Thomas Hobbes Need for Gov’t – “Beastly Nature”

Baron De Montesquieu Separation of Powers, Checks and Balances

Voltaire “freedoms” – intellectual, speech, religion (against state

religion) John Locke

Natural Rights. What are they? Two Treatises on Civil Government

Philosophy of John Locke Rights are derived from the people’s basic

moral sense supersede the authority of the government

Consent of the Governed Limited Government Natural rights are superior to a government What would be Jefferson’s inalienable

rights? Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. Thomas Jefferson

Jean Jacques RousseauWrote Social Contract – People and Gov’t have contract

Wrote Common Sense◦ Essay widely read by the people◦ Urged colonies to break away and form new country◦ A new breed of “American”

Would later write The American Crisis pamphlets which would encourage the Americans to continue the fight.

Dominion of New England Albany Plan of Union Stamp Act Congress 1st Continental Congress 2nd Continental Congress

Meet in Philadelphia State House President of Congress – John Hancock

Some early events: Olive Branch Petition

◦ What did the King do with it? Declaration of the Causes and Necessity

of Taking up Arms◦ Who wrote this?

◦ What did it say?

Declaration is proposed by Richard Henry Lee

Committee of Five to write it: John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston

Jefferson actually wrote most of it. Or did he?

“Remember the Ladies” – Abigail Adams

What issues would cause problems in the passing of the Declaration?

Also called Tories Why would someone be a loyalist?

Respect for the King “order” and law (no mob rule / mobcracy) Family ties Worker for crown (or Church of Eng) Part of great(est) country Thought Britain would win Rich

But how is the American Revolution different than most other revolutions in world history?

Patriots was the name for people who supported independence.◦ What did the King call

them?◦ About what fraction

were Patriots? Loyalists? Then what were the

others? Why?

What about these groups of people?◦ Quakers◦ Native Americans◦ Slaves◦ Canadians◦ Floridians

-Did George Washington have anything to gain financially with independence?-Daniel Boone – Wilderness Road – Kentucky

How did the European Enlightenment writers influence the independence movement?

Why was Thomas Paine important for the independence movement?

Why would someone oppose the independence of the colonies?

How do the western lands figure into the independence movement and the future of the United States?

http://soomopublishing.com/declaration/index.html - Too late to apologize

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du8ultITS5A&list=UUZYs757tACChkS-vjS1m66Q&index=1&feature=plcp – Review Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcYiLWEAXYo&feature=related – PP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrSeCYSnj5Y – School House Rock Fireworks