Fighting for Independence

• April 1775 – British soldiers wanted to seize American weapons but the colonists were warned and the “minutemen” (soldiers prepared to go to war in a minute) blocked the way in the village of Lexington and killed the British soldiers

• next month, Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, acted as national government and set up an army of 17 000 men under command of George Washington

• Congress sought help in Britain’s enemy, France

• July 17 – Congress cut all political ties with Britain and the lawyer Thomas Jefferson wrote an important document in American history – Declaration of Independence

• the colonies were officially named “The United States of America”

• according to ideas of political thinker John Locke produced men like Jefferson a new definition of democratic government – it should consist of representatives elected by people and protect the rights of individual citizens

• because of no military training, American fought badly and British captured New York city

• October 1777 Americans trapped the British army of 6 000 men at Saratoga in Northern NY and sent them back to England

• Benjamin Franklin, ambassador to France persuaded France to join the war – when a combined Am. and French army led by G. Washington surrounded British at Yorktown, French ships arrived and trapped them

• October 17^th, 1781 - British definitely surrendered

• 1783 – Treaty of Paris – Britain recognized US as an independent nation

A new nation

Forming the New Nation

• it was important to join all states who were behaving like independent nations

• central government established under the Articles of Confederation – weak and made it difficult for US to gain respect of foreign nations – a change was needed

• 1787 – Congress called a meeting in Philadelphia – known as Constitutional Convention, lead by G. Washington

• the original purpose – to revise the articles of Confederation, but also a completely new system of government was worked out and plan for “Constitution of the US” was set up

• much stronger federal government than before, with more power than the states:

• executive branch – president (elected national leader) runs country’s everyday affairs

• legislative b. – power of law making – Congress consisting of:

  • Senate – 2 representatives from each state

  • House of Representatives – number of members depending on the state’s population

• judicial b. – the Supreme Court

• 1^st president – Washington – demonstrated his power in the “Whiskey Rebellion” when he (without fighting) stopped rebels who refused to pay taxes for Whiskey

• to “balance the power” has each branch certain powers that the others don’t have

• 1788 – the Constitution was ratified by 9 states – still not really complete

• 1791 – 10 amendments “Bill of Rights” were added – the rights of individual citizens promising them freedom of religion, press, speech, jury trial and right to carry arms

• John Marshall, Chief Justice of Supreme Court, was invoked in the case “Marbury vs. Madison”

• he stated the right of Supreme Court to decide which American laws are according to Constitution – “power of judicial review”

• The Federalist Party (attracted the rich, favored a strong President) and the Democratic Republican Party (attracted the less wealthy, supported rights of individual states)