The Battle of Saratoga in 1777 was a turning point in the American Revolutionary War. On October 17, British General John Burgoyne surrendered to American General Horatio Gates, following Burgoyne's defeat at the second Battle of Saratoga in New York. This encouraged France to ally with the Americans, which was crucial to the colonial victory over the British.

1. Battle of SaratogaOn October 17, 1777, following a defeat at the second Battle of Saratoga, British General John Burgoyne surrendered to American General Horatio Gates at Saratoga, New York. The surrender, depicted here in a painting by John Trumbull, encouraged France to join the American side and was thus a turning point in the American Revolution.

2. Chapter 2 Section 1 The Revolutionary EraMain Idea – America declared independence from Great Britain in 1776and won the Revolutionary War in 1783Reading Focus – What events led to the American Revolution?Why did the colonists declare independence?What key events took place as the Revolution continued?How did Americans achieve victory?Key Terms and People – - Stamp Act - Boston Massacre - Battle of Lexington - Thomas Jefferson - George Washington - Common Sense - Declaration of Independence - Battle of Saratoga - Treaty of ParisThe Declaration of Independence is the document in which American colonists proclaimed their freedom from British rule. The Second Continental Congress, with representatives of the 13 British colonies in America, adopted the declaration on July 4, 1776. The document included an expression of the colonists’ grievances and their reasons for declaring freedom from Britain. The Declaration of Independence’s eloquent rhetoric and political significance rank it as one of the world’s great historical documents.

3. I. The Road to Revolution – Britain wanted to have absolute control over the colonies. A. British Laws anger the colonists – GB taxed the colonists due to the costof the French and Indian war againstthe FrenchB.Sugar Act – GB taxed sugar to the colonists – “taxation without representation” 1. Stamp Act – Tax on paper goods, GB placed a tax directly on the colonists 2.Quartering Act – Colonists must provide food and housing forBritish soldiers in the colonies 3. Townshend Act – allowed for illegal search and seizure in homes C. Continued Unrest – GB repealed the Townshend act as not to anger thecolonists.1. Tea Act – Taxed tea and caused the Boston Tea Party 2. Intolerable Acts – the taxes were so harsh or intolerableBoston Tea PartyAs a protest against a tax placed on imported tea by the British crown, a group of American colonists, led by Samuel Adams, staged the Boston Tea Party. On December 16, 1773, the colonists, some dressed as Native Americans, boarded three British ships and tossed the tea cargo into Boston Harbor.

4. D. Boston Massacre- March 5, 1770 – 5 colonists were killed when British soldiers fired into a angry mob of protesters of the Tax ActsE. The First Continental Congress – 1774 – delegates from 12 colonies met in Philadelphia to find a solution to British Law and taxes1. Declaration of Rights – protesting Britain’s actions, assembled a militia (minutemen) colonial soldiers who would fight for the rights of the colonists.F. Battles of Lexington and Concord – April 1775 – These two battles marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War. GB won at Lexington but were defeated at Concord and pushed back to Boston.Minutemen Fight the British American minutemen, who were far outnumbered by British troops, employed a successful strategy that included persistent sniping from hidden areas in the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775. The strategy forced British troops to retreat from the countryside to strongholds in Boston, Massachusetts.

5. II.Declaring Independence – Second Continental Congress then met after the battles of Lex and Con. Mixed feeling toward GB because many were still loyal to the crown. (1) rejected all British taxes (2) Created the Continental Army (George Washington – commander) A. The Battle for Boston – 2 key battles 1. Battle of Bunker Hill (Breeds Hill) – GB won but the battle gave the colonists confidence in fighting Britain 2. Battle of Dorchester Heights – Washington forced GB out of Boston and the colonist gained control of the city. Battling Forces at Bunker HillIn this first major battle of the American Revolution, the outnumbered American militia flew a red, white, and blue flag bearing the pine tree emblem of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. With weapons at the ready, Colonel William Prescott, shown here striding behind the firing line, had them hold their fire until the British were in close range.

6. B. The Declaration of Independence – the colonists looked a peace resolution (Olive Brach Petition) GB said no 1. Common Sense - Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet that condemned GB and King George III 2. Colonists – wanted the right to rule themselves 3. Declaration of Independence – pg 38-41 – the formal break with Britain and their rule. (3 main ideas)a. Men should possess (inalienable rights) to life, liberty, and pursuit of happinessb. King George had passed unfair lawsc. The colonists had the right to break away from GBd. July 4, 1776 – congress approved the documentGeorge IIIBritain’s King George III governed during the time of the American Revolution. Besides losing the American colonies, the war nearly bankrupted his country. He took an active role in the British government and new territories were acquired to replace the loss of the American colonies. In his later years he suffered from bouts of insanity.

7. III. The Revolution Continues – NY, NJ, and PN was where the majority of the was to be fought. A. Defeats and Victories – GB defeated the colonists and took control of NY. 1. Winter war – European tradition not to fight 2. Washington – did not follow the rules – defeated the British at 3. Trenton and Princeton – major wins for the colonistsB. British setback at Saratoga – turning point in war for the colonists as they defeated the British and took control of NY C. Winter at Valley Forge – low point for the colonists, harsh and cold 1.Washington – kept his men’s morale up and prepared them for the spring.Washington at Valley ForgeThe Continental Army’s encampment at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania during the winter of 1777-1778 was the bleakest time of the American struggle for independence. Hunger and disease compounded the problems of inadequate shelter and lack of adequate winter clothing. More than 2500 men died of typhus, dysentery, and pneumonia. Washington made repeated appeals for aid and supplies, but the Congress was unable to move the states to provide them.

