American Revolution Podcast Notes

·      April 1775 British dispatched troops to Lexington and Concord to confiscate the weapons and capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock.

·      This causes Paul Revere’s midnight ride

·      British: 300 casualties Colonists: 70

·      For the first time British vs colonists had fired upon one another

·      Second Continental Congress May 1775 – for the purpose of managing a war. Did not have intention of breaking away from Great Britain. Appoints George Washington as the commander of the Continental army. They also attempt to reconcile with Great Britain (olive Branch Petition) but the king (and many colonists reject this).

·      To ask society to break away from the only structure of government that they have ever had is asking a lot.

·      It takes awhile to get people mentally prepared. Thomas Paine wrote “common sense”. The only way that the colonies will ever be free from British Tyranny is for the colonists to break away completely from Britain. Common Sense is very popular at the time. It helps the colonists wrap their minds around breaking from Britain.

·      Declaration of Independence – 1776 written by Jefferson Franklin and Adams

·      Three parts:

·  1: Preamble- states human rights

·  2: Catalog of the grievances the colonists had against King George III and the British government

·  3: Announces the break from Britain

·      The British thought that the Americans had a great deal of nerve

·      The British also felt that the colonists were hypocritical because they had slaves

Articles of Confederation

·      Articles of Confederation 1777 ratified by 1781 it was a weak form of government

·      They replaced the continental congress.

·      It has the powers to conduct war, maintain foreign relation and borrow or issue and appropriate money

·      It does not allow the government to regulate trade (Due to: Navigation laws)

·      It could not levy taxes (this entire agitation came from the taxes by the British)

·      Could not raise troops, has to ask the states(causes an issue because they have to ask the states for money and troops, but cannot require them to pay anything. In most cases the states only provided a small portion of what was needed)

·      There is no executive

·      Committee of enforcement

·      No federal courts

·      Disputes between states don’t have an authority to appeal to (like the supreme court)

·      In order to get the Articles of Confederation to be ratified itt takes all 13 colonies to agree

·      1777- continental congress takes the property from loyalists and sells it at auction

·      Continental congress gives land rewards to people so that men will sign up for military service

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·      Battle on Bunker hill – gives morale boost for colonists

·      1776 Battle of Trenton

·      British tried to capture large city, but only 10% of the population lives in cities

·      Gilford Court House- British won, but lost so many soldiers it might be a loss. They left the wounded behind. The wounded are then taken in by Quakers whom help them. Quakers stuffed their wounds with moldy bread which prevented infection. This caused the soldier to have a higher living rate than other wounded.

·      The war did not eliminate the issues between social classes. It did bring a sense of unity and nationality. Loyalists property was not restored so it was spread out between a lot of people. It set the states in the north a coarse to abolition slavery (by mid 1830s) Southerners relax on a lot of slave laws. Women receive more rights due to the war. In New England women are the same legal status as men in terms of divorce. Politically it led to new state constitutions (these state powers are still very weak). 11 states have bicameral (two houses). Voting has expanded to more people, but still had property requirements, had to be free white male (except for New Jersey you could be a woman). The Criminal code is reformed (meaning who could be executed).  5 states established public schools. The constitutional convention allows for the people of the state to come together in a political fashion and change the system. Most states also adopt a bill of rights. Results in the world’s first true democracy, but is not as radical as often portrayed.