Transcript Supreme Court Cases

Ideas for Revolution
What you need to know
• Battle of Bunker Hill
• Olive Branch Petition
• Common Sense
• His influence on independence movement
• John Locke & Montesquieu—how they
influenced Declaration of Independence
• How Declaration of Independence is organized
• Role of Thomas Jefferson in writing Declaration
• Who stayed loyalists & who became patriots
After Lexington & Concord
• Major debates all over colonies
Between loyalists (to the king) and
patriots (for independence)
• Many families split up violently
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Continental Congress
• In Philadelphia starting May 1775
• 13 colonies send reps
• John Adams (MA) wanted:
Full separation from Britain
Each colony get independence
Pick general to lead troops
• Many in Congress disagreed w/him
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Continental Congress
• Acted as government for colonies
Printed paper money to pay troops
Named George Washington
commander of Continental Army
Set up committee for foreign relations
• Lasted for 5 years
Battle of Bunker Hill
• British controlled Boston
• Patriots atop steep hill across river
from Boston (called Breed’s Hill)
• British tried to storm hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
• Patriots didn’t have much ammo
• “Don’t fire until you see the whites
of their eyes”
• Kept beating Brits back
• 3rd try – Brits broke through & won
• Losses – Pats 400 / Brits 1000
Olive Branch Petition
• Plea to King George III from
Congress urging return to old days
of happiness & harmony 
• King refused, ordered naval
blockade of the coast 
– Formally declared the colonies in rebellion
Common Sense
• Pamphlet published anonymously by
Thomas Paine (over 500,000 sold)
• Urged revolt & argued that
independence is America’s destiny
• America free to trade w/anyone for
guns & ammo – inc. Brits’ enemies
• Independence = chance to create
better society w/equality for all
Declaration of Independence
• By 1776, colonies had begun
declaring independence separately
• NC had already, VA was about to
• Congress voted 6/7/76 to declare
independence, picked Jefferson to
write it
3 parts of Declaration
• Philosophy
• Explained why all people deserved to
be treated fairly
• List of grievances
• Explained ways Americans were
treated unfairly
• Separation
• Declared independence
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)
• Wrote Leviathan (1651).
• Believed that government existed to
protect people from themselves and
their natural wickedness.
• Hobbes believed that the social contract
could never be broken, which justified
absolute monarchies.
• If you challenge the king, you enter into
anarchy.
John Locke (1632-1704)
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Wrote Two Treatises on Government (1690)
Said that humans were creatures of reason and not
“naturally wicked”.
Locke believed that humans entered into the social
contract in order to protect their rights as citizens.
If those rights were no longer being protected, the
social contract could be broken.
Once that social contract was broken, the people are
then free to forge a new social contract. (Glorious
Revolution)
How is this different from Hobbes’ beliefs?
Who do you believe is correct?
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
(1712-1778)
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The Social Contract (1762)
Rousseau added to Locke’s ideas on the Social Contract
stating:
1. All people have the right to a voice in their government.
2. Liberty/freedom could not exist without equality.
3. The only laws that the people must obey are the laws
that the people make for themselves.
• Governments derive their power from the consent of the
governed .
Montesquieu (1689 – 1755)
• French philosopher inspired Americans
• Separation of powers
• King holds all political power, so he
can easily oppress the people
• If powers are separated, harder to
force oppression onto the people
Montesquieu
• Three main powers of government
• Legislative – decides what should be laws
• Executive – makes sure laws are followed
• Judicial – decides if people don’t follow
laws
Declaration of Independence
• Stated all men created equal
• Politically, not socially or economic
• Didn’t mean women, natives or slaves
• Included attack on slave trade
• SC and GA wouldn’t go along with it
• Jefferson cut that section out
Declaration of Independence
• Approved July 2, 1776
• Signed July 4, 1776
• John Hancock’s signature
• Presiding officer of the Congress
• Probably only person to sign it that
day – lots of space to fill
• Others added signatures later, most
on August 2
America chooses sides
• Families split up
• Loyalists
• Opposed separation from Britain
• Many switched sides during war
Why did some stay loyal?
• Don’t turn back on your family
• New government might be worse
than the old one
• Didn’t think America could win
• King was good to some of them
Why did some rebel?
• Most had something to gain
financially
• Some colonists weren’t English
• German
• Irish
• Scots
The neutrals
• Many people didn’t choose a side
• Groups who were complicated:
• Quakers didn’t fight (but most
supported Patriots)
• Slaves fought on both sides – Brits
promised freedom (many didn’t trust)
• Most natives supported Brits – many
stayed out (didn’t trust either side)
What you need to know
• Battle of Bunker Hill
• Olive Branch Petition
• Common Sense
• His influence on independence movement
• John Locke & Montesquieu—how they
influenced Declaration of Independence
• How Declaration of Independence is organized
• Role of Thomas Jefferson in writing Declaration
• Who stayed loyalists & who became patriots