The Preamble to the Constitution

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

The Preamble to the United States Constitution is a brief introductory statement of the Constitution's fundamental purposes and guiding principles. It states in general terms, and courts have referred to it as reliable evidence of, the Founding Fathers' intentions regarding the Constitution's meaning and what they hoped the Constitution would achieve.

The Preamble to the Constitution states the 6 goals of government...

1. form a more perfect union... make the best country possible

2. establish justice... create a fair system for our people
3. insure domestic tranquility... guarantee peace on our home land

4. provide for the common defense... provide protection for our citizens
5. promote the general welfare...  work together for the common good
6. secure the blessing of liberty... protect our citizens rights & freedoms

The Preamble to the Constitution

The Preamble to the Constitution in Licenses Plates 

The Social Contract

SOME EXTRAS FOR THE OVERACHIEVERS…

"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
John Locke, a 17th century English Philosopher, insisted that men “have a mind to unite for the mutual Preservation of their Lives, Liberties and Estates, which I call by the general Name, ‘Property.’”

Adam Smith, an 18th century Scottish philosopher and economist whom some have called the father of free trade with his treatise The Wealth of Nations, penned the phrase “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Property.”

Jefferson, according to historians, was a great follower of Adam Smith, and since he was well educated it’s very likely his inspiration for the phrase “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” was derived from Locke and Smith.

The Leviathan

A “leviathan” is literally a sea monster mentioned in the Bible.  It is also the title of a well known philosophy book written by Thomas Hobbs in 1651.  The focus of the book is the structure of society and legitimate government.  In the book, Hobbes argues for a "Social Contract," whereby by the people give up some of their absolute freedoms in exchange for governmental protection of human rights.  Hobbs felt that “The State of Nature,” which is total chaos pitting man against man, could only be averted by strong central government.

Of The Social Contract, Or Principles of Political Right, is a philosophy book written in 1762 by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.  In this book, Rousseau theorized about the best way in which to set up a political community in the face of the problems of commercial society which he had already identified in his “Discourse of Inequality.”

The Electoral College

The 3/5's Compromise

The Three-Fifths Compromise is found in Article 1, Section 2, Paragraph 3 of the United States Constitution:

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to the Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.

Wikipedia explains:

The Three-Fifths Compromise was a compromise between Southern and Northern States reached during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 in which three-fifths of the population of slaves would be counted for enumeration purposes regarding both the distribution of taxes and the appointment of the members of the United States House of Representatives ... Delegates opposed to slavery generally wished to count only the free inhabitants of each state. Delegates supportive of slavery, on the other hand, generally wanted to count slaves in their actual numbers. Since slaves could not vote, slaveholders would thus have the benefit of increased representation in the House and the Electoral College; taxation was only a secondary issue. The final compromise of counting "all other persons" as only three-fifths of their actual numbers reduced the power of the slave states relative to the original southern proposals, but increased it over the northern position.

The Great Compromise

The Great Compromise...
James Madison and William Paterson discuss how to fix the United States Government.  Each have an idea but one favors small states and the other large states.  Roger Sherman then rescued the two by coming up with the Great Compromise.


The Constitutional Convention in 15 Minutes...
Mr. Hughes explains the compromises which were brokered at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Topics for discussion include the Connecticut Compromise (Great), the 3/5th's Compromise and the Anti-Feds demands for a Bill of Rights.  Thank you Mr. Hughes!

Totally Off Topic...
The following video features a song written by John Prine entitled, The Great Compromise.  Written in 1972, this protest song is a metaphor for Prine's disillusionment of his country during the Vietnam War.  In this instance the songwriter is using the word "compromise" to mean a dishonorable or shameful concession.  

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention of May 1787 was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where delegates from 12 of the 13 states were present. The state of Rhode Island refused to send a delegate because it was afraid of losing its states' rights. The delegates worked for 4 months behind closed doors of the State House to draft a new document known later as the "Constitution."

In Philadelphia, more than fifty delegates from twelve of the original thirteen colonies met to begin writing the Constitution of the United States.

These delegates were selected by their states. They were educated, patriotic, and experienced men, ranging from the ages of 40 to 81. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest delegate. Some men were landowners and some were lawyers or judges. All delegates held at least one public office. This group is sometimes called the "Founding Fathers." There were no women or minorities.

Shay's Rebellion

Enjoy two short excerpts from a documentary on Shays' Rebellion. It has SUPERB animation! You can find the entire documentary on YouTube under the title, Shay's Rebellion 1787. It is posted in five pieces

The Northwest Ordinance

The Northwest Ordinance was a law passed by Congress in 1787 to provide government for the Northwest Territory, located north of the Ohio River and west of Pennsylvania to the Mississippi River. Soon after its passage, settlers flocked westward and created new towns and farms throughout the territory.

