The American Revolution
(VUS.4)
What You Need to Know
The Ideas of John Locke and
Thomas Paine
 Essential Question: How did the ideas
of John Locke and Thomas Paine
influence Jefferson and the writing of
the Declaration of Independence?
John Locke
Thoams Paine
The Ideas of John Locke and
Thomas Paine
 The Enlightenment
 Intellectual movement of the 18th
century
 New ideas about the rights of people
and their relationship to rulers
The Ideas of John Locke and
Thomas Paine
 John Locke – Enlightenment philosopher
from England
 Influenced American belief in selfgovernment
 All people are free and equal
 Natural rights - life, liberty, and property
cannot be taken away
 Popular sovereignty – all power comes
from the people (“consent of the
governed”)
The Ideas of John Locke and
Thomas Paine
 John Locke
 Social Contract – people form a
government to protect their rights and
people agree to obey the rules established
by their government
 Limited Government – government’s
powers are limited to those given to it by
the people
 Revolution - whenever the government
becomes a threat to the natural rights of
the people, they have the right to alter or
overthrow it.
The Ideas of John Locke and
Thomas Paine
 Impact of Locke – his ideas were
radical and challenged rule by
monarchs and emperors
 Jefferson incorporated Locke’s ideas
in the Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson
The Ideas of John Locke and
Thomas Paine
 Thomas Paine and Common Sense
 Thomas Paine – English immigrant
 Wrote Common Sense - a pamphlet
that challenged the rule of the
American colonies by England
 Impact – helped to change public
opinion in favor of independence
The Ideas of John Locke and
Thomas Paine
Statue of Thomas Paine
The Declaration of
Independence
 Draft Written by Thomas Jefferson of
Virginia
 Reflected the ideas of Locke and
Paine
The Declaration of
Independence
 “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.”
The Declaration of
Independence
 “That to secure these rights,
governments are instituted among
men, deriving their just powers from
the consent of the governed….”
The Declaration of
Independence
 “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…
The Declaration of
Independence
 List of Grievances – Jefferson then
went on to list many grievances
against the king described in
Common Sense
Declaration of Independnece
July 4, 1776
Anglo-French Rivalry and the
French and Indian War
 Essential Questions: How did the
French and Indian War lead to conflict
between England and the American
colonies?
Deat of General Wolfe
Anglo-French Rivalry and the
French and Indian War
 Cause – rivalry between England and
France over trade and territory in
North America
 French and Indian War fought
between 1756 – 1763
 Consequence – French are driven out
of Canada and territories west of the
Appalachian Mountains by the Treaty
of Paris, 1763
Anglo-French Rivalry and the
French and Indian War
Treaty of Paris, 1763
Anglo-French Rivalry and the
French and Indian War
 British Actions after 1763
 Measures to increase revenue and reduce
cost of colonial defense
 Angered colonists and led to the American
Revolution
 Proclamation of 1763 – prohibited
American settlement west of Appalachian
Mountains
 Stamp Act – new direct tax on printed,
legal documents
 New taxes on tea and sugar
 The Stamp Act was
the first direct tax
on the colonies
 It sparked the
Stamp Act
Congress and led
to angry protests
 The Sons of
Liberty were
formed to oppose it
The Beginning of the American
Revolution
 Resistance to British rule increased, leading
to war.
 Boston Massacre, 1770
 Tea Act, 1773
 Boston Tea Party
 Intolerable Acts, 1774
 First Continental Congress, 1774
 Lexington and Concord, 1775
 Second Continental Congress, 1775
 Declaration of Independence - July 4,
1776
The Beginning of the American
Revolution
 Boston Massacre by Paul Revere
The Beginning of the American
Revolution
 Boston Tea Party staged by the Sons
of Liberty
Differences among the
Colonists
 Essential Question: What differences
existed among Americans concerning
separation from Great Britain?
The Patriot
Differences among the
Colonists
 Patriots
 Believed in complete independence
from England
 Inspired by ideas of Locke, Paine, and
Patrick Henry of Virginia (“Give me
liberty, or give me death!”)
 Provided troops for the Continental
Army, led by George Washington,
also of Virginia
Differences among the
Colonists
George Washington
Patrick Henry
Differences among the
Colonists
 Loyalists
 Remained loyal to
Britain due to
cultural and
economic ties
 Believed taxation
was justified
Differences among the
Colonists
 Neutrals
 Many colonists remained neutral and
tried to avoid conflict
Factors Leading to Colonial
Victory
 Essential Question: What factors led
to the victory of the American
patriots?
Factors Leading to Colonial
Victory
 Diplomatic Factors
 Benjamin
Franklin
negotiated a Treaty
of Alliance with
France
Benjamin Franklin
Factors Leading to Colonial
Victory
 Military Factors
 Leadership of George Washington
 kept his army together
 avoided any situation that threatened
the destruction of his army
 French Alliance - Army (Lafayette)
and Navy resulted in final victory at
the Battle of Yorktown in Virginia
Factors Leading to Colonial
Victory
 Yorktown
Treaty of Paris, 1783
 Treaty of Paris, 1783 – ended the war
 Britain recognized American
independence
 Northern border – along the Canadian
border and Great Lakes
 Western boundary – Mississippi River
 Southern boundary – Florida border
Treaty of Paris, 1783