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Key Events in American Independence

The document summarizes key events in the creation of the United States as an independent nation, including the Second Continental Congress, Common Sense, the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution, the Treaty of Paris, the Articles of Confederation, Shay's Rebellion, the Virginia and New Jersey Plans, the Constitution, and the Federalist/Anti-Federalist debates leading to the Bill of Rights. It discusses the establishment of George Washington as commander-in-chief, Thomas Paine's argument for independence, the formal recognition of independence from Britain, the weaknesses of the early government under the Articles, and the balancing of federal and state powers in the new Constitution.

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137 views3 pages

Key Events in American Independence

The document summarizes key events in the creation of the United States as an independent nation, including the Second Continental Congress, Common Sense, the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution, the Treaty of Paris, the Articles of Confederation, Shay's Rebellion, the Virginia and New Jersey Plans, the Constitution, and the Federalist/Anti-Federalist debates leading to the Bill of Rights. It discusses the establishment of George Washington as commander-in-chief, Thomas Paine's argument for independence, the formal recognition of independence from Britain, the weaknesses of the early government under the Articles, and the balancing of federal and state powers in the new Constitution.

Uploaded by

avilacrystal48
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

March 4, 2013

Creating a Nation
Second Continental Congress Common Sense Declaration of Independence American Revolution Treaty of Paris, 1783 Articles of Confederation Shay's Rebellion Virginia vs. New Jersey Plan The Constitution Federalists v. Anti-Federalists Bill of Rights

Second Continental Congress This assembly elected George Washington as commander of the Continental Army and passed the Olive Branch Petition asking King George to put an end to hostilities. Common Sense In this highly influential pamphlet, Thomas Paine argued that since Britain was bleeding the colonists of their wealth it was only common sense that the colonists declare their independence. Declaration of Independence Knowing that the coming struggle for independence would require the support of ordinary people, the authors of this document asserted the principle of equality without necessarily examining the potential consequences. American Revolution American revolutionaries won their fight for independence in part because the British could not conquer and control the entire 13 colonies. The intervention of France and Spain and widespread local support helped determine the Revolution's outcome as well. Treaty of Paris, 1783 In the Treaty of Paris, the British formally recognized the independence of the United Statesthough hostilities between the two nations were far from over. Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation created a national legislature with very few powers, thus the federal government's influence was extremely limited. Shay's Rebellion

March 4, 2013 Shay's Rebellion revealed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and sparked a movement to restructure the national government. Virginia vs. New Jersey Plan These plans revealed the tension between states that wanted equal representation versus those states that wanted congressional representation based on population. The Constitution Replacing the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution created a much stronger federal government and through its system of checks and balances guaranteed that no part of the new government would become too powerful. Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists Federalists favored the ratification of the Constitution and a strong federal government, whereas the Anti-Federalists were opposed to any plan that would weaken state power.

March 4, 2013

Bill of Rights These first 10 amendments, endorsed by the Anti-Federalists, were intended to calm fears about the federal government having limited power.

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