-new-nation-flash-cards// includes a quiz feature on the right, has almost all the terms, very useful.== Class Notes + Textbook + Course Notes + Wikipedia+ Quizlet Flascards (above) are where this information comes from, some of it it a direct copy and paste. NOT MY WORK.

Day 1: Massachusetts Revolts
Lexington and Concord, April 19, 1774: "shot heard round the world" one of the beginning battles of the American Revolutionary War where colonists after learning that the British were going to destroy a weapons cache in Concord successfully defended it.

Minutemen: The colonial soldiers, often untrained using what weapons they had, however, they could get ready for battle quickly and used effective guerilla tactics.

Redcoats: Term for British soldiers based on their red uniforms.

Paul Revere, William Dawes: Revere and Dawes went to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock about their coming arrest by the British who were coming to them and to destroy weapons @ Concord, Revere was a silversmith (artisan) showing support from another group.

Second Continental Congress: Became the government of the colonies during the war.

Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill): Though a colonial defeat (they took the hill and then lost it) George III declared that the colonies could not reconcile with Britain

Olive Branch Petition: The 2nd Continental Congress attempted to make peace with Britain by saying they did not want independence but to negotiate trade and taxes, this occurred after Lexington and Concord but wasn't successful b/c the British got hold of John Adams letter that said he thought independence was imminent. When this treaty was ignored people realized it was either rebel or surrender and for many it caused the former.

Thomas Paine: Common Sense: pamphlet by Thomas Paine for American independence, it was written like a sermon and highlighted the following points (from Wikipedia)


 * It was absurd for an island to rule a continent.
 * America was not a "British nation"; it was composed of influences and peoples from all of Europe.
 * Even if Britain were the "mother country" of America, that made her actions all the more horrendous, for no mother would harm her children so brutally.
 * Being a part of Britain would drag America into unnecessary European wars, and keep it from the international commerce at which America excelled.
 * The distance between the two nations made governing the colonies from England unwieldy. If some wrong were to be petitioned to Parliament, it would take a year before the colonies received a response.
 * The New World was discovered shortly before the Reformation. The Puritans believed that God wanted to give them a safe haven from the persecution of British rule.
 * Britain ruled the colonies for its own benefit, and did not consider the best interests of the colonists in governing them.

Day 2: Continental Congress and Declaration of Independence
Natural Rights Philosophy: Life, Liberty, Property/ Estate

John Locke, Second Treatise of Government: John Locke's writes on protection of property, conquest and slavery but most importantly social contract, a gov must make laws to protect life liberty and property and people must follow it, if they do not they can be executed but if the gov is not following the rule it can be overthrown.

George III: King of Britain during the war.

Richard Henry Lee’s Resolution of June 7, 1776: Lee pushed for the colonies to declare independence.

Thomas Jefferson: Wrote Declaration of Independence draft, would be known later as a republican-democrat and president.

Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman , Robert Livington: Along w/ John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were on the committee for the Dec. of Independence.

July 4, 1776 and the Declaration of Independence: The colonies declared independence, included a list of grievances vs. George III and natural rights.

Somerset Case (in Great Britain): After slavery has been abolished in Britain a planter decides to bring a slave, James Somersett with him to Britain, Granville Sharp fights in his defense and wins by having Somersett freed it was ruled that once a slave was on English land he would be freed.

Quock Walker case, Massachusetts: Slave named Quock Walker sues for freedom using the Massachusetts Constitution, informally slavery is outlawed.

Day 3: Revolutionary Victory p. 156-163
Loyalists: Pro-Britain

Patriots: Pro-American

George Washington: Was called in to lead an army greater than any other he had before, due to the success of the war he became a national hero.

Continental Army: Army who fought against British, they were often not professional soldiers.

Abigail Adams: Wanted to get her husband, John Adams to give women the right to vote, this wouldn't happen until much later. Was also anti-slavery, educated, politically active and advised her husband.

Lafayette: French officer who helped American forces, he was largely successful, recruited Oneida tribe and supported George Washington.

Benedict Arnold: Was originally on the American side but by being passed up for promotion, accused of by crime and being told to give more money to the effort, though he had he decided to surrender West Point to the British. When Andre, the British Major plotting with Arnold was caught, Arnold defected to the other side and received both a title and pay.

Robert Morris (1734-1806): Financed revolution and signed Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation and Constitution.

John Paul Jones (1747-1792): American naval hero who using the Ranger captured the Drake.

Bonhomme Richard and the Serapis: Jones commanded the Bonhomme Richard, from the French and fought with the Serapis, though the Bonhomme Richard sunk, Jones before so was able to have the British Gen. surrender, the French backing of the American solidified.

Conway Cabal: an effort in late 1777 and 1778 to remove George Washington as commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. It was named after Brigadier General Thomas Conway, whose letters criticizing Washington were forwarded to the Second Continental Congress. The proposed removal failed when it became public, with Conway resigning and General Horatio Gates, a leading candidate to replace Washington, apologizing to Washington.

French Alliance of 1778, reasons for it: Rivaled the British.

Major battles: Saratoga: Turning point where the French realize that they should overtly support the Americans after this victory.

Valley Forge: in Pennsylvania was the site of the camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War. Soldiers suffered but this decreased as camp followers (women and some children who helped out on domestic work, sewing and laundry) and Baron von Stueben showed up.

Yorktown and Lord Cornwallis: Because of their lack of success in suppressing the Revolution in the northern colonies, in early 1780 the British switched their strategy and undertook a series of campaigns through the southern colonies. This strategy was equally unsuccessful, and the British decided to return to their main headquarters in New York City. While marching from Virginia to New York, British commander Lord Cornwallis became trapped in Yorktown on the Chesapeake Bay. His troops fortified the town and waited for reinforcements. The French navy, led by DeGrasse, blocked their escape. After a series of battles, Cornwallis surrendered to the Continental Army on October 19, 1781, which ended all major fighting in the Revolutionary War.

