Post-Revolutionary War

Civics 2020-2021
Trans-Atlantic Revolution
● The American Revolution signified the beginning of the “Age of Revolution”
○ The Age of Revolution refers to the time period of three major revolutions resulting from the
shared beliefs that kings with too much power should be removed from government and
democratic principles should replace monarchical practices.
○ The American Revolution - colonists in the British North American colonies declare
independence from Great Britain
○ The French Revolution - radicalists who wanted to overthrow the monarchy took control of the
government and began a period of government-sanctioned violence
○ The Haitian Revolution - enslaved people in the French colony of St. Domingue rebel against
the French colonizers and eventually become the independently governed Republic of Haiti in
1804
Forming a New Nation
Declaration of Independence (1776)

● Second Continental Congress (1775-1776)

○ Thomas Jefferson drafts the Declaration of Independence as a list of grievances (complaints)
against King George III using John Locke’s theory of a social contract
○ Voted on and accepted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776
● United States of America become independent from British rule
○ Great Britain did not accept the Declaration of Independence and continued to be at war with
the USA until 1783
Ending the American Revolution
● Initial Peace Talks
○ Held in Paris, France
○ John Jay, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams represented the Americans
○ April 1782 to November 1782

● Treaty of Paris (September 3, 1783) - officially ends the war between the
newly formed United States of America and Great Britain
○ Recognized American independence from Great Britain
○ Established borders for the newly founded country
Creating a New Government
Articles of Confederation

● Drafted in 1776, but not ratified until 1781

● Government Structure
○ States maintained their own governments and the majority of powers
○ Focus on protecting citizens’ and states’ rights
○ Federal government only consisted of a Legislative Branch
● Problems with the Articles of Confederation
○ No regulation of trade or currency between the different states
○ No national court system to settle disputes between the states
○ No central military force to protect against invasion
○ No way to generate money (taxes) to pay debts from the American Revolutionary War
Time for Change
Shay’s Rebellion (1786)

● Revolt in Springfield, MA led by Daniel Shay

○ War veterans were not yet paid for their service during the American Revolution
○ States were still demanding taxes and debts be paid by these farmers and veterans

● Effects of Shay’s Rebellion

○ Highlighted the need for a strong central government by showing people how little control the
government had under the Articles of Confederation
○ Alexander Hamilton organizes a meeting for the leaders of the different states to meet in
Philadelphia, PA