3.1 Notes: Uniting for IndependenceUnit 3: From Colonies to Confederation

Theme 1: Philosophy and History: Roots of American Democracy

I. Timeline of Unification and Independence

B. Albany Congress

and Albany Plan of Union

Native American

A. New England

C. Stamp

Act Congres

s

1765

British Laws and Taxes

Frenchand

Indian War

English Establish

13 Colonies

Lexingtonand

Concord

APR177

E. First Continental Congress

SEP/OCT 1774D. Committees

of Correspondence and Safety

Form

1773

1754Georgia

GrantedCharter

1732Roanok

eGrantedCharter

1584

1763

1684

1643

Revolutionary War

G. Confederation Congress

F. Second Continental Congress

Treaty of Paris Signed

SEP178

Battle of Yorktow

n

SEP/OCT 1781

13TH State Ratifies Articles

MAR

4. Articles of Confederatio

n AdoptedNOV

3. 11/13 States Write Constitution

s177

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2. Declaration

of Independence Adopted

JUL177

Lexingtonand

Concord

APR177

1. Continenta

l Army Created

MAY177

Treaty of Paris Signed

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III. Motivations for IndependenceA. The long-standing British policy of salutary neglect came to an abrupt end with the French and Indian War:

1. Colonists experienced the presence of large numbers of British troops in America both during and after the war.

2. Parliament passed many taxes after the war to make the colonists pay for the war and to maintain a British military presence in North America to protect the frontier.

3. The Proclamation of 1763 forbid the colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains in order to prevent further conflict with Native Americans, land which the American colonists believed they fought and died to win from France:

B. Even though the American colonists fought for and alongside the British during the war, the war drove a wedge between Britain and the colonists.C. Americans came to believe their rights as Englishmen were being violated with all these laws and taxes since they had no representation in Parliament.D. Britain claimed they had virtual representation through the British people.

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IV. Declaring IndependenceJAN 1776 Thomas Paine’s Common Sense is published urging independence.7 JUN 1776 Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduces a resolution at Congress calling for independence. Congress debates.10 JUN 1776 Congress votes to postpone further debate over Lee’s resolution until all colonial delegations can receive instructions to vote for independence. (Not all were authorized to do so.) In the meantime, they appoint a five man committee to draft a formal declaration of independence:

1. Benjamin Franklin (PA)2. John Adams (MA)3. Thomas Jefferson (VA)4. Robert R. Livingston (NY)5. Roger Sherman (CT)Jefferson writes the draft of the declaration.

28 JUN 1776 The Committee of Five presents Jefferson’s draft to Congress. They spend the next couple of days editing the document, eliminating Jefferson’s claim that Britain forced slavery on the colonies.2 JUL 1776 Congress votes 12-0-1 to adopt Lee’s resolution, with NY abstaining because they never received permission to vote for independence due to the colonial government having to evacuate New York City due to the British invasion that summer. Independence is officially declared. New York would vote for it later.4 JUL 1776 Congress votes to adopt Jefferson’s formal Declaration of Independence, as edited by the Congress. A handwritten copy is taken to local printer John Dunlap that night and approximately 200 broadsides are printed, to be distributed and read publicly in the coming weeks (with only John Hancock and Charles Thomson’s signatures). It was read aloud for the first time on July 8, 1776 outside Independence Hall. Washington had it read aloud to the Continental Army in New York City on July 9, with the British invasion of New York underway.19 JUL 1776 Congress adopts a resolution to have a copy engrossed (handwritten) and then signed.

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2 AUG 1776 Timothy Matlack’s engrossed copy of the Declaration is signed by most of the delegates to Congress, with some adding their names in the coming weeks and months. This is the official copy that is on display at the National Archives.

V. The DocumentA. The Declaration is organized into 5 parts:

1. Introduction – states the purpose of the document, which is to explain to the world why independence is being declared

2. Preamble – outlines Locke’s philosophy of the purpose of government and the right of the people to rebel when that government takes away the natural rights of the people

3. Indictment – lists the offenses that King George III has committed against the natural rights of the American people

4. Denunciation – denounces the British people for ignoring the warnings and pleas of the American people

5. Conclusion – states the colonies’ right and intent to separate from Britian using much of the language of the original Lee resolutionB. The document was signed by 56 delegates to Congress, grouped by state, in columns from right to left:

1. Not all of these men were present or even members of Congress on July 4. It is believed that approximately only 50 men were present during the voting:

a) Some signers were members of Congress, but were away on business when the vote took place.

b) Some signers did not become members of Congress until after the vote took place.2. Of those present on July 4, eight never signed it:

a) Four voted against it and were no longer members of Congress when it was signed.b) One voted against it and refused to sign, even though he remained a member of Congress.c) Three voted for it, but were away on business when it was signed.

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3. Two men voted against it, but signed it anyway.4. John Hancock’s name is the largest, and located in the middle at the top, as he was the first to sign it

as the president of Congress. Matthew Thornton’s signature is not with the rest of the New Hampshire delegates because he signed it later and there was no room; it is located at the lower right corner.

C. Different Versions:

1. What do you notice different about each version?

VI. Symbolism of the SigningA. Last Lines of the Declaration:

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”B. Benjamin Franklin’s Alleged Quote:

1823 Facsimile

Matlack Engrossed Copy

Dunlap Broadside

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“…we must indeed all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately."

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