8. D. People in the Revolution – 1. Redcoats – British Soldiers 2. American Loyalists – American colonists who supported the King and fought with the British. Why? 3. Continental Soldiers – those colonists who fought for American Independence 4. African Americans – were first denied the right to fight in the Continental Army by Washington, but later approved by Washington to fight for the Patriots. 5.Patriots – American ColonistsAmerican Soldiers of the Revolutionary WarThese 18th-century American soldiers are wearing typical uniforms of the time. Their weapons include spears, swords, and bayonet-topped muskets.

9. IV. An American Victory – Victory at Saratoga pushed the fighting to the south and west. A. War in the West and South – Britain lacked the manpower and supplies to fight a war so far away from their homeland B. Victory at Yorktown – The last major battle of the Revolutionary War. 1. General Cornwallis (GB) surrendered at Yorktown ending the Revolutionary War. 2. Treaty of Paris – signed document ending the war. Sept 3, 1783. Page 38-41 Read Declaration of IndependenceLord Cornwallis SurrendersOn October 19, 1781, Lord Cornwallis, commander of the British forces in America, surrendered to American General George Washington in Yorktown, Virginia. The surrender signaled the end of actual fighting in the American Revolution, although the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the war, was not signed until 1783.

10. Chapter 2 Section 2 Creating a New GovernmentMain Idea – After the Revolution, American leaders struggled to form a national government and eventually wrote the Constitution.Reading Focus – What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

11. What did the founders discuss when drafting the Constitution?

12. What was involved in ratifying the Constitution?Key Terms and People –Articles of Confederation

13. James Madison

14. Checks and balances

15. Legislative branch

16. Executive Branch

17. Judicial Branch

18. Federalists

19. Antifederalists

20. Ratification

21. Bill of RightsI. The Articles of Confederation – the colonists need to create their own political system with no king or supreme authority. A. Constitution – whose states constitution was the right one to follow? B. A weak central government – Adopted the Articles of Confederation which was America’s first constitution 1. Rules – there would be a confederation of independent states with certain common goals. 2. Weaknesses – the A of C had many problemsa. There was no executive branch, hard to pass laws as 9 of 13 had to agree to enforce policies and all 13 had to agree to amend the A of Cb. Government did not have the power to impose or collect taxesc. Could not enforce the treat of Paris – keep GB out of the Americas (Great Lakes)Constitutional ConventionUnder the Articles of Confederation, the federal government was too weak to govern the states. After several proposals for reform, the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia in 1787 to write the document that still forms the basis of the United States government. The new Constitution delegated extensive powers to the central government, especially in economic and war powers, but reserved many powers for the individual states.

22. C. Shay’s Rebellion – trade with Europe was difficult, paper money was useless because it was not backed. (explain) 1. The poor and farmers – could not pay off their debt and were sent to jail. 2. 1786 – Daniel Shay led a rebellion against the courts for the right of the poor and farmers.D. Settling the western territories – The A of C did not have rules for new states. 1. Thomas Jefferson’s plan – when a district had 20,000 people they could send a representative to congress. The it would be admitted as a new state. 2. Land Ordinance of 1785 – surveying, selling, and settling land disputes. 3. Northwest Ordinance of 1787 – helped form the states of OH, IN, IL, MI, and WI – it promised settlers rights and outlawed slavery. Northwest Territory, 1786 Land ceded by Great Britain in 1783, known as the Northwest Territory, greatly extended the territory of the United States. The following year, Thomas Jefferson, then a Continental Congressman, drafted a plan to divide the region into several smaller territories that would be eligible for statehood under certain conditions. The plan, modified by Congress into the Ordinance of 1787, allowed division of the region into three to five states. Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota were eventually formed within the Northwest Territory.

23. II. Drafting the Constitution – James Madison and others were now going to create the US Constitution. A. Compromise at the Convention – find a balance between large and small states and northern and southern states. 1. Virginia Plan Large State Plan(Edmund Randolph) – representation in the house and senate would be based on population 2. New Jersey Plan – Small State Plan (William Patterson) – one house legislature with equal representation for balance 3. Compromise – The Legislature (Senate) would have two(2) representatives, and the lower house (House of Representatives) would be bases on population. 4. Great Compromise – name of agreement of the population issue in the house and senate. 5. 3/5 Compromise – all whites plus 3/5 of the slave population would count toward representation.

24. Branches of the U.S. GovernmentThe United States government is divided into three separate branches—legislative, judicial, and executive—to prevent abuses of power. B. Providing checks and balances – who would have the power (Congress vs. The President)1. Each branch would have power against the other to prevent on from having too much power in the government. 2. Created 3 separate branches – legislative (makes laws), executive (run the government and execute the laws), and judicial (interpret the laws) 3. Page 46 – Checks and Balances