The Colonies Declare Independence

1
The Colonies Declare Independence

• Chapter 6, Section 2

2
Common Sense
In England a King hath little more to do than
to make war and give away jobs which, in plain
terms, is to impoverish the nation Of more worth
is one honest man to society and in the sight of
God, than all the crowned ruffians that ever
lived.

• By the winter of 1775, the Patriots had been
  fighting the British for months, yet many
  colonists still resisted cutting their ties with
  England.
• In January of 1776, a fiery pamphlet appeared,
  called Common Sense.
• Written by Thomas Paine, the pamphlet called King
  George III a royal brute and urged Americans
  to break away from Britain.

3
Common Sense

• Within 6 months, Common Sense had sold more than
  ½ a million copies. Colonists had previously felt
  a strong loyalty to the king, but Paine changed
  their minds.
• Many people began to believe that the idea of
  having a king or queen no longer made sense.
• Paine also argued that the colonists did not owe
  a thing to Britain either that the British
  profited from the colonists far more than the
  other way around.

4
Congress Votes for Independence

• Common Sense also convinced many of the
  Continental Congressmen that it was necessary to
  split from the British.
• However, if they declared independence, the
  delegates would be considered traitors. If they
  were caught by the British, they would be hanged.
• After a long debate, Congress decided to draw up
  a declaration of independence. John Adams,
  Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were
  chosen to write it.

Jefferson was young and shy at the time, but few
could match his passionate writing style.
5
Signing the Document
There, I guess King George will be able to
read that.

• Jefferson completed the declaration in June, and
  it was approved by Congress on July 2.
• By approving the Declaration of Independence, the
  colonists had made their final decision regarding
  their relationship with Britain. They were
  officially separated.
• On July 4, 1776, the declaration was signed and
  printed. John Hancock, president of the Congress,
  signed the declaration first (in giant letters.)

6
The Declaration of Independence

• The Declaration has four parts
• First is the Preamble, or introduction
• When in the course of human events it becomes
  necessary for one people to dissolve the
  political bands which have connected them with
  another
• Natural rights are stressed in the second part of
  the document. That is, rights that belong to all
  people from birth.
• We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
  all men are created equal that they are endowed
  by their Creator with certain unalienable rights
  that among them are life, liberty and the pursuit
  of happiness.

7
The Declaration of Independence

• According to the Declaration of Independence,
  people have the right to life and liberty.
• People form governments to protect these rights.
  If the government fails to do so, then it is the
  peoples right and duty to throw off such
  government.
• The third part of the document lists British
  Wrongs against American colonists. Examples
  include sending troops in peacetime, and taxation
  without representation.

8
The Declaration of Independence

• The last part of the Declaration focuses on
  Independence, announcing that the colonies were
  now the United States of America.
• All political ties with Britain were officially
  cut, and all powers of the government now lay in
  the hands of the colonists.
• And, for the support of this declaration we
  mutually pledge to each other our lives, our
  fortunes, and our sacred honor.

9
Struggles in the Middle States

• Chapter 6, Section 3

10
Setting the Scene

• In June of 1776 Daniel McCurtin glanced out his
  outhouse window at New York Harbor. He was amazed
  to see what looked like an entire forest of trees
  without leaves. What he really saw was hundreds
  of masts on British ships.
• Aboard the ships were General Howe and thousands
  of redcoats, marking a new stage in the war,
  shifting to the Middle Colonies where the
  American Patriots had their hardest days.

11
The British Take New York (1776)

• Washington discovered that the British were
  moving to take New York City, and hurried to
  protect it.
• The British Had 34,000 troops and 10,000 sailors.
  The Americans numbered 20,000 and had no navy.
• Also, most New Yorkers were loyalist Tories
  faithful to the British.
• In the Battle of Long Island (New York) more than
  14,000 Americans were killed, wounded or captured.

A mask of Washington taken while still alive.
12
Escape from New York

• With such losses, the Americans were lucky to
  retreat by sneaking to the mainland in the middle
  of the night.
• Throughout the autumn, Washington fought a series
  of battles with Howes army, always retreating.
  By November the Continental Army made it to
  Pennsylvania.
• During this campaign a young spy, Nathan Hale,
  was seized by the British and hanged. His last
  words were, I regret that I have but one life to
  lose for my country.

13
A Desperate Winter (1776)

• By December of 1776 the Continental army, in
  constant retreat, sick, poorly fed and tired of
  defeat looked ready to lose the war. Deserters
  left camp every day.
• Washington needed to take a bold move to improve
  troop moral and convince more men to join the
  army or reenlist.
• On Christmas Eve, Washington secretly led his
  troops across the icy Delaware River and marched
  (many without shoes) to Trenton, New Jersey.

14
Victory in New Jersey

• On Christmas morning, Washington led a surprise
  attack on Hessian soldiers at the Battle of
  Trenton. Most Hessians, still sleeping or drunk
  from celebrating, were easily taken prisoner.
• Washington then fooled the British by leaving his
  fires burning and marched to another victory at
  Princeton.
• These victories provided the boost Washington
  needed to keep the army together during the
  winter after the costly and brutal New York
  defeats.

15
Burgoynes Plan (1777)

• The British, dismayed by their failure to crush
  the rebels, devised a new plan.
• Johnny The Gentleman Burgoyne planned to send
  three armies from different directions to meet at
  Albany (NY) and crush the Americans there. They
  would then control the Hudson River and cut
  American forces off from New England supplies.
• General Howe would march north from the
  Chesapeake Bay and conquered Philadelphia
• Burgoyne came from the north and swiftly captured
  the American Fort Ticonderoga.

16
The Plan Falls Apart (1777)

• Once in the American backwoods Burgoynes advance
  was slowed to less than a mile a day by heavy
  cannon, swamps and obstacles.
• Howe, instead of moving to Albany, rested his
  army in Philadelphia for the winter.
• At the Battle of Saratoga (New York) the British
  were surrounded and defeated by the Americans,
  marking a turning point in the war.
• Burgoynes forces were decimated twice before he
  finally surrendered his entire army.
• The British could no longer threaten New England,
  and France agreed to join the Patriots.

Johnny the Gentleman
17
Aid From Europe

• The Americans had long hoped for French aid,
  having sent Ben Franklin to convince King Louis
  XVI to give weapons and supplies.
• The French were eager to see the Brits defeated,
  but only wanted to join the war if victory was
  guaranteed.
• After Saratoga, the French joined the Patriots
  (Spain and the Netherlands would also help us
  against the British later on.)

18
Aid From Europe

• Before we had any allies, individuals helped the
  American cause
• Marie Jean Paul Joseph Roche Yves Gilbert du
  Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, a young French
  noble, brought trained soldiers to help the
  Patriots. Lafayette became the son that
  Washington never had.
• From Prussia (Germany), home of the worlds best
  soldiers, came Friedrich von Steuben, who helped
  train Washingtons troops to march and drill.

19
The Hardships of Valley Forge

• Even as Americans began to hope for victory they
  were about to suffer a horrible winter.
• Conditions were terrible at Valley Forge with
  intense cold and few resources from the
  government. One man wrote,
• I am sick discontented and out of humor.
  Poor food hard lodging cold weather fatigue
  nasty clothes nasty cookery a pox on my bad
  luck!

20
The Hardships of Valley Forge

• Soldiers slept in drafty huts on the frozen
  ground. Some had no shoes or even clothes, and
  could only wrap themselves in ragged blankets.
• Eventually, Patriots from all around sent food,
  medicine, warm clothes and ammunition for the
  army. Von Steubens training hardened the troops
  and as spring approached the bleakest hour had
  past.