Treaty of Paris, 1783: This treaty ended the Revolutionary War, recognized the independence of the American colonies, and granted the colonies the territory from the southern border of Canada to the northern border of Florida, and from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River. American gov should give back loyalist property and gets rights to fish in northern British colonies (Canada + Newfoundland)

Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay: Went to get Treaty of Paris ratified, also made deals w/ Spain which was given Florida.

French and British Intrigue over U.S. boundaries: The Treaty specified a southern boundary for the United States, but the separate Anglo-Spanish agreement did not specify a northern boundary for Florida, and the Spanish government assumed that the boundary was the same as in the 1763 agreement by which they had first given their territory in Florida to Britain. While that dispute continued, Spain used its new control of Florida to block American access to the Mississippi, in defiance of Article 8.  In the Great Lakes area, the British adopted a very generous interpretation of the stipulation that they should relinquish control "with all convenient speed", because they needed time to negotiate with the Native Americans, who had kept the area out of United States control, but had been completely ignored in the Treaty. Even after that was accomplished, Britain retained control as a bargaining counter in hopes of obtaining some recompense for the confiscated Loyalist property. This matter was finally settled by the Jay Treaty in 1794, and America's ability to bargain on all these points was greatly strengthened by the creation of the new constitution in 1787.

Social impact of the war: Role of women changed to the Republican Mother that teaches her sons to be good citizens, they receive some education but no higher education as women rights did not exist until later. Also, the Revolutionary War saw the emergence of the first anti-slavery groups, and many of the northern states abolished slavery after the war.

Day 4: Articles of Confederation p. 164-176
Ratification: The document could not become officially effective until it was ratified by all thirteen colonies. The first state to ratify was Virginia on December 16, 1777. The process dragged on for several years, stalled by the refusal of some states to rescind their claims to land in the West. Maryland was the last holdout; it refused to go along until Virginia and New York agreed to cede their claims in the Ohio River Valley. A little over three years passed before Maryland's ratification on March 1, 1781.

Virginia Maryland Land Disputes: Virginia claimed a great amount of land that Maryland also wanted.

Disestablishment, Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom: 1779 - Written by Thomas Jefferson, this statute outlawed an established church and called for separation of Church and State.

New state constitutions (Massachusetts adopted by popular vote): The first set of constitutions drafted by the individual states placed most of the government's power in the legislature, and almost none in the executive in order to promote democracy and avoid tyranny. However, without the strong leadership of the executive, the state legislatures argued among themselves and couldn't get anything done. After the Constitution was written, the states abandoned these old constitutions and wrote new ones that better balanced the power between the legislative and the executive.

Land Ordinance of 1785: A major success of the Articles of Confederation. Provided for the orderly surveying and distribution of land belonging to the U.S. by creating 6 by 6 mi. plots of land were townships that could be subdivided.

Northwest Ordinance, 1787: A major success of the Articles of Confederation. Set up the framework of a government for the Northwest territory. The Ordinance provided that the Territory would be divided into 3 to 5 states, outlawed slavery in the Territory, and set 60,000 as the minimum population for statehood.

Newburgh Conspiracy: The officers of the Continental Army had long gone without pay, and they met in Newburgh, New York to address Congress about their pay. Unfortunately, the American government had little money after the Revolutionary War. They also considered staging a coup and seizing control of the new government, but the plotting ceased when George Washington refused to support the plan.

Articles of Confederation: powers, weaknesses, successes: The Articles of Confederation delegated most of the powers (the power to tax, to regulate trade, and to draft troops) to the individual states, but left the federal government power over war, foreign policy, and issuing money (standardize weights) and be the highest judge between states. The Articles' weakness was that they gave the federal government so little power that it couldn't keep the country united. The Articles' only major success was that they settled western land claims with the Northwest Ordinance. The Articles were abandoned for the Constitution.

Day 5: Shay’s Rebellion p. 176-177
New state constitutions during the Revolutionary War and after: The first set of constitutions drafted by the individual states placed most of the government's power in the legislature, and almost none in the executive in order to promote democracy and avoid tyranny. However, without the strong leadership of the executive, the state legislatures argued among themselves and couldn't get anything done. After the Constitution was written, the states abandoned these old constitutions and wrote new ones that better balanced the power between the legislative and the executive.

Pennsylvania militia routs Congress, 1783: Unpaid Revolutionary War veterans staged a protest outside Congress' meeting hall, forcing Congress to move to Princeton, New Jersey.

Shay’s Rebellion: Occurred in the winter of 1786-7 under the Articles of Confederation. Poor, indebted landowners and veterans in Massachusetts blocked access to courts and prevented the government from arresting or repossessing the property of those in debt. The federal government was too weak to help Boston remove the rebels, a sign that the Articles of Confederation weren't working effectively. The governor of Massachusetts brought out heavy artillery to scare the rebels. Those caught were later pardoned.

Annapolis Convention, 1786: A precursor to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. A dozen commissioners form New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Virginia met to discuss reform of interstate commerce regulations, to design a U.S. currency standard, and to find a way to repay the federal government's debts to Revolutionary War veterans. Little was accomplished, except for the delegates to recommend that a further convention be held to discuss changes to the form of the federal government; the idea was endorsed by the Confederation Congress in February, 1878, which called for another convention to be held in May that year in Philadelphia.

1780's Depression: Caused by a post-war decrease in production and increase in unemployment, and also caused by tough interstate commerce rules which decreased trade.