American Stories 5 The American Revolution: From Elite

advertisement
American Stories
THIRD EDITION
By: Brands •
Chapter
5
The American
Revolution: From Elite
Protest to Popular
Revolt
1763‒1783
The American Revolution: From Elite
Protest to Popular Revolt, 1763‒1783
5.1
Structure of Colonial Society
Why did Americans resist parliamentary
taxation?
5.2
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
What events eroded the bonds of empire
during the 1760s?
The American Revolution: From Elite
Protest to Popular Revolt, 1763‒1783
5.3
Steps Toward Independence
What events in 1775 and 1776 led to the
colonists’ decision to declare
independence?
5.4
Fighting for Independence
Why did it take eight years of warfare for
the Americans to gain independence?
Video Series:
Key Topics in U.S. History
1.
2.
3.
4.
The Burdens of an Empire: 1763‒1775
The Stamp Act
Boston Massacre
The Boston Tea Party
Home
Moment of Decision: Commitment
and Sacrifice
• Few Americans welcomed idea of
colonial war
• Would have been safer, cheaper to accede
to British demands
• Ordinary militiamen fought, risked death
• The ordeal gave new meaning to social
equality
Home
Home
Structure of Colonial Society
• Breakdown of Political Trust
• No Taxation Without Representation:
The American Perspective
• Justifying Resistance
Home
Structure of Colonial Society
• 1760s - optimistic postwar period
• Striking ethnic and racial diversity
• Young population
• Relative prosperity
Structure of Colonial Society
Breakdown of Political Trust
• 1760 - George III ascended to throne
• Aggressive role in government
• Upset Whigs by ignoring their role
• High turnover among top ministers
• Parliamentary Sovereignty
• English officials assumed that Parliament
must have ultimate authority
• Little room for compromise
Structure of Colonial Society
Structure of Colonial Society
No Taxation Without
Representation
• Previous colonial role in British empire
vague
• Assumptions about personal liberties,
property rights, representative institutions
• 1763 – clarifying ideas
• Colonial assemblies – similar to Parliament
• Virtual representation
• Representation chosen by the people
Structure of Colonial Society
Justifying Resistance
• Political ideology
• Not fully understood by Loyalists and
British rulers
• John Locke
• Commonwealthmen – English writers
• Newspapers
Structure of Colonial Society
Discussion Question
• Why did Americans resist parliamentary
taxation?
Structure of Colonial Society
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
•
•
•
•
•
Paying Off the National Debt
The Protest Spreads
Fueling the Crisis
Surge of Force
The Final Provocation: The Boston Tea
Party
Home
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
• Following Seven Years’ War
•
•
•
•
Large, expensive debt
Army remained in colonies
Pontiac’s Rebellion
Frontier racism
• Colonists determined to settle transAppalachian West
• Proclamation of 1763 banned settlement in
trans-Appalachian West
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
Paying Off the National Debt
• George Grenville attempted to reduce
England’s war debt
• Finance minister
• Colonists would have to contribute to
maintenance of army
• Revenue Act of 1764 (Sugar Act)
• Colonists claimed unconstitutional
• Merchants and gentry protested; most
colonists ignored
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
• Designed to raise revenue
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
The Protest Spreads
• Stamp Act of 1765
• Colonists must purchase stamps
• Protests against act
•
•
•
•
Patrick Henry and the Virginia Resolves
Stamp Act Congress
Sons of Liberty
Boycott of British goods
• Stamp Act repealed
• Passed Declaratory Act
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
Fueling the Crisis
• Charles Townshend – new finance
minister
• Townshend Revenue Acts - 1767
• American Board of Customs
Commissioners
• New York governor to veto all bills until
Quartering Act followed
• Sons of Liberty reacted
• Organized boycotts
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
Surge of Force
• Tension - British troops sent to Boston
• 4,000 regular troops
• Competed in spare time for jobs
• Pamphleteers – troops were conspiracy
• March 5, 1770 – Violence erupted
• English soldiers fired on civilian crowd
• Boston Massacre
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
Surge of Force (continued)
• New finance minister – Lord North
• Repealed Townshend duties
• Except duty on tea
• Samuel Adams
• Believed repeal did not mean liberty
• Kept cause alive
• Suggested committees of
correspondence
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
The Final Provocation:
The Boston Tea Party
• 1773 - Parliament passed Tea Act
•
•
•
•
Lowered price for tea
Tea tax still collected in American ports
Undercut colonial smugglers
Colonists turned back ships before they
unloaded
• Governor in Boston insistent
• Ships sat in harbor
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
The Final Provocation:
The Boston Tea Party (continued)
• Boston Tea Party
• Protesters dumped tea into the harbor
• Stunned Lord North
• Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts)
•
•
•
•
Closed the port of Boston
Restructured Massachusetts government
British officials to be tried in England
Quartering of troops
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
The Final Provocation:
The Boston Tea Party (continued)
• King George III supported Coercive
Acts
• Appointed Thomas Gage as new royal
governor of Massachusetts
• Confirmed colonists’ fears
• Denial of constitutional liberties
• Moderates shaken by vindictiveness of act
• Other colonies sent supplies
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
Discussion Question
• What events eroded the bonds of
empire during the 1760s?
