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- June 7, 1776 Richard Henry Lee proposed independence from Great Britain
- Five people were appointed: Franklin, Adams, Sherman, Livingston, and Jefferson.
- Jefferson wrote the majority of it, and got his inspiration from John Locke
- July 4, 1776 2nd Continental Congress adopted the resolution.

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- Popular Sovereignty - State government existed by the governed.
- Limited Government - The power of the state the government was limited.
- Civil Rights and Liberties - Each state clearly announced the rights of their citizens.
- Seperation of Powers and Checks and Balances - Each new state government was organized with independent branches of government.

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- Congress met in Philadelphia to discuss the revision of the Articles of Confederation
- Decided to make a completely new constitution beacuse AOC were no longer needed/wanted.

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- Articles of Confederation, proposed November 15, 1977, and went into effect on March 1, 1781.
- Structure - Unicameral, delegates chosen yearly (each state had one vote), no judicial or executive branch.
- Powers of Congress - Make war and peace, send and recieve ambassadors, make treaties, borrow money, etc.

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- Strong national government
- Three separate branches
- Favored large states
- States should have a say in government based on size/population of the state.

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- resembled the Articles of Confederation
- Favored small states
- Stated that all states should have a equal say in government.

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- Also known as the "Great Compromise"
- Compromise between Virginia and New Jersey
- They decided:
- Congress shall be composed of two houses
- In the senate, states shall be represented equally
- In the House of Representatives, the representation would be based on population

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- State Obligations - Agree to accept a central government, but have a majority of power.
-  Weakness of the Articles - One vote per state, couldn't tax, couldn't regulate foreign and interstate commerce, no executive branch, etc.
- The Articles were only a "firm league of friendship".

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- Delegates agreed to count slaves as 3/5 of a person for puposes of representation and taxation

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- Congress was forbidden to tax exports and could not act on slave trade for at least 20 years.

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- Although the colonies were technically under the control of the crown, they were so far away that they had assumed large law making powers.
- By mid 1700s, the relationship between Britain and colonies had become federal information. After George III came, this changed.

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- To be taxed only with the consent of one's representatives in Parliament was a particularly cherished right of the people under English law, a right dating back to Magna Carta in thethirteenth century. Each additional tax caused resentment among the colonists. Taxation without representation is one of the principal offenses of Britain listed in the Declaration of Independence.

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- Rebellion in central and western Massachusetts from 1786-1787; Named after Daniel Shays, a veteran of the American Revolution who led the rebels
- When taxes couldn’t be paid, homes, farms, livestock, and personal possessions were seized, and debtors were sometimes thrown into prison.
- Protests by American farmers against state and local enforcement of tax collections and judgments for debt
- biggest impact of Shays’s Rebellion may have been that it helped convince the Constitutional Convention that the country needed a strong central government

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- This Treaty acknowledged the independence of the thirteen American colonies, and set the boundaries of the new nation at the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Mississippi River in the west, Florida in the south, and Canada in the north.

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English brought knowledge and 3 forms of English political systems.
-laws
-customs
-practices

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1. Ordered Government - Orderly regulation of different levels of government with each other.
-- local government
-- units and offices of government
2. Limited Government - Government is not all powerful, it is limited in what it may do, and individuals have some rights government can not take away.
3. Representative Government - Government serves will of the people.

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-  Stamp Act (1765). This British law required certain printed materials including newspapers in America be on paper produced in Brittan and stamped with a revenue stamp.
- Boston Massacre (1770). An angry mob of colonist confronts British soldiers in Boston. Five colonists are killed.
- Boston Tea Party (1773). In response to the Tea Act patriots dressed as American Indians dump British tea into Boston Harbor.

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The 2nd Continental Congress met on 5 - 10 - 1775 in Philadelphia.

The 2nd CC met to decide what further actions would be taken after the battles of Lexington and Concord.
- The Revolution had already begun.
-They organized government and established military, which was led by George Washington.
- Each of the 13 colonies had representatives at the meeting.
- The 2nd CC served as first government for the United States for 5 years.
-They were unicameral (one house)
- Exercised as both legislative and executive powers.

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John Hancock - Chosen as president for 2nd CC
George Washington - Commander - in - Chief of continental army
Charles Thomson - Secretary

* it was never clear if Peyton Randolph was absent or resigned from duty for many thought he was the president of the 2nd CC

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For Ratification
Arguments:
1. Limited Government - National government only had power specifically granted under the constitution and was prohibited.
2. Separation of Powers - divided power to avoid total control.
3. Checks and Balances  - Three branches would equal and limit each other.

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Opposed Ratification
1. Greatly increased power of central government.
2. Lacked a Bill of Rights

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120 Great American Paintings - John Trumbull - The Declaration of INdependence - 1787