America's Fight for Freedom

•
The simple action of coming over to the New
World was a revolution in and of itself.
–
The Puritans wanted religious freedom and separation.
–
The Quakers and Catholics wanted religious freedom
– The Scots-Irish wanted a better life
–
Nobles wanted to make more money

(video)
•
England using an economic system known as mercantilism
–
Expand supply of precious metals
–
Increase exports (How beneficial?)
• Set up colonies to accomplish both
•
From 1690 – 1760, Britain mostly left the colonies alone – Salutary Neglect.
–
Example – Navigation Acts were ignored
• All colonial trade (importing and exporting) had to go through England

Conflict between world powers for the continents

•
Before this war, everyone considered themselves
British Citizens, independence wasn’t even thought about
•
Though laws were setup that did not allow the colonies to trade with other countries, they were not well enforced
•
The colonists lived their lives with little or no thought about what went on in England
•
However, that began to change in May of 1754

• 1754 – Albany Congress – Albany Plan of Union
– Idea is that the colonies needed to come together to protect themselves against the French and the Indians.
–
7 colonies showed up
– Fails to get any support
–
Ben Franklin created political cartoon to show the importance of Union.


Washington helped to start the war in the Ohio River Valley.

Colonists will fight with British against French and Indians

Known as the Seven Years War to the English

1756-1763



The War will go very poorly for the British at first.
 Why?

In 1757, William Pitt will rise to power in the
British Government and change the focus of the war to Quebec and
Montréal.


With Pitt in charge, the war will turn to favor the British quickly

In 1763, the French and
British will sign the
Treaty of Paris 1763, which ends the war

(The Painting at the right is the Death of
Gen. Wolfe at Quebec)

• Results…
–
French pushed off the continent
–
Britain now has a world empire
–
Colonies no longer have to deal with the French
– Britain, also, has a huge debt and very large area of land to defend. (Predictions?)
– Without this war, the American Revolution would not have occurred!

Enforcement of
Mercantilism
Taxes
Proclamation of
1763


Colonists not allowed to settle past the
Appalachian
Mountains

Costly to protect the colonists from threat of Indian attacks

• Britain maintains an army in the colonies
– Tax the colonies
– Also taxed the colonies to pay for the war.
•
These taxes would lead to revolts in the colonies and eventually to the revolution .

Sugar (1764)
Townshend Act (1767)
Stamp Act (1765) Tea Act (1773)

• Sugar Act 1764 – Changed tax on the Sugar and
Molasses Act of 1733.
– Lowered 6 cent tax by 50%,
–
Unlike the 1733 Act, the 1764 Act was enforced
•
Rum production decreases
•
Stamp Act 1765– Tax on…
– Stamped Paper used with newspapers, legal docs, pamphlets, cards
– Colonists response - “Stamp Act Congress”
•
Send a list of grievances to the King.
•
Boycott British goods
–
Eventually Stamp Act repealed (?)
–
Second attempt at Union but fails at unity
• 9 Colonies show

•
Townshend Acts – 1767 Taxes on…
– Glass, lead, tea etc.
–
Created to end smuggling (John Hancock)
– Colonists react with more boycotts
–
Repealed in 1770, except tax on tea,
• Show that Britain still controls the colonies
•
Leads to protests and Boston Massacre
•
Tea Act – 1773
– Decreases taxes on tea 50%
– Allow the British East India Company to sell their tea at a lower price
– How will the colonists react?

• The Boston Massacre 1770
–
Colonists, in Boston, were resentful of army's presents, who were brought to protect the customs houses
– British troops fired on anti-
British demonstrators.
• Who's fault was this?
•
Was it the way this picture portrays it?
• What happened to the
Soldiers after this?

• The Boston Tea Party was staged.
– December 16, 1773
– Colonists, dressed as Indians, get back at the British for under cutting price of colonial tea
– British respond with the Intolerable Acts.
•
Boston Port Act which shuts down the port
•
Massachusetts Government Act
•
Quartering Act – extra troops brought in from England and able to stay (quarter) in private homes.

•
The First Continental Congress
1774
–
All colonies except Georgia sent representatives, colonies act together first time
–
Want to deal with problems between colonists and British.
–
3 rd attempt at Union, works
•
Though the delegates would send, again, a list of grievances (?) , the King and
Parliament would reject these.
• Agreed to meet again the next
May (1775)

America's Fight For Freedom

Lexington and
Concord in
Massachusetts •
Minutemen – volunteers of the colonial army
Minutemen and
British clashed in a battle
First Battle of the
Revolution
•
April 19, 1775
Result – British retreat to Boston

• The colonial with the most military experience (F/I
War)
• He was a great and humble leader
– He took the job without pay. ($500/monthly)
– Paid the troops out of his own money when the congress did not have the money. ($160,074)
– Able to have patience to command the army which didn’t have uniforms, proper supplies, had many desertions, and saw the near mutiny of his officers
– Suffering through the cold and only ever winning a handful of battles.
–
His greatest impact:
•
Ability to keep the army together
• Did not place the army in a spot to have it destroyed

• Bunker Hill/Breeders Hill
– considered a loss
–
700 British troops killed
– Few colonial deaths
–
Lack of supplies plagued colonies.
•
Fall 1775
–
Continental Army had Boston and the British Army surrounded.
– Without firing a shot, the Continental Army pushed the
Brits out of Boston.
–
Only high point for some time.

