-
Boston Tea Party
Protesting tax on tea
Taxation without representation -
Period: to
First Continental Congress
56 delegates from 12 colonies (GA did not participate)
Met in Philly
issue was primarily Intolerable Acts (4) imposed by the British
Shuns Tory sentiment in NY -
Lexington and Concord
First shots of revolution
Paul Revere's ride
British marching from Boston to seize Concord armory on the way skirmish occurred in Lexington -
Period: to
Second Continental Congress
This is the colonies government
The Revolution has already started
GW named head of the Continental Army -
Battle of Bunker Hill
called Bunker Hill and Breeds Hill
the first formal battle
debunked the myth of British invincibility
British unhinged by colonists unorthodoxed fighting style -
2nd Continental Congress makes "Olive Branch Petition"
one last attempt to ward off further hostilities
British don't even respond -
Eventually King George declines the "Olive Branch Petition"
and King George instead pledges to break the resistance of the colonists -
Continental Army wins battle in Boston
-
Declaration of Independence
written during the 2nd Continental Congress
final edited form was read out loud
500 quick copies were made -
NYers told to evacuate
-
NY falls to British
NYC is the last stong hold of the British in the war... -
GW retreats after losing NJ
-
Ft Ticonderoga fall to British control - command of Philip Schuyler
Philip Schuyler got the heat on this and lost his command
the reason he lost was the defection rate was high -
Bloody clash in Brandywine (Philly)
terrible slaughter with 1300 Americans killed, wounded, captured
twice that of the British -
H's supplies aid in GW engaging British in Germantown
severing Howe from reinforcing Burgoyne -
Burgoyne surrenders in Saratoga - pivotal moment in the war
Gates whips Burgoyne who surrenders his whole army -
Articles of Confederation
Defined Congress' powers -
Period: to
Valley Forge
horrible winter
the states kept the talented military people for their own militias
an impotent Congress (continental Congress) reduced to begging for men and supplies
apparent the dependence on British for textiles meant no clothes, and munitions meant no weapons -
French recognize American independence and sign treaties
military and commercial treaties are signed -
French sail for America to aid Continental Army
General Clinton (British) decides to avoid being trapped in Philly and takes his troops to NYC -
GW orders attack on British camped at Monmouth Court, Freehold, NJ -
Battle was considered a "draw"
Idolatry of GW began at Monmouth -
Lee's (American) troops in full retreat
H sees the retreat and told Lee not to retreat to die fighting
GW rode up and cursed Lee
H awed by GW courage, coolness, and firmness
H leads Lees battalion of artillery
H's horse is shot out from under him
Lee arrested for disobeying orders
H gives damaging testimony during court martial
Lee found guilty -
French "Baptist" shows up with a fleet
-
Spain enters war on America's side
Spain and France BOTH enter the war on the American side
Support the colonists NOT because of ideology, but because they both had their own issues with the British -
British capture both SAV and Augusta
-
General Clinton (British) promises freedom to runaway slaves defecting to British side
And the British honored that promise
much to the southern planters constant complaining -
GW takes troops to winter at HQ in Morristown, NJ
the winter was worse weather than Valley Forge -
British take Charleston, SC
John Laurens captured -
French arrive with troops in R. I.
-
British win Camden, SC
General Gates flees -
Benedict Arnold - traitor
Arnold flees during breakfast with H and McHenry and goes downriver to the British warship "Vulture" and escapes
when GW arrives H hands GW thick packets of dispatches
GW reads them and says "Arnold has betrayed us"
H and GW both hood winked by Arnold's wife's acting "crazy" to escape and made fools of H and GW -
Armies mutiny in PA and NJ
-
Articles of Confederation - ratified
Articles promised little more than a fragile alliance of 13 states
-no judiciary or executive branches
but it was a start and H spent his time addressing flaws and overcoming them in the Constitution -
Battle of Yorktown
H and men charged successfully -
Cornwallis surrenders Yorktown
shattered British troops march out -
Provisional Peace treaty signed
sapped incentives for a unity as a nation == asserted state sovereignty -
Soldiers present Congress with petition "they have borne all they can bear"
-
Emergency resolution for states to send money for soldiers pay
Robert Morris' resolution
GW agreed to lobby Congress on soldiers behalf March 15 after soldiers' petition...H to chair a committee for pension equal to 5 yrs pay -
Soldiers riot in Philly (state house) -- still demanding to be paid
soldiers seize control of the arsenal
400 soldiers encircle the state house
H writes resolution to relocate Congress if Philly militia can't protect the state house
Mutiny has a major repercussion...gives rise to the thought the national capital should be housed in a special federal district apart from the mercy of state government/protection -
Congress moves across stateline to Princeton
-
Congress moves to Annapolis
-
Treaty of Paris
War over -
Evacuation Day - NYC
British leave their last occupied city
the city is a shanty town with unwholesome smells and cows wandering around -
GW says a tearful goodbye to his officers - H not present
-
Congress moves to Trenton
-
Period: to
Road to Continental Convention
time of peace, but Articles of Confederation were imperfect for this time because:
-dire financial straits
-interstate rivalries
-domestic insurrection
Need for Constitutional reform...H obsessed with this need -
Maryland and VA heated dispute over navigation on Potomac
-
Annapolis Convention
discuss issues over trade...states operating as separate countries
reverse trade barriers each state had put in place
-12 delegates
-5 states (NJ, NY, DE, PA, VA)
-4 states didn't arrive on time (NH, MA, RI, NC)
-4 states didn't send anyone (CT, MD, SC, GA)
outcome: bigger convention needed to discuss flaws in political framework
urge all states to send delegates to another convention in Philly in May to amend the Articles of Confederation -
VA enthusiastically endorses reform, NY denied need for reform
VA taps GW to head the VA delegation
NY appoints H with 2 Clintonians -
Shay's rebellion finally put down
armed uprising in Western Massachusetts in response to a debt crisis among citizens and increase in taxes to cover the state debt -
Period: to
Constitutional Convention
55 delegates and 7 states started/ 70 delegates and 12 attended (RI did not participate)
objective was to amend the Articles of Confederation for peacetime
but the outcome was a new government was created and scraped the Articles of Confederation
determine how America was to be governed
closed door session for inspired, uninhibited debate
confidential, nothing spoken could be written or published
with the US Constitution needing to be ratified by 9 states -
The Virginia Plan - clean break from the past
Presented a design for the future government -
The NJ Plan - just correct what's broken
Maintain the state's sovereignty -
H's 6-hour speech - speech praised by all, supported by none
brilliant, courageous, and daft
combination of monarchy, aristocracy and republic
"British gvt best in the world"
VA plan seemed moderate compared to H's - some believed this was the intent -
NY delegates (w/ H) leave, never to return
this leaves NY without a voting block -
Conn Compromise - breaks the deadlock
H of R representation will be proportional
Senate - equal representation -
Convention adjourns while Committee of Detail produces first draft
-
Convention resumes with draft of Constitution
-
H back in Philly - drives a passionate debate on immigration
H overruled
H of R residency - 7 yrs
Senate - 9 yrs
President - 14 yrs -
Committee of Style and Arrangement polishes the prose
H a member of 5 person committee and perfect for the job...literary gifts and rapid pen
Takes 4 days to make the document short and flexible
Language needed to be specific enough and general enough to allow for growth
23 articles shrank to 7 -
Convention ends - Constitution ready for ratification (9 states needed)
Constitution and Government defined
unanimous assent of 11 states and Col H - RI did not participate