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
Steps Toward Independence
• Shots Heard Around the World
• Beginning “The World Over Again”
Home
Steps Toward Independence
• September 1774 - First Continental
Congress
•
•
•
•
Met in response to Coercive Acts
Colonial leaders
Differences of opinion
Intercolonial “Association” created
• Halted commerce with Britain until Coercive
Acts repealed
Steps Toward Independence
Shots Heard Around the World
• Conflict - April 19, 1775
•
•
•
•
Gage sent troops to seize rebel supplies
Paul Revere warned colonists
Skirmish broke out in Lexington
Nothing found in Concord by British
• Fighting spread upon return to Boston
• All along road between Lexington,
Concord, and Boston
• Battle of Bunker Hill
Steps Toward Independence
Beginning “The World Over Again”
• Second Continental Congress
•
•
•
•
Took control of war
Formed Continental Army
Issued paper money to purchase supplies
Refused to declare independence
• British responded
• Prohibitory Act
• German mercenaries hired
• Urged slaves to rebel
Steps Toward Independence
Beginning “The World Over Again”
(continued)
• Thomas Paine
• January 1776 - Common Sense
• Convinced ordinary colonists to sever ties
with Britain
• July 2, 1776 - Independence voted by
Congress
• Declaration of Independence
Steps Toward Independence
Table 5.1 Chronicle of
Colonial-British Tension
Steps Toward Independence
Steps Toward Independence
Steps Toward Independence
Discussion Question
• What events in 1775 and 1776 led to
the colonists’ decision to declare
independence?
Steps Toward Independence
Fighting for Independence
•
•
•
•
•
•
Building a Professional Army
“Times That Try Men’s Souls”
Victory in a Year of Defeat
The French Alliance
The Final Campaign
The Loyalist Dilemma
Home
Fighting for Independence
• British confident of victory
• Larger population, more resources
• Naval supremacy
• Britain’s military situation
•
•
•
•
Long supply lines
America a vast area to be conquered
Had to crush the spirit of independence
British underestimated Americans’
commitment
Fighting for Independence
Building a Professional Army
• Washington built fighting force
• Rejected guerilla warfare strategy
• Survival depended on soliciting foreign aid
• Failed to understand political importance of
militia
• African Americans in the Revolution
• Supported side that promised freedom
• Two all-black units in Continental Army
Fighting for Independence
How Did the American Revolution Unfold?
• Where did the Americans have military
successes?
• Which regions were Loyalist and Patriot
strongholds?
• What position did the major cities play
in the conflict?
Fighting for Independence
Fighting for Independence
“Times That Try Men’s Souls”
• General Howe replaced Gage for British
• Simple police action not enough
• 50,000 British troops sent to colonies
• Fighting shifts to New York
• Goal - cut New England off
• Washington forced to retreat
• Howe issued pardon for all who swore
loyalty to Britain
Fighting for Independence
“Times That Try Men’s Souls”
(continued)
• Washington crossed Delaware River
• American prospects appeared bleak
• Washington had some successes
• Captured 900 Hessians in Trenton
• Washington captured Princeton
• Victories cheered Patriots
• The Patriot cause revived
• But many feared the frontier
Fighting for Independence
Fighting for Independence
Victory in a Year of Defeat
• British strategy
• Cut off New England from other colonies
• Lure Continental army into decisive battle
• Burgoyne defeated at Saratoga
• Surrendered to General Horatio Gates
• Howe took Philadelphia
• Washington’s army wintered at Valley
Forge, Pennsylvania
• Disease killed Americans
Fighting for Independence
The French Alliance
• French helped colonists
• Revenge for defeat in Seven Years’ War
• Sent supplies early in Revolution
• Marquis de Lafayette
• Effects of Saratoga
• Convinced France that colonists were
serious enough to become formal allies
• British sued for peace to prevent FrancoAmerican alliance
Fighting for Independence
Fighting for Independence
The Final Campaign
• Southern colonies – Britain’s last chance
• Southern strategy turned war into bitter
guerrilla conflict
• Partisan warfare weakened British army
• Cornwallis moved British into Virginia
• Began to fortify Yorktown
• Washington joined with French
• Cornwallis surrendered
• Treaty of Paris 1783
• End of Revolution
Fighting for Independence
Fighting for Independence
The Loyalist Dilemma
• More than 100,000 Loyalists left United
States at war’s end
• Imperial officeholders and ordinary citizens
• Basic ideology similar to Patriots
• Rebellion as endangering “life, liberty, and
property”
• Loyalists treated poorly by both sides
• British never fully trusted Loyalists
Fighting for Independence
Discussion Question
• Why did it take eight years of warfare
for the Americans to gain
independence?
Fighting for Independence
Conclusion: Preserving Independence
• End of American Revolution meant
beginning of constructing new form of
government
• What would the new government look like
in terms of distribution of power?
• Would it be a government of the elite or a
government of the people?
Download