Unit 3 - Conflict & American Independence (1754-1800)

• Franklin's Albany Plan aimed to unite the 13 colonies under one central government for mutual defense and other common purposes.
• The Albany Plan was seen as a radical proposal at the time, as it called for a level of colonial unity and self-governance that was unprecedented. It was ultimately rejected by the British government and the colonies
• Proclamation of 1763: prohibited the colonists from traveling beyond the Appalachian Mountains. The British thought this would keep positive trade relations with the Natives and avoid conflict. However, the colonists broke this at will.
• These conflicts all tie back to salutary neglect, the policy of the British government towards its colonies in North America in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
• Under salutary neglect, the government largely ignored the colonies and allowed them to govern themselves, with little interference from the mother country.
• Salutary neglect came to an end in the mid-eighteenth century as the British government began to take on a more active role. This was due to the growing costs of the French and Indian War, the need to raise revenue, and the belief that the colonists were becoming too independent.
• With the end to salutary neglect, some strict changes were made (list some):

  • Strict revision to Navigation Acts - more British regulation than before
  • Quartering Act (1765) - Imperial troops were to remain in the colonies to enforce the new rules. Colonies responsible for their needs.
  • Sugar Act (1764) - taxes on sugar, molasses, etc.
  • Stamp Act (1765) - tax on all printed materials such as newspapers
• These new laws passed by the British government such as the Sugar Act and Stamp Act were threatening to the colonists because they were experiencing declining wages and an increase in unemployment during those years.
• No taxation without representation: It was based on the idea that the colonists should not be taxed by the British government unless they had representatives in Parliament who could advocate on their behalf.
• British government argued that through virtual representation, members of parliament represented all classes of British citizens. So, they were represented according to them
• The colonists created the Stamp Act Congress of 1765, which demanded the king repeal the tax. Parliament eventually did just that to temporarily appease the colonist
• A handy colonial protest tool was the nonimportation agreement. It was a boycott of British goods, such as wool and linen, that was implemented by the colonists as a way to protest British policies.
• The Sons of Liberty was a secret society that played a crucial role in the events leading to the American Revolution. This group was formed to protect the rights of colonists and resist British control through boycotts, protests, and intimidation.
• The Daughters of Liberty worked to further the goals of the Sons of Liberty. They organized boycotts of British goods and provided support to the patriots in other ways, such as by spinning and weaving cloth to replace imported fabrics.
• Most of the colonies decided to meet in Philadelphia in 1774 as part of the First Continental Congress. Here, the colonists discussed ways to solve their grievances and petitioned Parliament.
• At the First Continental Congress, the colonists sent a letter to the King explaining their dissatisfaction, emphasizing their loyalty.
• Enlightenment thought deeply impacted the colonists. For instance, Natural Rights, social contract, etc.
• In "Common Sense," Paine argued for American independence from British rule. He outlined a number of reasons why the colonists should break away from Britain, including the fact that the British government was too distant and unresponsive to the needs of the colonists, that the British monarchy was corrupt and tyrannical, and that the colonies were capable of governing themselves.
• Paine's writing style was direct, simple, and accessible, making it easy for people of all backgrounds to understand and relate to. It essentially shifted the sentiment of the colonists from being loyal subjects of the King to considering themselves as Americans, who were entitled to the same rights and privileges as citizens of any other country.
• The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1776 to vote on independence from Britain due to the increasing tensions between the colonists and its "mother country."
• The Battle of Lexington and Concord were actually two battles on April 19th, 1775 that marked the start of armed conflict between Great Britain and thirteen of its North American colonies which would later become known as Revolutionary War
• in June 1775, the Second Continental Congress appointed George Washington as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.
• Washington was chosen for his military experience, his reputation for courage and leadership, and his standing in the colonies. He had served as an officer in the British army during the French and Indian War and had a good reputation among the colonial leaders. 
• The Battle of Saratoga was a decisive victory for the American forces during the Revolutionary War in 1777. It is often considered the turning point of the war as it convinced France to enter into an alliance with the Americans against Britain.
• Articles of Confederation:

  • The central government was given only limited powers, such as the power to conduct foreign relations and regulate trade between the states. Each state retained most of its power, and the central government could not tax or regulate commerce.
• Weaknesses of Articles of Confederation

  1. Congress had no power to levy or collect taxes - government was always short of money
  2. Congress had no power to regulate foreign trade - quarrels broke out among states and trading with other countries was difficult
  3. there was no national court system - the central government had no way to settle disputes among the states
• Although there were many weaknesses of the Articles, there were two strengths.

  1. The Land Ordinance of 1785 - allowed the federal government to sell western lands to pay off the national debt and organize these new lands into townships and public schools.
  2. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 - set a process for new states to join the United States of America, ensuring the country would continue to grow. New states were equal in status to existing states (the 13 colonies).
• Shay's Rebellion was a series of armed protests that occurred in Massachusetts between 1786 and 1787, led by a veteran of the Revolutionary War, Daniel Shays. The rebellion was sparked by economic grievances, particularly by the heavy debt and high taxes faced by farmers and smallholders in the state.
• Shay's Rebellion Impact:

  • revealed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
  • showed the need for a stronger government
  • made it clear that the government needed to address the economic grievances of citizens and provide relief to those who have fallen into debt after the war
  • called for a new constitution
• The Constitutional Convention: delegates from 12 out of 13 states proposed a new framework for government, known as the Constitution of the United States
• After much debate, the Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was negotiated:

  • It combined elements of the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan.
  • bicameral Congress - House and Senate
• The Three-Fifths Compromise

  Each enslaved person would be counted as three-fifths of a free person. The compromise was intended to address the concerns of the southern states that their representation in Congress would be diminished if enslaved people were not counted at all, while also addressing the concerns of the northern states that counting enslaved people fully would give the southern states too much representation.
• The Constitution was finished on September 17, 1787, and then sent to the states for ratification.
• Federalists wanted a stronger central government while anti-Federalists wanted stronger state goverment
• Virginia Plan

  • Representation by population
  • favored the big states
• New Jersey Plan

  • Equal representation regardless of population
  • favored the small states
• Great Compromise

  Senate - each state 2 votes

  House - representation based on population
• New Constitution


  • provided for more robust central government
  • split government into three branches
  • legislative, executive, and judicial
• Federalist Papers

  • Federalists like James Madison and Alexander Hamilton wrote these essays in order to convince the public of the merits of the Constitution (to favor its ratification)
• Anti-Federalists wanted a bill of rights to protect individual rights and liberties from the federal government. Federalists agreed and the constitution came to be