All work and no play…
The APUSH Review
You say you want a revolution?
the revolution era
"Salutary Neglect”
• Between 1713 and 1763 American colonials saw reduced
gov't intervention in colonial affairs.
• Britain felt that if the colonies were left alone to run their
own affairs with minimal interference, they would
produce more wealth and commerce, prosper, and cause
less trouble.
• Britain would simply provide peace, protection,
commerce, law and order, and immigrants
• Colonies left to raise &equip own militia against the
Indians.
• In effect, colonies left alone; had to develop self-reliance;
effective organization
The Mercantilist System
• Colonies exist for the benefit of the mother
country
– add to empire's wealth, prosperity, and self-sufficiency.
– seen as tenants
– benefit Great Britain by ensuring British naval
supremacy by furnishing ships, ships' stores, sailors
and trade
– provide a large consumer market for British goods.
– keep gold & silver in the empire by growing cash crops
like sugar that would otherwise have to be purchased
from foreigners
– Navigation Laws passed to enforce the system –
restricted colonial trade
The Good and the Bad
• Positive results of British Mercantilism
1. Until 1763, Laws not an intolerable economic burden
2. Colonials had rights of Englishmen and unusual
opportunities for self-government
3. Colonies enjoyed British military protection free of charge
4. Colonies greatly profited from manufacturing and trading.
• Negative impact of mercantilism
1. Colonial economy did not develop as quickly
2. Southern colonies favored by British -- New Englanders
grew resentful.
3. Writs of Assistance -- Search warrants used by British
customs officers to harass colonial shipping.
Act I, Scene I
• Molasses Act (1733) -- Imposed
heavy duties(6-pence duty) on all
molasses, rum and sugar imported
form French Caribbean.
• Currency Act (1764) -- restricted
colonial printing of paper money
so they would pay back their debts
and taxes with hard currency
• Sugar Acts (1764) -- Aimed to
regulate illegal triangular trade to
collect duties that the colonists had
been averting for decades.
• Quartering Act (1765) -- Certain
colonies required to provide food
& quarters for British troops.
Act II
• The Stamp Act (1765) -- Perhaps the single most important event
leading to the American Revolution
– Purpose: Raise revenues to support the new military force in the
colonies
– Required use of stamped paper or affixed stamps certifying payment
of tax.
– Colonists believed "virtual representation" was neither adequate nor
justified -- "No taxation w/o representation"
– Resulted in the Stamp Act Congress – no power, but created venue for
colonies to work together
• Townshend Acts (1767)
– Meant to punish the colonies for the Stamp Act uproar
– Provisions: Small import duty on glass, white lead, paper, paint, silk
and tea.
– Revenues from taxes to pay the salaries of royal governors and judges
– Led to the “Boston Massacre” and the Committees of Correspondence
Act III
• Tea Act (1773)
– British gov't granted British East India Company a monopoly of
American tea business.
– Americans reacted angrily: saw Act as a sneaky attempt to trick
colonies to accept the tax through cheaper tea.
– Boston Tea Party, Dec. 16, 1773 -- Sons of Liberty dumped the tea
into the harbor.
• "Intolerable Acts" (Coercive Acts)
– Boston Port Act -- harbor remained closed until damages were paid
– Massachusetts charter revoked
– Administration of Justice Act: officials who killed colonists could
now be tried in England instead of the colonies.
– Quartering Act: Provided for the quartering of troops once again in
Boston.
– Quebec Act: religious and cultural freedom for French Canadians
the
st
1
Continental Congress
• Response to "Intolerable Acts"
• Main purpose: Petition for redress of grievances -Declaration and Resolves
• The Association: most significant action of the Congress
– called for a complete boycott of British goods:
nonimportation, nonexportation, and nonconsumption.
– Yet, Congress restated allegiance to the King
– King and Parliament did not respond to Declaration
and Resolves.
• Would have recognized the Congress’ right as a
legislative body.
The shot heard round the world
Lexington and Concord
• Parliament ordered the
arrest of the leaders of the
rebellion
• a detachment of British
redcoats sent secretly to
Lexington & Concord to
seize stores of gunpowder
• Battle began when
Minutemen refused to
disperse on the Lexington
Green and shots were
fired.
the British side
Strengths
Weaknesses
•Population favored Britain: 7.5
million to 2.5 for the colonies.
•Superior monetary advantage
and best navy in the world
•Indians sided with the British
and wreaked havoc along the
frontier
•Britain had a 50,000 man
professional army, 30,000
"Hessians" as mercenaries &
50,000 loyalists
•Enormous distance made
communication difficult
•America too large a region for
Britain’s army to occupy
•British generals in America
were poor leaders
•France was waiting for an
opportunity to exact revenge
•London gov't was confused
and inept
the American side
Strengths
•Outstanding leadership
•Economic & military aid
from France
•Defensive military tactics
worked to their advantage
•Agriculturally selfsustaining
•Colonials were competent
marksmen; better than the
redcoats
•Moral advantage from
belief in a just cause
Weaknesses
•Badly organized for the war and a
lack of unity
•Jealousy among colonies
•Money printed to the point that it
was worthless
•Military supplies were inadequate
•Morale in the army was undermined
by opportunistic American profiteers
•Only a select minority of colonials
truly committed themselves to the
cause
The Declaration
• Most Americans did not desire independence - proud to be British
citizens
• Reasons for shift of loyalty
– Hiring of Hessians
– Brits promised slaves who fought would be freed - persuaded
southerners to join the war effort.
– No aid from France unless they declared independence
• Declaration not addressed to England, nor did signers expect any
response from the king.
• 3 major parts:
– Preamble - Stated the rights of colonists to break away if
natural rights were not protected
– List of 27 grievances of the colonies
– Formal declaration of independence
Articles of Confederation
• Adopted in 1777 - first constitution in U.S. history
• Set up by 2nd Continental Congress to:
– organize a nation and an army
– maintain civil order
– establish international recognition and credit
– defend its territory from the British
– resolve internal quarrels and competition
• No power to: regulate trade, conscript troops, levy taxes.
• Power given to states - fearful of central authority
• Land Ordinance of 1785 - Acreage of the Old NW to be sold;
proceeds to pay national debt.
• Northwest Ordinance of 1787 - Territories would become a
state when it had 60k inhabitants; equal status w/other states.
Making of the Peace
Treaty of Paris of 1783: Britain formally recognized US
independence
• Granted US generous boundaries stretching to the Mississippi
to the Great Lakes and to Spanish Florida
• British promised troops would not take slaves from America.
• American concessions:
– Loyalists could not be further persecuted
– Confiscated Loyalist property be restored
– America was to pay British creditors for debts long owed
• America alone gained from the war
– Britain lost colonies and other territories
– France got revenge but was bankrupt leading to the French
Revolution.
Was the Revolution radical?
• Made the interests and prosperity of ordinary people - the
pursuit of happiness - the goal of government
• Changed the personal and social relationships of people
– Made possible egalitarian thinking: subsequent anti-slavery
and women's rights movements and destroyed aristocracy
• Brought respectability to ordinary people long held in
contempt - gave dignity to their menial labor in a manner
unprecedented in history
• Brought about an entirely new kind of popular politics and a
new kind of democratic officeholder
• Released powerful popular entrepreneurial and commercial
energies that few realized existed - transformation occurred
without the industrial revolution, urbanization, & railroads