Colonization to Independence
11.1 Students analyze the significant events in
the founding of the nation and its attempts to
realize the philosophy of government described
in the Declaration of Independence.
1. Describe the Enlightenment and the rise of
democratic ideas as the context in which the nation
was founded.
2. Analyze the ideological origins of the American
Revolution, the Founding Fathers’ philosophy of
divinely bestowed unalienable natural rights . . .
1
Why did the colonies
revolt against England?
1. The Great Awakening
2. Oppressive laws and taxes
3. Enlightenment philosophy
(among other things)
2
ENGLISH ARRIVED
ESTABLISHED THE FIRST
COLONY IN THE “NEW WORLD”
on May 14, 1607
3
JAMESTOWN AND THE VIRGINIA COLONY
THE VIRGINIA COMPANY OF LONDON CHARTERED
BY KING JAMES I OF ENGLAND TO SETTLE IN THE
“NEW WORLD”.
WHY? HOPES OF FINDING WEALTH.
BUT HUNDREDS OF THE ORIGINAL COLONISTS
DIED FROM STARVATION, DISEASE, AND NATIVE
AMERICAN ATTACKS.
4
Despite harsh conditions, America is
heavily colonized in the 1600 and 1700s
5
13 colonies formed along the east coast
What were the names of these colonies?
New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Connecticut
Rhode Island
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Delaware
Maryland
Virginia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia
6
THE GREAT AWAKENING
RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT
EARLY 1700s.
INFLUENTIAL
MINISTERS
STRESSED INDIVIDUAL
RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. YOU
DON’T NEED CHURCH
LEADERS TO CONNECT WITH
GOD
A SENSE OF EQUALITY - ALL
PEOPLE COULD TAKE AN
ACTIVE ROLE IN THE CHURCH
JONATHON EDWARDS
INFLUENCED THE SENSE OF
FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE
AMONG THE COMMON MAN
GEORGE WHITEFIELD
7
Oppressive laws and taxes
•1760’s - colonists begin protesting
unfavorable taxes and “taxation without
representation”
SUGAR ACT OF 1764 WHICH ACTUALLY LOWERED THE TAX ON
SUGAR BUT TIGHTENED ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW AND CRACKED
DOWN ON SMUGGLING
STAMP ACT OF 1765 WHICH TAXED ALL PRINTED MATERIALS
FROM NEWSPAPERS TO COLLEGE DIPLOMAS
DECLARATORY ACT 1766 AUTHORIZED PARLIAMENT TO MAKE
LAWS WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE COLONISTS’
TOWNSEND ACTS OF 1767 TAXED EXPORTED GOODS AND
CREATED A CUSTOMS BOARD TO DESTROY SMUGGLING
TEA ACT 1773 TAX TO PROTECT THE MONOPOLISTIC EAST INDIA
TEA COMPANY
COERCIVE ACTS 1774 WERE DESIGNED TO PUNISH COLONISTS
FOR BOSTON TEA PARTY AND MAKE THEM SUBMIT TO THE WILL OF
THE BRITISH KING
8
PROTESTS were
sometimes violent
PROTESTS OVER THE NEW
TAXES LED TO THE
CREATION OF GROUPS SUCH
AS THE SONS OF LIBERTY
WHO WERE WILLING TO USE
VIOLENCE IF NECESSARY TO
CONVINCE THE BRITISH
GOVERNMENT TO REPEAL
THE LAWS MADE WITHOUT
REPRESENTATION
THE TAX COLLECTOR
TARRED, FEATHERED,
AND FORCED TO DRINK
STEAMING HOT TEA
9
BOSTON
MASSACRE
1770
THE BRITISH SENT
TROOPS TO BOSTON
IN AN ATTEMPT TO
RESTORE ORDER,
HOWEVER A CLASH
BETWEEN SOLDIERS
AND TOWNSPEOPLE
RESULTED IN 5
COLONISTS’
DEATHS. THE
TROOPS WERE
BASICALLY
ACQUITTED IN A
TRIAL, WHICH
FUELED THE ANGER
OF THE COLONISTS.
ENGRAVING OF THE
EVENT BY PAUL
REVERE
10
BOSTON TEA PARTY 1773
ABOUT 50 MEMBERS OF THE SONS OF LIBERTY ORGANIZATION
DRESSED UP AS MOHAWK INDIANS AND DUMPED THOUSANDS
OF POUNDS OF TEA FROM 3 SHIPS INTO THE BOSTON HARBOR.
11
Enlightenment Philosophy
• Colonial leaders were influenced by
Age of Enlightenment thinkers,
especially
Thomas Hobbes and John Locke
12
Thomas Hobbes:
Natural Rights
• Man is born with “natural rights”
• Power and authority to rule come from the
consent of the governed
The King of England claimed that
the power to rule came from
GOD
And that the king decided what
rights people had.
13
John Locke:
• Citizens have a right to change or get rid
of an unjust government if it does not
preserve citizen’s property (life, liberty, &
estates)
“That whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive of
these ends [protection of life liberty,
and estates], it is the Right of the
People to alter or to abolish it . . .”
-John Locke
14
Declaration of Independence, 1776
• Declared the US is a self-governing country
• Based on Enlightenment ideas that:
– Men have natural rights, endowed by God
– Citizens have the right to change government
when it does not protect these rights
“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 . . .”
– Declaration of Independence
15
Who wrote the Declaration of
Independence?
•Thomas Jefferson
•Approved by
representatives of the
colonies
16
Summary
• Write a summary of these notes
• 5-8 complete sentences
• Use specific information from the notes
17