Revolutionary Period A Nation Is Born (1750-1800)

1. Revolutionary PeriodA Nation Is Born (1750-1800) Addressing the Continental Army before the battle of Long Island, August 27, 1776 … “The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us only the choice of brave resistance, or the most abject submission. We have, therefore, to resolve to conquer or die.” -George Washington Painting by Emanuel Gottleib Leutze (1851) Depicting 2,400 American soldiers crossing the Delaware River from Pennsylvania to Trenton, New Jersey on Christmas night 1776 to surprise the opposition the next morning. Analyze this image. What does the painting depict? What is taking place? Who or what is the focus of the painting? How are they depicted? What colors are used and why? What mood is being created? How is this painting a good representation of the Revolutionary Period? Explain.

2. The Age of Reason • By the early 1760’s, there were many Americans of European descent who were considered English subjects and were satisfied with British rule. • Europeans thinkers: Galileo, Sir Isaac Newton, Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Locke, • Enlightenment ideas: *reason over faith *social contract forming the basis of government and * people are by nature good, not evil ●“Enlightenment” ideas influenced (Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, etc.). • pressures behind the French and Indian War and the • emergence of a number of regulations and taxes imposed by King George II and Parliament changed the attitudes of the colonists and their statesmen. John Locke, English philosopher (died in 1704), believed that human nature was governed by reason and tolerance. Why would this viewpoint be so radical? How did such an idea influence American government? Explain.

3. Pre-Revolution Events • 1732-Benjamin Franklin • 1754-French and Indian war begins over North American territory rights. • 1759-63-France gives up claims to North American territory and colonists are happy for a time. • 1765-Stamp Act passed by British Parliament to pay for war debt 1767-Townshend acts. • 1770-Boston Massacre occurs • 1773-Parliament’s Tea Act

4. American Revolution and Literature • 1773-Phillis Wheatley’sPoems on Various Subjects published in England (U.S. 1786) included signatures from prominent men such as John Hancock to attest to the authenticity in the forward (first writer of African origin to gain a voice in the United States). • 1776-The second Continental Congress adopts Declaration of Independence. • 1776-speeches and pamphlets defending Colonial rights (Paine and Henry) • focus on American victory over foreigners • 1783-Revolutionary War ends and Noah Webster’s Spelling Book first appears (60 million copies would be sold) • 1787-Constitutional Convention meets in Philadelphia to draft constitution.

5. The New Nation • 1789-Constitution was conferred and George Washington was elected first President • 1790-First Federal U.S. census shows approximately 757,208 blacks in the U.S., nearly 20% of the total population; 59,557 are free. • 1793-Eli Whitney invents the cottongin influencing the use of slaves and American markets. • 1794-1795-Southern universities erected, now known as the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. • Territory expansion (frontier) and population explosion set scene for national literature Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams, were assigned to the congressional committee to write the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson was the chief writer and his committee members agreed with his first draft although the congress debated and made numerous minor changes. One of the major changes was the deletion of Jefferson’s reference to slavery as “cruel war against human nature.” (John Adams contested hotly to every suggested change)

6. Benjamin Franklin Patrick Henry Thomas Paine Thomas Jefferson Persuasive Revolutionary Writers

7. Benjamin Franklin • Benjamin Franklin-Before helping to draft the Declaration of Independence, Franklin wrote Poor Richard’s Almanack that is filled with aphorisms (short sayings with a message). He not only helped to define how an Americans should act, but how they should govern. • Franklin enlisted the help of the French during the Revolution, negotiated a peace treaty with Britain, drafted the United States Constitution, took ambassadorships in both England and France, and left an uncompleted autobiography that still influences many people today.

8. Patrick Henry • Patrick Henry-He is known as the first governor of Virginia, but his famous line “Give me Liberty, or give me Death” from Speech in the Virginia Convention(1775) will be well remembered throughout American History. • These words helped to shift views towards the actuality of revolution and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

9. Thomas Paine • Thomas Paine-The Age of Reason influenced writers to question the way things were and Paine reasoned his way to revolution. • He is famously known for writing “Common Sense,” which appealed to logic and appealed to dramatic political change. This pamphlet was distributed among the masses and appealed to different audiences, especially to the common man

10. Thomas Jefferson • Thomas Jefferson-As noted previously, Jefferson was the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence. • In order to have an effective society, Jefferson believed that educating the nation’s citizens was important.

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