Tuesday September 16

th
, 2014
Grab your reviews as you enter class!
Test - Thursday
Agenda
Reflect on the last few days
Presenting your speeches
Tell me about your speech
How it relates to democracy/government
Impact of that speech
NOTES Chapter 2 Section2

Chapter Two-Section Two
The Coming of Independence
Britains Colonial Policies
When the colonies were first established, the Crown,
not the Parliament, controlled matters overseas.
The colonists were mostly left alone to rule as they saw
fit
When King George III came to the thrown, he began to
impose restrictive trade acts and new taxes
Colonists were opposed to taxation without
representation
Colonists had to choose to submit to the new rules or
revolt

Growing Colonial Unit
There were early attempts to organize the
colonies as a group:
The New England Confederation: this was a
league of friendship set up for defense against
the Native Americans. William Penn suggested a
plan for intercolonial cooperation but it was given
little effort.
Growing Colonial Unit
*The Albany Plan: this group met to discuss
problems of colonial trade and the dangers of
attacks from the French and Native Americans.
Ben Franklin suggested the Albany Plan in which
delegates from each of the 13 colonies would
meet at an annual congress.
The congress would have the power to raise a military,
make war and peace with the Native Americans,
regulate trade, and tax.
The plan (though a very good idea) was turned down
by states and crown.

Growing Colonial Unit
*The Stamp Act Congress: 9 of 13 colonies sent
delegates to the Stamp Act Congress
as a response to the Stamp Act. Colonists were mad
about taxation without representation. As a result of
this meeting the following actions were taken:
Declaration of Rights and Grievances were sent to the King
English goods were boycotted by many
Mob violence erupted (including the Boston Massacre)
The Boston Tea Party

The First Continental Congress
(Philadelphia 1774)
12 of 13 colonies sent delegates to the First
Continental Congress as a response to the
Intolerable Acts (laws meant to punish the
colonists for their bad behavior)
They sent a Declaration of Rights to the King
urging the taxes be repealed.
The Second Continental Congress
(Philadelphia 1775)
The Crown and ignored the colonists Declaration of
Rights and imposed even stricter rules on the colonists.
By the time this group met, the battles of Lexington
and Concord had been fought and the war had begun
There were representatives from ALL the colonies
It served as the first government of the nation for five
years. During that time it did the following:
Fought a war
Raised an army and a navy
Borrowed funds/Bought supplies
Created a money system
Made treaties with foreign powers

The Declaration of Independence
It was a difficult decision for the delegates to agree
upon separating from the Crown as many considered
themselves loyal British subjects
Richard Henry Lee proposed to the congress that
Colonies should be free and independent states
The Declaration of Independence was almost entirely
the work of Thomas Jefferson
The document announces the independence of the
United States in the first paragraph and then spends
the remaining 2/3 of the document telling Britain all
the ways in which it has wronged the states.

The First State Constitutions
Each of the states replaced their charters with
state constitutions
Common features among the constitutions
were:
Principles of sovereignty
Limited government
Civil Rights and Liberties
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances