3. Authorities & decisions: American independence and constitutional republicanism

Decision-makers, laws and consequences

The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, following Richard Henry Lee’s resolution. George Washington commanded the Continental Army; Congress and state governments struggled to finance the war.

The 1783 Treaty of Paris recognized independence. Enslaved people, women and many Indigenous nations were excluded from the political equality claimed by the new republic; the war had different consequences for different communities.

Institutional consequences

The authorities identified above acted within institutions that determined who could govern, enforce decisions and challenge official power. The resulting changes to political participation, legal status, military control or property administration are part of the historical record of this specific event, rather than evidence that every later government followed the same path.

Legal restrictions, rights & enforcement

Compare who exercised authority, whether opponents could organize independently, how the government handled economic and social demands, and whether neighboring populations were exposed to invasion or coercion. The record above describes this particular case rather than treating every movement with a similar label as identical.