Contents
When in the Course of Human Events: A Guide is a must-have for anyone interested in American history. This book provides a detailed account of the events leading up to the American Revolution, and is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand this crucial period in our nation’s history.
Checkout this video:
The Declaration of Independence
It is the right of every individual to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. When the government becomes tyrannical and takes away these rights, the people have the right to overthrow it. This was the reasoning behind the Declaration of Independence, one of the most important documents in American history.
The Preamble
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, – That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of those who suffer from it to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn [shown], that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable [endurable], than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations [usurpations], pursuing invariably the same Object evinces [reveals] a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism [tyranny], it is their right [duty], it is their duty [right], to throw off such Government. …”
The Grievances
The Declaration of Independence lists the colonial grievances against King George III. The colonists complained that the King had violated their rights as Englishmen. They felt that he had denied them the right to trial by jury, taxed them without their consent, and had sent troops to take away their guns and property. They also accused him of making war against them and of making slaves of them.
The Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War was fought because the American colonists believed that they deserved the same rights as the people of England. The colonists were tired of being taxed without having a say in how their government was run. They also wanted to be able to trade freely without being restricted by the British government. In 1775, the war began with the Battle of Lexington and Concord.
The Causes
The Causes of the Revolutionary War
The American Revolution was precipitated, in part, by a series of economic, political, and social changes in the colonies. Increasing regulations on trade by the British government, as well as the costs of maintaining a standing army in North America, led to growing dissatisfaction among colonists. These issues were compounded by a sense of unequal representation in Parliament and frequent clashes between colonial governors and elected legislatures. These grievances came to a head in 1765 with the passage of the Stamp Act, which placed taxes on all printed materials in the colonies. The colonists responded with a series of protests and boycotts that ultimately forced the British to repeal the legislation. However, tensions between Britain and the colonies continued to rise, culminating in the outbreak of war in 1775.
The Battles
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. The battles were fought on April 19, 1775 in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy (present-day Arlington), and Cambridge. They marked the outbreak of open armed conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen of its colonies on the mainland of British America.
The Founding Fathers
The Founding Fathers of the United States of America were a group of political leaders and philosophers who advocated for the independence of the 13 American colonies from the Kingdom of Great Britain. These men were united in their beliefs and their commitment to the principles of liberty and democracy.
The Signers of the Declaration
The Signers of the Declaration of Independence were a diverse group of men with a wide range of backgrounds, interests, and beliefs. Yet they all came together to fight for independence from Great Britain.
The oldest signer was Benjamin Franklin, who was 70 years old when he signed the Declaration. The youngest was Edward Rutledge, who was 26. Most of the signers were in their 30s and 40s.
The Signers came from all over the American colonies. Some were born in Great Britain, while others were born in the American colonies. Many of them had studied at renowned universities such as Harvard, Yale, and William & Mary. Others were self-educated.
Some of the Signers were wealthy landowners, while others were from more modest backgrounds. Some had served in the military, while others had never seen combat.
The Constitution
On June 21, 1788, the Constitution became the law of the land when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it. In doing so, the Constitution completed a dramatic transformation. What began as a plan to revise the Articles of Confederation ended as an entirely new form of government.
The key to this transformation was the role of the federal government. Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress was limited to passing laws that each state had to follow. The states retained most of the power, including the power to tax and raise an army. The Constitution gave Congress much more power. It allowed Congress to pass laws that all Americans would have to follow, and it gave Congress the power to tax and raise an army.
The Constitution also created a strong executive branch. Under the Articles of Confederation, there was no president. The Constitution gave that power to George Washington. The Constitution also gave Washington the power to veto any laws passed by Congress.
The Constitution created a Judicial branch as well. The Supreme Court is made up of nine justices who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The Supreme Court has the power to strike down any laws that it deems unconstitutional.
The Constitution provides for a system of checks and balances among these three branches of government. This system ensures that no one branch becomes too powerful.
The Constitution also provides for a system of federalism, in which powers are divided between the federal government and state governments
