Origins of American Government, Day 3

Origins of American Government, Day 3

I. Short Term Causes

A. Keeping the Struggle Alive, 1770-1773

1. Remember that in the wake of the Boston Massacre, the ______, repealed the Townshend Acts and ______from Boston.

2. Within this context, the push for American independence ______.

3. During this “______” a small group of “______” (who wanted independence from Britain) kept revolutionary feelings alive. How?

a. “Radicals” like Sam Adams formed the “______”.

b. Its chief function was to ______by interchanging ______in order to keep opposition to British policy alive.

c. It succeeded in ______that stirred up trouble…

B. The ______, 1773

1. The Tax

a. In 1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act, which ______merchants.

b. At the same time, the act ______making it the cheapest tea available on the market.

2. Reaction?

a. More radically minded colonists reacted angrily: they saw Tea Act as a ______to accept the tax through cheaper tea

b. Plus the act hadn’t been approved by colonial legislatures, so it violated the “______” principle.

c. In response the ______boarded three ships, smashed ______chests open, and dumped the tea into the harbor—______, Dec. 16, 1773

d. While many applauded the Boston Tea Party as a ______defense of liberty, others thought that destruction of private property was ______

C. The ______

1. Britain’s mood?

a. From Britain’s perspective the Boston Tea Party was the ______—the King and Parliament had tried to be reasonable but such ______.

b. In retaliation for the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed the “______” in 1774.

2. Details…

a. The Acts were designed to ______Boston and stated

1. ______until damages were paid and order restored.

2. ______(no more representative democracy…)

3. Placed Boston under ______

4. Provided for the ______once again in Boston.

3. As news of what had happened to Boston spread, the Coercive Acts quickly were renamed the “______”.

D. Colonial Reaction

1. To protest the Intolerable Acts, leading colonists decided to meet at the “______” in Philadelphia in late ______.

a. 12 of 13 colonies were present (except ______), including Patrick Henry, John Adams, Sam Adams, and George Washington

b. At this time, most Americans had ______. They simply wanted to protest parliamentary intrusions on their rights and restore the relationship to the crown that had existed before the French and Indian War.

2. Actions of the Congress

a. Passage of the Declaration of ______, which listed the major issues (but didn’t call for independence)

b. Called for a ______of British goods

c. Called for each of the colonies to form “______” for self-defense against the British. Americans across the colonies started ______.

3. Britain’s Reaction

a. King George III ______the Declaration and ______, which he considered the center of the problem.

b. By 1775, fighting broke out first in Massachusetts (at two small towns outside of Boston—______

______), then spread beyond. The “Revolutionary War” lasted from ______.

II. America’s Government During the War

A. America’s First Gov’t

1. As fighting broke out, delegates from the 1st Continental Congress met again in 1775 at the ______

______.

2. For most of the war, this group of delegates______and managed the war effort from Philadelphia.

3. Key Actions…

a. ______to fight against the British

b. ______with other foreign powers

c. ______to help pay for the Revolutionary War

d. ______as “commander in chief”

e. Most important act: voted to ______from Britain

B. Declaring Independence

1. ______on the battlefield, the 2nd Continental Congress decided to go all the way and declare independence in a formal document

2. Writing that document fell to a committee that chose ______to do the main writing—33-year old ______.

3. After debate and various drafts, the Declaration of Independence was formally approved on ______

4. Organization of the Declaration of Independence

a. ______—Philosophy of government (heavily influenced by ______)

1. Stated “______”, and are “endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights”, including “______.”

2. ______are created to ______.

3. When government fails—______!

b. List of ______of the colonies (seen by Congress as most important part)

1. Charged the King with imposing ______, eliminating ______, abolishing valued laws, establishing a ______, maintaining standing armies in peacetime, ______, etc.

c. Formal declaration of independence

1. Officially ______with England

2. The document ends by declaring "The ______" as an officially an independent country!