This law divided the Northwest Territory into smaller territories, each governed by a territorial governor.  As soon as a territory had 5,000 free adult males, it could elect its own legislature, or lawmaking body.  When the population reached 60,000, a territory could apply to Congress to become a state.

The Articles of Confederation

The Article of Confederation were America's first attempt at government. Ultimately they failed because they did not give the federal government enough power to raise taxes or settle disputes.   

America: The Story of Us... Part 2 Revolution

The Patriot

The Treaty of Paris

The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783.

• It formally ended the American Revolutionary War between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United States of America, which had rebelled against British rule. 
• It acknowledged the Thirteen Colonies as free, sovereign and independent States. 
• It granted the Thirteen Colonies all the territory east of the Mississippi River

The Crisis

These are the times that try men's souls.

The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from 

the service of their country;

but he that stands it NOW,

deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.

Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered;

yet we have this consolation with us,

that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly:

it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.

Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods:

and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. 

Victory at Trenton

Late on December 25, 1776, Washington's army crossed the ice-choked Delaware River in small boats.  On the New Jersey shore, Washington gave his men the password for the long night march ahead: "Victory or Death."

The Hessians, sleeping heavily after their holiday feasting, were quite unaware of the approaching army. About sunrise they were surprised and most of them easily captured after a brief struggle.

African Americans and women who fought in the American Revolution

James Armistead

James Armistead [Lafayette] was an African American spy during the American Revolution. Born in Virginia as a slave to William Armistead in 1760, he volunteered to join the army in 1781. After gaining the consent of his owner, Armistead was stationed to serve under the Marquis de Lafayette, the commander of French forces allied with the American Continental Army.  Lafayette employed Armistead as a spy.  While working for Lafayette he successfully infiltrated British General Charles Cornwallis's headquarters posing as a runaway slave hired by the British to spy on the Americans.

The man in the center of the picture is Crispus Attucks

In 1770, Crispus Attucks, a black man, became the first casualty of the American Revolution when he was shot and killed in what became known as the Boston Massacre. 

Anne Bailey

Known as "Mad Ann" Bailey, she was born in Liverpool, England, and came to America at age 19, probably as an indentured servant.  She was a heroine at the battle of Griswald, often went house to house collecting material for bandages and tended to many wounded.

Margaret Corbin

Her parents were killed by Indian raiders when she was five. She married John Corbin when she was 21.  When he joined the Army she followed her husband. Even Martha Washington went along with General Washington.  Margaret cooked and took care of the sick and wounded.

When Fort Washington was attacked she was helping John load the cannon.  He was shot and killed.  She just stepped up and began firing the cannon.  She was wounded.  She was the first woman to get a pension for her service! 

James Forten

James Forten was born on September 2, 1766. He was a freeman. He grew up in the center of American democracy - Philadelphia.   He loved reading and learning. Soon was working as a sailor. Unfortunately, he was captured by the British and was held as a prisoner of war. The captain of this ship offered to send James to England for an education with his own son.  Forten refused to be a traitor to his country. The captain then traded Forten for a British prisoner. 

For more examples of African Americans and women in the Revolutionary War click HERE!

Military Terms

GENERAL

SOLDIERS

MILITIA

MERCENARIES

BOUNTY HUNTER

GUERRILLAS

George Washington through Historical Paintings

The Declaration of Independence

Excerpt taken from HBO mini series, John Adams.


Seven Key Components of The Declaration of Independence

Drafting the Declaration of Independence

Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson

Common Sense

Published in 1776, Common Sense challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. The plain language that Paine used spoke to the common people of America and was the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain.

If you would like to read the actual pamphlet click HERE! 

Thomas Paine 

The Olive Branch Petition

Even though the war had already started, the Americans still had not declared their independence. With the Olive Branch Petition, they made one last attempt to find a peaceful end to the revolution.

On July 5, 1775, Congress drafted the Olive Branch Petition. It outlined their issues and asked the British government to respond and deal with them. King George III of England refused to accept the petition. He believed the Americans to be in rebellion, and believed he could quickly end it with his military force.

The Siege at Boston

Siege of Boston, (April 1775–March 1776), successful siege by American troops of the British-held city of Boston during the American Revolution.  After the Battles of Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775), Boston was besieged by American militiamen.  By June, 15,000 raw, undisciplined, ill-equipped colonials—by then called the Continental Army surrounded a force of 6,500 British regulars commanded by General Thomas Gage.

After the Battle of Bunker Hill (June 17, 1775), General George Washington assumed command of American forces, while, in October of that year, General William Howe succeeded Gage as British commander.  Fighting remained stalemated for months, with both sides hesitant to attack.  Finally, on March 4, 1776, Washington seized Dorchester Heights and trained his cannon—newly arrived from Fort Ticonderoga—on the city and harbour. Howe was forced to evacuate Boston by ship (March 17), and the siege ended.

