This was the nation’s first

national government HOWEVER…

• Rested on no constitutional base• Was condemned by British as an

UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY and DEN OF TRAITORS

2nd Continental Congress met in Philadelphia with the intention of voting for independence

from England• However – recess called

– Delegates in few colonies had to return to seek further instruction

• In anticipation of this vote, the Congress selected a committee to draft a declaration of independence.

• The committee, composed of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman

Jefferson began his work on June 11 and toiled in seclusion writing a number of drafts.

• After presenting his final draft, the committee further revised the document and submitted it to the Continental Congress on June 28.

On July 2, the Continental Congress voted for independence and refined its Declaration of Independence before releasing it to the public on July 4th.

Declaration History• The original 1776 Declaration is lost• Once it was agreed upon, the original was sent to a

official printer (Dunlap) to print 200 broadsides (posters) of the Declaration with only the TYPED name of John Hancock (President) and Charles Thomson (Secretary)

- Also, he had the largest signature

GIVEN TO DELEGATES assemblies, conventions, commanders– Only 24 known copies TODAY

• King George III never received a signature copy • Declarations including the signatures not until 1777

– Not the same names… Delegates were away, NY (await new instructions), new delegates were allowed to sign their names, some refused to sign

The most famous signed copy is at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

In 1987 the National Archives and Records Administration installed a $3 million camera and computerized system to monitor the condition of the three documents (D. of. I, Con, and B. of R.)

Any flea market scavengers…? – a copy of Dunlap Declaration ($4 painting at flea market in BUCKS COUNTY, Pa)

$8.14 million

Would you be willing to put your name on

this document if there may be

consequences?

• - John Hancock

• New Hampshire:• Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

• Massachusetts:• John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

• Rhode Island:• Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

• Connecticut:• Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

• New York:• William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

• New Jersey:• Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

• Pennsylvania:• Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson,

George Ross

• Delaware:• Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

• Maryland:• Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

• Virginia:• George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter

Braxton

• North Carolina:• William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

• South Carolina:• Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

• Georgia:• Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Thomas Paine – Common Sense• Born in England – Met

Franklin – came to America• Publicist in Philly• Slavery being unjust and

inhumane• View – Colonies had the right

to revolt and felt there was no reason for the colonies to remain dependent on England – Common Sense– Eventually, independence

would have to come because America lost touch with the mother land

– Arguments for separation – WERE SIMPLE FACTS, PLAIN ARGUMENTS, AND COMMON SENSE

– Sold over 500,000 copies

Thomas Paine – Common Sense• View – Colonies had the

right to revolt and felt there was no reason for the colonies to remain dependent on England – Common Sense– Eventually,

independence would have to come because America lost touch with the mother land

– Arguments for separation – WERE SIMPLE FACTS, PLAIN ARGUMENTS, AND COMMON SENSE

Thomas Paine – Common Sense

• According to Paine, what kinds of people “espouse the doctrine of reconciliation” with England?

• How does Paine describe life in Boston, and why does he think the situation there shows that England should not be government the colonies?

• How does Paine describe those who would reconcile with Great Britain? – What questions does Paine have for those

who would reconcile with England?

HIGHLIGHT

Thomas Paine – Founding Father?Besides Pen, lifted sword to Rev: - Donated his share of the profits from “Common Sense” to buy supplies for the Continental Army - Served in Continental Army - While out in the field – wrote series of dispatches known as “The American Crisis,” and printed in newspapers throughout the states

- Was asked to write history of revolution – declined (3 Volume History – Paine footnote)

Issues with Founders and in his own life (fraud, abused wives, caused death of 1, rumor he “liked liked” cats, …)

Conclusion – lesser Founding Father

Adams once complained to Jefferson, “History is to ascribe the American Revolution to Thomas Paine”(upset that Paine was just repeating Adams’ arguments to the Congress)

Without the pen of the author of ‘common Sense,’ the sword of Washington would have been raised in vain

- John Adams

But later his tune changed:

And then…Renounced churches

and teachings (doctrines) - Age of Reason

“Do you think that your pen…can unchristianize

the mass of our citizens?”

~ Samuel Adams

Thomas Paine – just a footnoteLast years of his life in New York (virtually an outcast): old man in a tavern… so drunk and

disoriented and unkempt that his toenails had grown over his toes, like bird’s claws.

•There were 20,000 mourners

at Franklin’s funeral.

•Thomas Paine’s had 6Local Quaker church refused to let him be buried there was laid to rest in a corner of his small farm in New Rochelle.

Did have a nursery rhythm about him…

Poor Tom Paine! There he lies,

Nobody laughs and nobody cries.

Where he has gone and how he

fares,Nobody knows

and nobody cares.

All the surviving Founders had renounced him

Signing of Declaration nation faced new major tasks

#1 – Fighting the Revolution

• Declaration sparked full-scale war against Britain (1775 to 1783)– Problems:

•Nation lacked Experienced National ARMY

•State militias – little experience, poorly trained, poorly supplied (military supplies [arms, ammunition], food, clothing, tents), lack of money,

•States had little experience working together

How do we rule ourselves under …

Popular sovereignty

the idea that the people are the highest authority, not a ruler, and government can exist and function only with the consent of the governed

- who are 'the people?’ (Adult landowning males, Slaves, Native Americans, etc…)

All of the states answered this questions differently according to their own experiences (PA – Unicameral – had been under British vs. South Carolina – Bicameral under British) New Hampshire was the first, followed by South Carolina… then others at urging of Congress

#2 Creating State Constitutions

• By 1780, most states had adopted written constitutions - Similarities between them…

- considered themselves to be sovereign entities (raised troops, issued money, own foreign policy)

• Some – revised original CharterEx: governors now elected Gov’ts Given limited

powers• Short time period to serve - 1 or 2 years

• Others – wrote new– Rights and liberties (contained bill of rights of

citizens)– Provided separation of powers (3 branches)– Each had elected legislature – representative

government

#3 Establishing a Plan for Confederation

• 2nd Continental Congress began to write a constitution for the nation

However…Due to the feelings of the colonists

who had greater loyalty to their STATES, not the new nation they were wary about giving the

national government too MUCH POWER

Pulling down the statue of King George III in NYC

Debated for 18 monthsFinally November 1777 – Delegates approved

this plan of Government

*Established a firm league of friendship among the States

** Congress was wary of CENTRALIZED AUTHORITY (Heavy restrictions by crown)

**Government needs to have LIMITED POWERS

Let’s take a look at the Articles of

Confederation and the Basics

(which will become

ISSUES later on)

Go to Mrs. Perella’s website

- Honors Gov’t Readings

Articles of Confederation (1777)

•Congress would be national governing body

•Congress had powers to declare war, sign peace treaties

•Delegates from each state would represent their states

•Each state would have an equal vote in Congress

So, each State kept its… (look at notes)

• Believed the LOCAL legislature was closest to the people – National Government allowed them to develop their own policies

• Didn’t go into effect immediately – needed….

However there were weaknesses of the

Articles…

Let’s take a look at 4 Incidents…

Settling the National Debt

Western Lands

Soldiers in the Time of Peace

The Pirates of North Africa

America and the Barbary Pirates

Because of weaknesses – people began to questions the value of the Articles of Confederation…

In addition

Feelings of the colonists – greater loyalty to their

state, not the new nation

They TOO were cautious about giving national government too much power

Tomorrow…we will

examine a

major event known

as Shays’ Rebellion

and how the Articles

showed their

weaknesses