End of Ch. 16
Donald Sterrett
11/25/06
Donald Sterrett
The Diplomatic Revolution of 1756
• This was a time where European countries
traded previous alliances for new
alliances.
• Before: England allied with Austria
• France allied with Prussia
• England enemies with France and Austria
enemies with Prussia.
• England allies with Prussia and France
with Austria
William Pitt’s Strategy in North
America
• During the Seven Years War William Pitt was
the British Secretary of State.
• His focus was on defeating the French in North
America and gaining all of the U.S. east of the
Mississippi River.
• He did this in two ways. 1. Sent lots of money
and support to Frederick of Prussia forcing the
French to spend a lot of resources fighting him.
• 2. He sent a huge number of troops to fight in
the colonies to defeat the French there.
The Treaty of Paris of 1763
• Costly war that was fought all of the world.
• Great Britain received Canada, Ohio River
valley, and eastern half of Mississippi River
valley. Great Britain is now the world power.
• Prussia gains Silesia and gets stronger while
the Habsburg Empire (Austria-Hungary) gets
weaker.
• France loses power and land
The Treaty of Paris continued
• Due to the cost of the war France and
England run into financial difficulties.
• In both cases it leads to higher taxes
which leads to the American Revolution for
the British and the French Revolution in
France.
Tensions Rise Up in The Colonies
• Britain had two major problems:
• 1. The war was expensive as was
maintaining an empire.
• 2. They had to organize a huge empire.
How much self-government do you let
people have?
Imagine you are the head of Great Britain
how would you solve these problems?
British Solutions
• Great Britain decided to pass on the cost
of protecting the colonies onto the
colonists through a series of taxes.
• These included the Sugar Act, Stamp Act
(tax on printed materials) and the tax on
tea.
• The Americans protested these taxes
complaining that only they could place
taxes on themselves and that they should
not be taxed since they had no
representation.
British Response and Revolution
• The Colonists attempted to disobey and had
small skirmishes and the British imposed the
Intolerable Acts: Closed the port of Boston,
Allowed troops to be quartered in people’s
homes, and reorganized the government of
Massachusetts.
• On 1776 the colonists declared independence
and fought against the British
• Spain and France also join in the war against
the British and War ends with Treaty of Paris
1783.
Ideas that led to American Revolution
• American Revolution based on the ideas of
• 1. John Locke: Natural Rights, Responsibility of
Government to protect the rights of the citizens
and if government fails to protect these rights
people can overthrow the government
• 2. Baron de Montesquieu: Separation of
Powers
• 3. Jean Jacques Rousseau: Democracy and
belief that people can self govern
• 4. Thomas Hobbes: Social Contract
The Magna Carta
In England in 1215 the nobles force King
John to sign the Magna Carta.
It required the king to recognize some rights
of the nobles.
It is a first break in the power of the king and
it is one of the first pronouncements of a
law that is higher then the ruler.
Also leads to the development by
recognizing that there are some rights that
the king can’t take away.
The English Bill of Rights
• England in 1689
• It was signed by William and Mary when
they were given the throne of England.
• It recognized the power of parliament and
that there were limits on the power of the
king.
• It also granted individual rights to citizens.
The first document to give rights to people
that could not be changed.
The Declaration of Independence
• This was signed by leaders in the United
States when they were breaking away
from England.
• Asserts that the job of government is to
protect the rights of the people and if the
government fails to do so the people can
revolt against the government.
• Asserts Natural Rights. Based on John
Locke
The Glorious Revolution
• Occurs in England.
• It is important because it is largely nonviolent.
• The new king and queen William and Mary
agreed to the limitations on their power
placed upon them.
• The king and queen recognize the power
of the Parliament. They are not totally in
control.
John Wilkes Affair
• The Whigs (A group of noble families)
controlled Parliament and King George III
attempted to curb their power.
• John Wilkes published a magazine criticizing
the government and was kicked out of
Parliament and fled the country. He returned
was reelected but they would not re-seat him.
• He is reseated but it demonstrates to the
colonists the tyrannical nature of the monarchy.