The Battle of Bunker HIll

The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, just a few months after the start of the American Revolutionary War. 

Boston was being besieged by thousands of American militia. The British were trying to keep control of the city and control its valuable sea ports. The British decided to take two hills, Bunker and Breeds, in order to gain a tactical advantage. The American forces heard about it and went to defend the hills.

The American forces learned that the British were planning on taking over the hills around Boston in order to gain a tactical advantage. As a result of this information, the Americans secretly moved their troops onto Bunker and Breeds Hill, two unoccupied hills just outside of Boston in Charlestown, Massachusetts. They built up fortifications during the night and prepared for battle. 

The next day, when the British realized what had happened, the British attacked. Their commander William Howe led three charges up Breeds Hill. The Americans fought back the first two charges, but started to run out of ammunition and had to retreat at the third charge. The British gained the hill, but their costs were great. Around 226 British were killed and 800 wounded while the Americans did not suffer nearly as many casualties. 

Although the British won the hill and the battle, they paid heavy costs with so many soldiers dying, including many officers. This gave the Americans courage to know that they could stand up to the British in battle. Many more colonists joined the army after this battle and the revolution continued to grow in strength. 

Patrick Henry of Virginia: "Give Me LIBERTY or Give Me DEATH!"

Lexington and Concord

 

     The Revolutionary War begins when British General Gage orders a 700-man force to destroy American Patriot munition supplies in Concord, Massachusetts. The British march to Lexington and are confronted by a small Patriot militia force. A shot is fired (no one knows who fired first) and the British open fire killing several Patriots. The British column continues to Concord where they are attacked by a larger group of Patriots. Under constant ambush, the British force barely makes it back to Boston.

Click HERE to see an animated map of....

The Battles of Lexington and Concord.

Lexington and Concord

The Shot Heard Around the World

Liberty Kids: The Midnight Ride

THE BRITISH ARE COMING!!!

The Midnight Ride

Click HERE to see this interactive map.

Paul Revere was an American silversmith, early industrialist, and a patriot in theAmerican Revolution. 

William Dawes, Jr. was one of several men and a woman who alerted colonialminutemen of the approach of British army troops prior to the Battle of Lexington and Concord at the outset of the American Revolution.

America: The Story of Us.... Part 1 The Rebels

American Revolution Jeopardy

Want to test your knowledge?

Want to study for quiz?

Click HERE to play a few rounds of 

American Revolution Jeopardy!

The First Continental Congress

     The First Continental Congress brought together representatives from each of the colonies, except Georgia, to discuss their response to the British "Intolerable Acts."  This was the first time, the 13 colonies were working as a group and not as individual colonies.  The representatives decided to send a respectful message to King George.  The message urged the king to consider their complaints and to recognize their rights.  They also called for a boycott on British goods until Parliament repealed the Intolerable Acts.  Finally, they agreed to meet again the following May if the boycott did not work.  

The First Continental Congress from Jack Sanders on Vimeo.

The Intolerable Acts

      The Intolerable Acts were a series of harsh laws intended to punish the people of Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party. The acts were to discourage other colonies from opposing British rule. (The King wanted to show the colonists who was boss.)  Instead, they had the opposite affect. The Intolerable Acts united the colonies against Britain. Patriot leaders began to call for a meeting, or a colonial congress, to discuss the issues. Each of the colonies began to elect members to attend the congress.  The First Continental Congress followed shortly after. 

More on... The Boston Tea Party

On the evening of December 16, 1773, a group of men calling themselves the "Sons of Liberty" went to the Boston Harbor. The men were dressed as Mohawk Indians. They boarded three British ships, the Beaver, the Eleanor and the Dartmouth, and dumped forty-five tons of tea into the Boston Harbor.







BACKGROUND...
The British East India Company had controlled all tea trading between India and the British colonies. As a result of the tea tax, the colonies refused to buy the British tea. Instead, they smuggled tea in from Holland. This left the British East India Company with warehouses full of unsold tea, and the company was in danger of going out of business.

The British government was determined to prevent the British East India Company from going out of business. It was going to force the colonists to buy their tea. In May 1773, Prime Minister North and the British parliament passed the Tea Act. The Tea Act allowed the British East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonists, bypassing the colonial wholesale merchants. This allowed the company to sell their tea cheaper than the colonial merchants who were selling smuggled tea from Holland.  This act revived the colonial issue of taxation without representation.

The Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party was a political protest against the British government and George III. The disguised protestors (probably) led by Samuel Adams, called themselves The Sons of Liberty, and they objected to "taxation without representation". This was one of the key events which led up to the American Revolution, and independence. 

Click HERE for a great video short on the Boston Tea Party.

