American Revolution
Causes, effects, battles
Road to the Revolution
• Most Americans are proud to be British
• Salutary Neglect – Wapole 1713-1763
• Whig and Prime Minister – believed in leaving the
colonies alone
• Why
• Produce more wealth, commerce and less friction
• Brits job was to provide peace, protection
commerce and send more immigrants
• Left to protect themselves against Natives
Road to the Revolution
• Had to effectively organize and become
self=reliant
• 13 separate governments emerged –
undermine the authority of parliament
• Why
• Local government able to deal with local
needs
• Get used to dealing with our own affairs
w/out Brits interfering
Road to the Revolution
Protests
• Paxton Boys – 1764
• Revolt against Quaker leniency regarding
Natives Policy
• 20 peaceful Natives are killed, march on
Philadelphia demanding better
representation, protection against the Natives
on the frontier and funds for internal
improvements
Road to Revolution
Protests
• Regulator Movement 1771
• Eastern farmers in N Carolina frustrated with
Brits taxes, inadequate representation of
western farmers in assembly, legislation favors
wealthy planters
• Lasted 3 years
Road to the Revolution
• Mercantilists System – colonies existed for
benefit of the mother country
• Colonies add to wealth
• Provide ships, sailors, trade
• Raw materials—tobacco ,indigo ,lumber fish
• Eliminates need Brits to buy supplies other
countries
Road to the Revolution
First Law
• Navigation Law-• Purpose was to enforce mercantilism
• Motive: restricted commerce to and from
colonies “enumerated” articles like tobacco
had to go to England –ONLY!!!!!!!!!
• Even if price higher somewhere else
• All goods going to American had to go to
England first
Road to Revolution
restrictions
• Molasses Act 1773– heavy taxes on molasses
,rum, sugar imported from French Caribbean
• Colonists traded with French West Indies
• Some Rum was produced in American and traded
for slaves –New England heavily involved in slave
trade
• Until 1763 mercantilism did not impact colonial
economy
• Colonies protected by Brits free of charge
• Colonies profit from manufacturing and trading
Road to the Revolution
• Mercantilism hinder colonies manufacturing
• South has a major problem—(enumerated)
• VA - --poor economic conditions leads to
unrest
• NE mad because Southern colonies get better
treatment ---why?
Road to the Revolution
Regulation
• Writs of Assistance – search warrants harass
colonial shippers
• Aimed to smuggling – (illegal triangular trade)
• 1761– James Otis –demands repeal
• Parliament refuses –efforts spread throughout
colonies – “no taxation without
representation”
Road to Revolution
End of Salutary Neglect
• 1763– George Greenville enforces Navigation
Acts
• Ability to try smugglers, tax evaders, ship
owners, --no trial by jury
• Debts from Seven Years War enormous
• Half the debt due to protecting the colonies
• Brits want colonists to pay for maintaining
British troops
Road to the Revolution
• King George III –wanted to increase control
over colonies
• Proclamation of 1763--- colonials cant move
West of Appalachians
• Prevent future uprisings from Natives
• Colonists react: veterans fought in French
and Indian war betrayed, land speculators
believed should be able to access land,
colonists ignore it
Road to the Revolution
• Currency Act 1764--- printing colonial paper money
restricted
• Want the colonists to pay back debt with gold and
silver
• Sugar Acts – 1764– First Act Passed to raise revenue
for the colonies
• Regulate illegal triangular trade by collecting duties
that the colonists had not paid for many years
• Reduced taxes on Molasses but taxes all of it not
• Not enforced effectively –duties lowered after Stamp
Act
Road to the Revolution
• Quartering Act – 1765– certain colonies
required to provide food and quarters for
British troops
3 Main Crises
American Revolution
• Stamp Act– purpose was to raise revenue to
support new military force in the colonies
• Official stamps serve proof of payment
• Greenville– (local authority for the King)
• Stamp Act was reasonable
• Required them to pay fair share for colonial
defense
Causes of the
American Revolution
• Virginia Resolves– (lead by Patrick Henry)
• VA leaders –stamp act attacked colonists
rights as Englishmen
• 5 of 7 were adapted by House of Burgesses
• VA could only be taxed by VA --• No taxation without Representation
• 8 other colonial assemblies passed similar
resolutions
Causes of the
American Revolution
• Difference between Legislation and Taxation
• Legislation =external taxes which of right of
parliament –tariffs
• Taxation – internal taxes right of the local
government
• Greenville--- responds with “virtual
representation”
How will the colonists deal
• Stamp Act Congress – 1765—27 delegates
from 9 colonies
• Draw up statement of rights and grievances
and demanded it be rescinded
• Ignored in England –did not really matter in
colonies
• What is the significance --• Non-importation agreement against British
Goods – hurt brits but did not change
Dealing with the Brits
•
•
•
•
•
Sons of Liberty – Sam Adams
Violently enforce non importation agreements
Tarring and feathering, vandalized,
Forced agents to resign
1766 Stamp Act will be repealed
Brits Get Even
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Declaratory act –
To say “we still have power”
Parliament has the right to tax in the future
Sugar tax lowered
Townsend Acts – 1767 –
Punish for uprising
Duty placed on glass, paper, paint, silk, tea
Colonial Reaction
• Raise Revenue ! ---NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!
