Common Sense by Thomas Paine Pamphlet published to
§ Common Sense by Thomas Paine § Pamphlet published to stimulate support for independence § American are better of if they govern themselves § Inspired colonists § Virginia’s Resolution § May 1776, Virginia allowed delegated to support independence § Congress appointed committee to draw up a statement stating reasons for independence § Thomas Jefferson tasked with writing Declaration of Independence
§ Following Preamble, Declaration has 3 main sections § General ideas about society and government § All men are created equal § Governments are created to protect peoples’ rights § if a government violates those rights, the people have the right to abolish their government, and create a new one § Proof British government violated the rights of the colonists § King ignored rights that English citizens enjoyed since the Magna Carta § No trial by jury § No representation in Parliament
§ “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 these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. ” § People set up government to protect their basic rights. These rights cannot be taken away. The purpose of government is to protect these natural rights. The government gets their people power from the people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation. ” §“ § The king has hired foreign soldiers to bring death and destruction to the colonists. The head of the civilized country should never act with the cruelty or dishonesty, that the king has.
§ July 4, 1776 Congress approved Declaration of Independence § Signing took place August 2 § Personal risk if captured, signers could be hanged § Changed nature of the Revolution § Patriots were no longer fighting for fair treatment § Fighting for a new nation
§ Patriot spirits were low as they had to keep retreating § Thomas Paine wrote The Crisis § Urged Americans to support army despite hard times § Crossing the Delaware § Christmas 1776, Washington led 2400 men across Delaware River § Dec. 26, attacked Trenton from 2 sides complete surprise
§ British Plan § Cut of New England from the rest of the states § British forces drive towards Albany, New York from 3 directions § King George III ordered British troops to move South from New York to attack Philadelphia § American forces cut off British troops coming from Mohawks Valley § An American Victory § At village of Saratoga, New York American soldiers surrounded British § After heavy causalities, British surrendered
§ Results: § Battle of Saratoga marked a major turning point in war § American victory ended British threat to New England § Destroyed British hopes for an easy victory § Lifted Patriot spirits § Help convince Europeans the Americans had a chance of wining
§ The French Alliance § French were eager to help weaken the British § Secretly supplied money and arms to the Patriots § February 1778, France became first nation to sign a treaty with the colonies § Netherlands and Spain also allied with the colonies § European Volunteers § Europeans volunteered to serve alongside Patriots § Inspired by struggle for liberty
§ Washington’s troops suffered through the cruel winter of 1777 -1778 § Soldiers were not properly fed, clothed, or housed § Americans sent help to Valley Forge after condition of the troops got out § Women collected food, medicine, warm clothes, and ammunitions
§ Fought on both sides § War meant danger and opportunity § British offered freedom to enslaved people who deserted and joined them § Washington first refused to accept African Americans, but changed policy after British offer
§ Many men enlisted § Civilians also faced hardships: § Food shortages § Military attacks § Women § Took over men’s duties § Some accompanied their husbands to military camps § In battle, cared for the wounded
§ Financial Burden § War was difficult to pay for § Congress had limited resources § No power to tax, Congress had to plead with states for money § To pay for supplies Congress printed Continentals (paper money) § More money printed, less money was worth § By the end of the war, paper money had lost almost all of its value
§ Aim was to capture key cities, win over local populations, then march North acquiring one state after another § British soldiers moved north from Florida to Georgia § Dec. 1778, British took Savannah § Captured South Carolina then moved into North Carolina § To slow British attacks, Americans used guerrilla tactics § In the South, bands of Loyalists plundered and burned Patriot farms
§ Patriot fortunes began to improve Oct. 1780 § 900 frontier fighters defeated a large force of British troops and Loyalists § Continental army split into 2 groups in the South victory at Battle of Cowpens § British still had the upper hand in the South § Benedict Arnold § American traitor § Commanded British troops in the South § Once fought for the Patriots, but thought Congress undervalued him § Plotted to turn West Point over to the British § When plot was discovered, Arnold escaped
§ British troops weakened by Patriot victories in the South headed towards Virginia § Over 5 month period, Patriot forces swept the deep South § By late summer, only Charles Town and Savannah remained in British hands § British commander moved his troops to Yorktown peninsula § French fleet chased off British troops § Washington rushed towards Virginia with American and French troops § After 3 weeks, British troops surrendered § Victory at Yorktown was the last major battle of the war
§ After British defeat at Yorktown. King George III wanted to keeps fighting, but Parliament voted in favor of peace § Peace talks began in Paris 1782 § Britain recognized independence of the United States § New boundaries of the nation were set at Atlantic on the east, Canada on the north, Mississippi River on the west, and Florida on the south § The United States agreed to restore the rights and property taken away from Loyalists § Ignored by most states
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