Lecture 1:
The American Revolution
as a Constitutional Struggle
French & Indian War
(1755-1763)
 Background


Expansion of British
colonies
King George’s War
 The Albany Conference
French & Indian War (1755-1763)
 Treaty of Paris, 1763




France depleted
Spain
British gains
Proclamation Line of
1763
French & Indian War (1755-1763)
 Results:

The colonies after the
war
 Depression
 Proclamation line
 Wartime experience

Unity among the
colonies
The Road to War
 British policy changes

Standing army
 Soldiers
 Jobs
 Colonies to pay

George Grenville’s acts
 Sugar Act 1763
 Currency Act 1764

Stamp Act, 1765
 Reaction: riots
 Sons of Liberty
 Repealed
The Road to War
 Heightened tension






Declaratory Act
Charles Townshend
Townshend Acts
1769, Virginia
Resolutions
Boston Massacre,
1770
Committee of
Correspondence
The Road to War
 Heightened tension


Boston Tea Party, 1773
Coercive Acts
 Continental Congress(es), 1774 & 1775
 Lexington & Concord, Apr. 14, 1775
 Thomas Paine, Common Sense
 Declaration of Independence, Thomas
Jefferson, July 4, 1776
The Declaration of Independence
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.
The Declaration of Independence
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…
The War for Independence
The Revolution for the Nation
 “13 clocks striking in unison”
 Divisions between the states





Localism vs. Nationalism
States vs. national govt.
Large states vs. small
Landed states vs. landless
North vs. South
The Revolution for the Nation
 Ties that unite the
nation?

Language?
 Noah Webster





Territory?
Communications?
Religion?
Traditions?
Currency?
 “What then is the
American?”

American mythology




Ideal of equality
Ideal of self-made man
Ideal of “melting pot”
“Rugged individualism”
 We are united by great
and frightening
challenges
The Articles of Confederation
 Powers of Congress:





Wage war
Foreign affairs
Boundary disputes
Indian affairs
Post office
 Powers it lacked:


Raise troops
Levy taxes
The Articles of Confederation
 Article 1:

“The United States of America”
 Article 5:

Freedom of speech
 Article 4:

National citizenship
 Article 9:

Unity of the colonies
 Article 2:

States’ rights
The Articles of Confederation
 Weaknesses:





Single house in the legislature
No separate judicial branch
Could not impose taxes
Changes require unanimous support
Article 8: paying for war
The Articles of Confederation
 The situation becomes desperate:



We are bankrupt
Taxation
Money disputes
The Articles of Confederation
 The situation becomes desperate:

Shay’s Rebellion