1. The formation of American
democracy,
the first American presidents
Lecture 2
2. Americans always insisted on the
control over the system of taxation,
which supported their Government.
Speaking as freeborn Englishmen,
colonial Americans insisted that
they could be taxed only by their
own colonial assemblies.
3. In September 1774 the First
Continental Congress, a
meeting of colonial leaders
met in Philadelphia.
These leaders asked
Americans to boycott British
trade.
Colonists began to organize
militias and to collect and
store weapons and
ammunition.
4.
5. On April, 19, 1775, 700 British
soldiers marched from Boston to
forestall a rebellion of the
colonists.
At the village of Lexington they
confronted 70 militiamen and
the American War of
Independence began.
6. The British easily captured
Lexington and Concord, but
as they returned to Boston
they were met by hundreds of
Massachusetts volunteers.
By June, 10,000 American
soldiers had besieged Boston,
and the British were forced to
leave the city in March 1776.
7. In May 1776 a second Continental
Congress met in Philadelphia and
began to assume the functions of
National Government.
It founded a Continental Army and
Navy under the command of
George Washington, a Virginia
planter and veteran of the French
and IndianWar.
It printed paper money and opened
diplomatic relations with foreign
powers. On July, 2, 1776, the
Congress finally resolved.
8. “That these United Colonies
are, and of right ought to be
free and independent stated”
Thomas Jefferson of Virginia,
assisted by others, drafted a
Declaration of Independence,
which the Congress adopted
on July, 4, 1776.
