The political strategies employed by the 2nd Continental Congress in declaring their independence from England and uniting the colonies in military endeavor
The battle strategies and military contingencies that characterized the three distinct phases of the American War of Independence
The attempt by Americans to apply revolutionary republican ideology to the building of the nation and to the remaking of society, and how this application affected such minority groups as African-Americans, Native Americans, and women in the newly independent colonies
The problems that remained after, or were created by, the American Revolution and that were faced by the weak national government under the Articles of Confederation
A thorough study of Chapter Five should enable the student to understand the following:
The historical debate surrounding the nature of the American Revolution and the reasons for disagreement
The defining of American war aims and the importance of Thomas Paine's Common Sense
The origins and content of the Declaration of Independence
The three distinct phases of the War for Independence, and its transformation into a new kind of conflict that worked against British military superiority
The impact of the Revolution on women, African-Americans, Native Americans, and other minorities
The assumptions and rhetoric of the political philosophy of republicanism
The types of governments created by the new states, and the important features in their governments
The course of diplomacy between Americans both during the War and in the years afterwards during attempts to stand up the new nation
The features of the Articles of Confederation, and the reasons for its creation
The domestic and diplomatic problems faced by the government under the Articles of Confederation, and how they were addressed
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