First Year and a half of the War
April 1775 to December 1776
• 1776
– Continental Army gets crushed in New York City,
– City of Philadelphia threatened
– Continental Congress forced out
– Washington would prove to be very indecisive losing many battles and several forts.
• The Continental Army was at the lowest point,
– Didn’t have enough uniforms to distinguish officers from soldiers.
– Would not win another battle until Dec. of 1776

• Washington lead his army across the Delaware on
December 26, 1776
– Purpose: sneak attack
– Attack almost called off because it was behind schedule
– Battle is only 45 minutes 5 American soldiers killed.
• Days later Washington attacked Princeton
– Claiming victory here, this would boost the morale .
• Washington knew if Trenton were lost, the “game would be pretty well up.”

Enlightenment and Government
Changes in the way government is seen and how it treats its citizens

 1600 and 1700’s – European thinkers applied reason to the problem of government.

This Enlightenment period will give the ideas that will lead to the American Revolution

Ideas of natural rights of people and political authority

• An "enlightened" Political
Philosopher
• 1600's
•
Advocates (?) new relationship between people and government
•
Writes several books on this topic including the 1 st and 2 nd Treatise on
Government.

nd
•
Locke said that we have God given rights, which he called Natural Rights. According to
Locke, these God given natural rights cannot be taken away by government.
–
Free and equal (Would that be true for America?)
•Natural
Rights
•Life •Liberty •Property

• Government is a “Social (?) Contract” – an agreement among the people to set up a government that would protect their Natural
Rights
• "All original power resides in the people.”
–
In exchange for the protection of their Natural
Rights, the People promise to obey the laws set up by the government.
– This creates "ordered liberty."

•
Liberty that is not chaotic, laws and rules are followed
–
With complete liberty we can do whatever we want and not worry about others.
–
Here we want to respect others rights as well
•
What happens if Government breaks the
“Contract”?
–
Locke states, "Whenever Government becomes a threat to the people's natural rights, it breaks the social contract and the people have the right to alter or overthrow it."

Who would be against Locke’s ideas on government and why?


"...Give me Liberty or give me
Death"
Henry, in a speech to the Virginia House of
Burgesses in 1775, states… “ Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!
I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

Wrote Common Sense published Jan. 1776
Challenged rule of
King
Lists reasons why the colonies should be free, builds feeling for
Independence,
Colonies have Natural
Rights
One in 5 people read this
Calls the country to arms


The Declaration of
Independence was approved
ƒ
Thomas Jefferson's masterpiece
ƒ
Virginian
Representative
ƒ
July 4, 1776
ƒ
Independence was spurred on by Paine’s Common Sense which was published in
January of 1776.

Jefferson, wrote the Declaration of
Independence, Points he made.
Point #
Point Number 1
Point Number 2
Point Number 3
Point Number 4
Description
"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 the people to alter or abolish it and to institute new government…"
Detailed many of the grievances against the king that Paine had earlier described in Common Sense.

Locke
 "All people are free, equal," and have "natural rights" of life, liberty, and property that rulers cannot take away.
Jefferson
 "We hold these truths to be selfevident, 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."
• Though called by different names, Jefferson’s unalienable rights and Locke’s Natural Rights are the same thing.

Locke
 "All original power resides in the people, and they consent to enter into a "social contract" among themselves to form a government to protect their rights .
Jefferson
 "That to secure these rights,
Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..."
• Jefferson and Locke both have the same ideas here,
Social Contract. Jefferson just uses the word
“instituted” instead entered

Locke

"Whenever Government becomes a threat to the people's natural rights, it breaks the social contract and the people have the right to alter or overthrow it."
Jefferson
 That whenever any form of
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it and to institute new government…"
• Again, Jefferson and Locke have the same idea… if
Government becomes “destructive to these ends” or
Natural Rights then get rid of it.

 “He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.”
 “He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures”
 “For imposing taxes on us without our Consent”
 “For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury”

 Rights for:

Women

Upholding due process of law

Providing free education

Abolish slavery

Regulating free enterprise system

Promote economic opportunity

Protecting property rights

Colonist Type
Patriots
Loyalists (Tories)
Neutrals
Description
Believed in complete independence from
England. Inspired by the ideas of Locke and
Paine, Henry and Washington .
Believed that taxation of the colonies was justified to pay for British troops to protect
American settlers from Indian attacks
The many colonists who tried to stay as uninvolved in the war as possible.


Negotiated a Treaty of
Alliance with France

During the Early years of the war, the
French did not want to openly back a losing power,

They secretly back the colonies until the defeat of British in 1777 during the
Battle of Saratoga.

After the battle, the French gladly helped the colonies.

•
As the war moved on in to 1778 and 1779 the war is going to begin to move Southward
•
Gen. Green, under the command of Washington, will slow down the British and win several battles in the Carolina's in 1780 and 81
•
The British, under Lord
Cornwallis, will be placed into a bad situation by September
1781

American
Amry
Help From the French
Army
Victory at
Yorktown
Help from the French
Navy

•
October 1781
–
7 years of fighting
–
25,000 Americans dead, wounded
–
New York, Boston and many other cities are a mess
– To some extent fighting would continue in the South between
Loyalists and Patriots for at least another year.
–
But one fact was true, the war was over. America had gained their independence, though they would face many problems over the next 10 years, they celebrated their victory and freedom.
•
It would be almost 2 more years, 1783, until the Treaty of Paris was signed officially ending the war.
– And it would be with this final action, Washington surrendered his power as Commander-in-Chief.
•
This was a testament to his character, for the simple reason that he could have been a “god” to the country, a
Caesar, a Napoleon, but he gave it all up because he believed in the cause.