Section 4 Birth of the American Republic

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• Section 4 Birth of the American Republic

This painting describes the historic moment when
General George Washington led the American
revolutionary troops across the Delaware River in
order to surprise the English and Hessian troops
in the Battle of Trenton the day after Christmas
in 1776. The original painting by Emanuel
Gottlieb Leutze is more than 12 feet high and 21
feet long
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• Setting the Scene
• Early in 1776, English colonists in North America
  eagerly read the newly published Common Sense.
  The pamphlet called on them to declare their
  independence from Britain. Its author, Thomas
  Paine, wrote with passion tempered by reason. "In
  the following pages I offer nothing more than
  simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense
  In Common Sense, Paine echoed the themes of the
  Enlightenment. He rejected ancient prejudice and
  tyranny, while appealing to reason, natural laws,
  and the promise of freedom. Colonists hotly
  debated Paine's arguments. As resentment of
  British policies grew, however, many came to
  agree with his radical ideas.

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I. The 13 English Colonies

• By 1750, Britain's empire included 13 prosperous
  colonies in North America

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I. The 13 English Colonies

• Britain applied mercantilist policies to its
  colonies, such as the Navigation Acts to regulate
  colonial trade and manufacturing

One great source of irritation between the mother
country and her colonies was found in the
Navigation Acts. The twofold object of these acts
was to protect English shipping, and to secure a
profit to the home country from the colonies.
Under the provisions of this legislation, trade
with the colonies was to be conducted only in
English or colonial ships. Certain "enumerated"
items (such as sugar, tobacco and indigo) were to
be shipped only within the empire. Trade destined
for nations outside the empire had to go first to
England.
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II. Growing Discontent

• Colonists felt entitled to the rights of English
  citizens but after 1763, relations with Britain
  grew strained

Britain's success in the Seven Years' War and its
American counterpart, the French and Indian War
(1754-1763) was costly. Parliament's attempt to
cover its debts and to pay for a continuing
military presence in America by direct taxation
of the colonists soon caused strained relations
between mother country and colonies.
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II. Growing Discontent

• Britain began to enforce the laws regulating
  colonial trade, and Parliament passed new laws to
  increase taxes

TOWNSHEND ACT taxes goods such as glass, paper,
silk, lead, and tea. Also set up new ways to
collect taxes. SUGAR ACT replaced an earlier tax
on molasses that had been in effect for years.
STAMP ACT this law put a tax on legal documents
such as wills, diplomas, and marriage papers. TEA
ACT the act did away with some taxes paid by the
company.
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II. Growing Discontent

• Colonists resented this attack on their rights -
  "No taxation without representation

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A. Early Clashes

• March 1770 - British soldiers in Boston fired on
  a crowd and killed 5 protesters - the "Boston
  Massacre

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A. Early Clashes

• December 1773 - colonists threw a cargo of
  British tea into Boston harbor to protest the tea
  tax

The Boston Tea Party
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A. Early Clashes

• The Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to
  decide what action to take

The First Continental Congress met in 1774 in
Philadelphia to discuss responses to increased
British oppression. It formally declared that
colonists should have the same rights as
Englishmen and called for the suspension of trade
with Great Britain. The mural depicts an oration
by Patrick Henry in Carpenters' Hall.
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B. Declaring Independence

• The Congress set up a Continental Army and in
  April 1775, the crisis exploded into war

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B. Declaring Independence

• July 4th, 1776 - the Second Continental Congress
  voted to declare independence from Britain

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III. The American Revolution

• At first, many battles ended in British victories
  and the American cause looked bleak

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A. The French Alliance

• 1777 - A turning point came in when the Americans
  won the Battle of Saratoga and France joined
  against Britain

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B. Treaty of Paris

• 1781 - with the help of the French fleet,
  Washington forced the surrender of the British at
  Yorktown, Virginia

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B. Treaty of Paris

• 1783 - American, British, and French diplomats
  signed the Treaty of Paris, which ended the war

When Benjamin West began painting the signing of
the peace treaty (left), he started confidently
with portraits (left to right) of John Jay, John
Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, and
Franklin's grandson, William Temple Franklin,
secretary to the American Delegation.
Unfortunately for West, the British commissioners
refused to pose, and the picture was never
finished.
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IV. A New Constitution

• 1787 - the nation's leaders met in Philadelphia
  and created the Constitution of the United States

Signing the Constitution
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IV. A New Constitution

• The Constitution created a federal republic, with
  power divided between the federal government and
  the states

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IV. A New Constitution

• The federal government had a separation of powers
  among the legislative, executive, and judicial
  branches

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IV. A New Constitution

• Each branch of government was provided with
  checks and balances on the other branches

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IV. A New Constitution

• The Bill of Rights recognized the idea that
  people had basic rights the government must
  protect

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IV. A New Constitution

• 1789 - the Constitution became the supreme law of
  the land