Ch. 5, Sec. 4

Moving Toward Independence

Objectives:1. Know what happened at the Second

Continental Congress.2. Know why the colonists drafted the

Declaration of Independence.

Second Continental Congress May 10, 1775, to March 2, 1789

• Delegates included some of the greatest political leaders in America.

• John & Sam Adams, Patrick Henry, George Washington.• New delegates like: _________________.

• One of most accomplished & respected men in colonies.• 1765, during Stamp Act crisis, he represented colonies in

London to secure repeal of the Stamp Act.

• John ________ of Massachusetts—38 yrs old (wealthy merchant.

• Funded Patriot groups like Sons of Liberty.• Chosen as president of 2nd Continental Congress.

• Thomas _________ was only 32.• Had reputation for being brilliant thinker & writer.

Second Continental Congress

• Congress began to govern colonies & did the following:

1. Authorized printing of money.

2. Established a post office (Franklin in charge).

3. Created a ______________ to fight against Britain in an organized manner.

• John Adams recommended George Washington be the Continental army’s commander (unanimously chosen by Congress)

4. July—Congress sent out petition to George III.• ____________ Petition—asked for peace and protection of

colonists’ rights.• King refused and prepared for war!!!• Hired more than 30,000 _______ troops to aid British.

Washington appointed General of the Continental Army

Many, including Continental Congress president John Hancock, desired to be commander of the

Continental Army. Other delegates, led by John Adams,

sought to appoint George Washington to the post.

Washington was selected for two main reasons:

1. His prior military experience during the French and Indian War

2. He was from Virginia, and it seemed necessary to include

Virginia in the military operations around the city of Boston

This commission certified George Washington’s appointment as General and Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. The

signature of John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, is visible in the lower right corner. Washington wrote to his wife, Martha, that he had accepted the commission only after, "I have used every endeavor in my power to avoid it."

Colonies Take the Offensive

• March 1776—Washington trained army and on March 17, led them to Boston.

• Colonial troops surrounded city and began to bombard it w/cannons.

• Forced Sir William Howe to withdraw troops by sea to __________, Nova Scotia.

• Colonial forces numbered 6,000-8,000 men. British forces totaled 4,000

Colonies Take the Offensive

• Congress learned British troops stationed in Canada planned to invade _________.

• Americans decided to strike first.• American troops at ____________ marched north

and captured Montreal.• Failed to capture Quebec, but stayed outside the

city through the winter and returned to Ticonderoga later in 1776.

Common Sense

Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in January 1776.

Convinced many, including George Washington, that only independence could ensure colonial rights.

Many of Paine’s arguments were not new; his ability to express them in clear and concise language made it more popular.

Called for complete independence from Britain.

Argued that it was simply “common sense” to stop following the “royal brute,” King George III.

Thomas Paine

Colonies Declare Independence

• 2nd Cont. Congress—One central issue came up:• Should colonies declare themselves independent nation?• Or . . . Should they stay under British rule?

• June 7, VA’s __________ Lee proposed resolution to

Congress. “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to

be, free and independent States”

• Formed a committee to draft a _________________________.

• July 2, 1776—Congress voted on Lee’s resolution for independence.

The Committee of Five

Congress appointed a committee of five

delegates to write a suitable declaration of

independence.

Serving on the committee were Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John

Adams, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman.

The entire committee was instructed to write the Declaration, however,

most of the actual drafting was created by Jefferson.

Franklin

Jefferson

Livingston

Adams

Sherman

Declaration of Independence• After making some changes to the document,

Congress approved it on __________, 1776.• Copies of Declaration went out to newly declared

states.• Read by Washington to his troops.• Read out loud in towns to crowds of people.• Statue of George III was torn down in New York.

• Turned lead chunks of statue into bullets for their Patriot guns.

• Took 2 months to get copies to places like Georgia & South Carolina!

• John ________, president of Congress signed his name large so King George could see it w/o his glasses!

• He became so famous for his signature that today we refer to signing a paper as putting your “John Hancock” on it.

This painting by John Trumbull shows the committee presenting the Declaration for signing by the Continental

Congress.

Declaration tidbits• Has 4 major sections:

1. ___________--Introduction. States people wish to form a new country & reasons for doing so.

2. Lists rights colonists believed they should have 3. and their complaints against Britain.4. Proclaims existence of the new nation.

• Ends by announcing America’s new status—”to each other out Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

• Congress cut out about ¼ of original document Jefferson created.

• Cut out parts regarding anything concerning slaveholding or the ______________.

• Benjamin Franklin commented, “We must indeed all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”

• They could be hanged for treason!!!

Symbols of Liberty

• Cast in 1753 by Pass and Stow

• Hung in bell tower at Independence Hall, but removed for safe keeping during British occupation of Philadelphia

• Rang yearly on every July 4th and all state occasions until 1846, when cracks were discovered in the bell

• Bell cracked again when rung on Washington’s Birthday that year, and not rang again, except it was tapped 13 times softly for the 1976 Bicentennial, and tapped 13 times softly yearly on July 4th