The Boston Tea Party poem for kids, by Paul Perro.

Sammy lived in Boston
And he loved a cup of tea.
But one day something happened
That made him very angry.

A king in a faraway land said
"From now on every time
Someone drinks a cup of tea
They have to give me a dime."

This did not seem fair to Sammy.
The king lived so far away
Why should he care what Sammy drank?
And why should Sammy pay?

Lots of people agreed with Sammy
There was a lot of frustration.
People made speeches with long clever words
Like “taxation” and “representation.”

So Sammy got some friends together
And the rebellion began.
They knew where the king kept his tea
And they came up with a plan.

Sammy was a little worried
That they’d be recognised.
So they dressed up as red Indians
And then went out disguised.

The tea was kept on three ships
Docked in the harbour
The ships were called “The Dartmouth”
“The Beaver” and “The Eleanor.”

They climbed aboard the Dartmouth first
And quickly found the tea.
They found hundreds of boxes
And threw them in the sea.

Next they boarded the Beaver
And found where the tea was stored.
Just like they had done before,
They threw it overboard.

Then they moved to the Eleanor
And did the same thing there.
They spoiled all the king’s tea
Because he’d been unfair.

They hadn’t wanted to steal the tea
Because stealing things is wrong.
They’d wanted to teach the king a lesson
That was the plan all along.

The next day everyone was talking
About the tea that Sammy had sunk.
They called it the Boston Tea Party
Even though no tea had been drunk.

The British East India Company & The Tea Act

The British Colonial Empire 1660-1870

     In 1773, the Tea Act gave a monopoly on tea sales to the British East India Trading Company. In other words, American colonists could buy no tea unless it came from that company. Why? Well, the British East Indian Trading Company wasn't doing so well, and the British wanted to give it some more business. The Tea Act lowered the price on this East India tea so much that it was way below tea from other suppliers. But the American colonists saw this law as yet another means of "taxation without representation" because it meant that they couldn't buy tea from anyone else (including other colonial merchants) without spending a lot more money. Their response was to refuse to unload the tea from the ships. This was the situation in Boston that led to the Boston Tea Party

The Boston Massacre

     The Boston Massacre, also known as the Boston riot, was an incident that led to the deaths of five civilians at the hands of British troops on March 5, 1770, the legal aftermath of which helped spark the rebellion in some of the British American colonies, which culminated in the American Revolutionary War. A heavy British military presence in Boston led to a tense4 that boiled over into incitement of brawls between soldiers and civilians and eventually led to troops discharging their muskets after being attacked by a rioting crowd. Three civilians were killed at the scene of the shooting, eleven were injured, and two died after the incident.

The Townshend Acts

"Champagne Charlie"

     Townshend Acts, 1767, originated by Charles Townshend and passed by the English Parliament shortly after the repeal of the Stamp Act.  They were designed to collect money from the colonists in America by putting taxes on imports of glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. The colonials, spurred on by the writings of Samuel Adams and others, protested against the taxes. The Boston merchants again boycotted English goods.  The boycott decreased British trade, and in 1770 most of the Acts were repealed.

The Quartering Act

     In 1754 The French and Indian War started. In the result British soldiers were moving a lot in the colonies. In 1763 the war ended. Since the British soldiers were still in the colonies the king decided to make the colonists give the British soldiers food, shelter, water, and transportation. This was called The Quartering Act. The colonists didn't like this Act because it meant giving these things to British soldiers even if they didn't have enough food or water for their family.

The Stamp Act

In order to help cover the cost of the war between Great Britain and France, British officials began to establish new taxes in the Colonies. In 1765, a tax was passed by Great Britain known as the Stamp Act.

This law required all colonists to pay a tax to Great Britain on all of the printed materials that they used, newspapers, magazines, and even playing cards. All of these materials were required to have a stamp placed on them, in order to show that the tax had been paid.

Colonist were outraged, and responded by boycotting all British goods. They also attacked officials who were sent by Great Britain to enforce the Stamp Act, and burned the stamps in the street. Many of the colonies sent representatives to a special meeting in New York, which they called The Stamp Act Congress, where the colonies voted and declared that Parliament did not have the right to pass taxes on the colonies because they did not have any representation in Parliament. Many of the colonists began crying - "No taxation without representation!"

As a result, the British Parliament repealed the stamp act just one year later in 1766.

The Proclamation of 1763

     The Proclamation of 1763 was issued by the British government in the name of King George III to prohibit settlement by British colonists beyond the Appalachian Mountains in the lands captured by Britain from France in the French and Indian War.  The motivation for the proclamation was a desire to avoid the expense of further wars with Native AMericans The proclamation was largely ignored on the ground (in particular in settlements already established in the prohibited area) but its very existence created a large amount of resentment among the British colonists and was one of the factors leading to the American Revolutionary War.