What is the name of the new government the colonies created during the revolutionary war?
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Between 1774 and 1789, 13 colonies became a nation -- the United States of America. In 1774, Great Britain's North American colonies first came together to defend themselves against wrongs committed by their "mother country." By 1789, these colonies had become independent states, joined by a new federal constitution into a single nation. Assembling representatives from every colony, the Continental Congress (1774-1789) provided a platform to those colonists dedicated to resisting the British. With the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Congress became the central institution for managing the struggle for American independence. The Articles of Confederation (1781-1789) represented America's first attempt to govern itself as an independent nation. The Constitutional Convention of 1787 proposed a new constitution establishing a much stronger national government. Although this controversial new Constitution provoked a great deal of resistance, it was eventually ratified by the necessary number of states, replacing the Articles of Confederation as the framework of the U.S. government. At the successful conclusion of the Revolutionary War with Great Britain in 1783, an
American could look back and reflect on the truly revolutionary events that had occurred in the preceding three decades. In that period American colonists had first helped the British win a global struggle with France. Soon, however, troubles surfaced as Britain began to assert tighter control of its North American colonies. Eventually, these troubles led to a struggle in which American colonists severed their colonial ties with Great Britain. Meanwhile, Americans began to experiment with new
forms of self-government. This movement occurred in both the Continental Congress during the Revolution and at the local and state levels. After winning their independence, Americans continued to experiment with how to govern themselves under the Articles of Confederation. Over time, some influential groups--and these by no means reflected the sentiments of all Americans--found the Confederation government inadequate. Representatives of these groups came together in Philadelphia to explore
the creation of yet another, newer form of government. The result was a new constitution. Not all Americans embraced this new Constitution, however, and ratification of the document produced many disagreements. Even so, the Constitution was ratified, and with a new constitution in place, Americans once again turned to George Washington for leadership, this time as President of the new republic. Although Washington proved to be personally popular and respected, conflict over the proper
functions and locus of governmental power dominated his two terms as president. These disputes soon led to the formation of factions and then political parties that were deeply divided over the nature and purposes of the federal government, over foreign affairs, and over the very future of the new nation. Events during the single term of John Adams, our second president, made these divisions even worse and they continued into the presidency of Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809). Even so, President Jefferson nearly doubled the size of the new nation by purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France. This purchase also led Jefferson to form the Lewis and Clark expedition to discover just what was contained in the new land. Jefferson's successor as President, James Madison (1809-1817)--one of authors of the constitution--led the new nation through another war with Great Britain. This, of course, was the unpopular War of 1812. This war ended in 1815 and if nothing else it convinced Britain that the United States was on the map to stay. Meanwhile, Americans began to develop a culture and way of life that was truly their own and no longer that of mere colonials. Part of
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What was the government for the colonies during the Revolutionary War?The Continental Congress was the governing body by which the American colonial governments coordinated their resistance to British rule during the first two years of the American Revolution.
What was the name of the new government formed during the revolution?John Dickinson, a delegate from Delaware, was the principal writer. The Dickinson Draft of the Articles of Confederation named the confederation "the United States of America." After considerable debate and revision, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation on November 15, 1777.
What type of government did the American Revolution have?The Americans soon adopted the United States Constitution, replacing the weak wartime Confederation and establishing a comparatively strong national government structured as a federal republic, which included an elected executive, a national judiciary, and an elected bicameral Congress representing states in the Senate ...
Did the American Revolution create a new government?As early as May 10, 1776, Congress had passed a resolution advising the colonies to form new governments. On a national level, the "Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union" produced by John Dickinson in 1776, were adopted by the Continental Congress in November 1777, and they went into effect in 1781.
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