Revolution and Founding (1763–1791)
Revolution and Founding (1763–1791)
In a single generation, thirteen British colonies became an independent republic with a written constitution. The break was neither inevitable nor unanimous, and the new nation's founding documents contained both soaring ideals and unresolved compromises. This chapter traces the road from imperial crisis to the ratified Constitution and Bill of Rights.
3.1The road to rebellionVictory in the Seven Years' War left Britain deep in debt and eager to make the colonies help pay for their own defense. Parliament imposed…3.2Independence declaredFighting broke out at Lexington and Concord in April 1775. For a year, many colonists still hoped for reconciliation, but Thomas Paine's…3.3Winning the warThe War of Independence lasted eight years. The Continental Army under George Washington rarely won decisive victories but survived…3.4The Articles and their failureThe first national government, under the Articles of Confederation (ratified 1781), deliberately kept power weak. Fearful of a strong…3.5Writing the ConstitutionThe Constitutional Convention crafted a stronger national government balanced by checks among three branches. The Great Compromise settled…3.6Ratification and the first divideThe proposed Constitution had to be ratified by the states, and the debate split Americans into two camps. Federalists, including Alexander…3.7Meanwhile, elsewhere (1763–1791)The American Revolution was part of an age of revolutions. Its success, and its ideals of natural rights and popular sovereignty, inspired…