• John Dickinson –Letters From A Pennsylvania
Farmer
• Cant raise revenue off of our taxes
• Massachusetts Circular Letter
• Try to get colonies together to repeal
What is Next!!!!!!!!!!
•
•
•
•
•
Brits send troops
Threaten to dissolve legislature
Anyone who supported it –dissolve legislature
VA, MS MA DE SC – all support
Boston Massacre
Boston Massacre
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Peaceful arrival of troops in Boston
Colonists are fearful of standing armies
Thought they were there to suppress liberties
March 5 1770– Brits fire on crowd (provoked)
Crispus Attucks –first to die in revolution
Propaganda exaggerated event
Spreads throughout colonies
Now What!!!!!!
•
•
•
•
Townsend Acts repealed
Why
Pressure from colonies
Non importation agreements hurting British
manufacturing
• Did keep tea tax
• Half troops are removed
Gaspee Incident --1771
• British warship ran aground near RI pursing
smugglers
• Ship had reputation for stealing from colonists
• Sons of Liberty– dress as Indians take crew off
and set it on fire
• Gaspee Commission --- seeks retribution
• Cant find them
Committees of Correspondence
• Colonial discontent –Brits try to enforce
Navigation Laws
• Sam Adams – get people angry
• Organizes committees –Nov 1772
• Function was to spread propaganda
• Interchange letters in order to keep opposition
alive
• Inter colonial groups that emerge will be First
American congresses
Angry Colonists
• Tea Act 1773
• British East India Tea Co--- granted monopoly
• Price of tea will be lower even with the
existing tax
• Colonists see it as a trick
• Trick is to get the colonists to accept tax
through cheaper tea --• Boston Tea Party --- 1773
INTOLERABLE
• Intolerable/Coerecive Acts – 1774 passed to
punish Boston
• Boston Port Act ---harbor closed until
damages paid
• Massachusetts charter revoked --• Forbade town meetings
• Quartering Act
What do the French have to do with it
• Quebec Act 1774– not meant to punish
colonies
• Allows for French in Canada to keep
“frenchness” –
• Colonies --- view it as attempt to create a
French threat
• View it as attack on Protestants
First Continental Congress
• 1774 Committees of Correspondence –act quickly
against Intolerable Acts
• Bostonians –end all trade with Brits invites other
colonies
• First CC – 12 of 13 colonies are there
• Adams, (Sam and john) Washington and Patrick
Henry
• Suffolk Resolves– denounce intolerable acts,
want colonists organize militia, want all trade
suspended
First Continental Congress
•
•
•
•
Main purpose it to redress grievances
Declaration of Rights
Gave them legal right to assemble
Bill of Rights – established the structure for the
Declaration of Independence (preamble, list of
grievances, mutual pledge
• Called for no importation, no exportation, no
consuming
• Restated allegiance to the King –just want things fixed
• Declare to meet again!!!!!
And the Battle Begins
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Shot Heard Round the World
Lexington and Concord
Ordered to arrest General Gage(new gov of Mass)
Arrest leader of rebellion and prepare
April 1775– 700 Redcoats sent
Seize gun powder and arrest Adams and Hancock
Paul Revere warns militia
Shots were Fired
• Minutemen refuse to leave
• Concord – Brits forced to retreat by American
reinforcements
British Strengths
• Money and best navy
• More people 7.5 million to 2.5 million
• 20,000 slaves Carolinas and GA join Brits
(promise of freedom)
• Natives (last hope for keeping land hungry
colonists out)
• Professional Army –hire hessians to help out
• Loyalists in colony
Brits Weakness
•
•
•
•
•
Distance (communication)
America—large and hard to occupy
British Generals –poor leaders
Provisions poor
France ---long time enemy
America
• Outstanding leadership –Washington
• Money from France
• Strong belief in their cause –moral advantage
American Weakness
•
•
•
•
Badly organized
Cont. Congress weak and ineffective
Jealousy among colonies
Little metal money (paper money printed
=worthless)
• Soldiers deserted economic difficulties
• Military supplies –
• Militia men unreliable
May 10, 1775
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Second Continental Congress
13
Not interested in Independence
Decided to go to war –MOST SIGNIFICANT
Washington will lead
Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking up
Arms –T. Jefferson
Appeal to King
Set plan to raise army
Olive Branch Petition
Reconsider Intolerable
Battles
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
June 1775
Bunker Hill --kill 1000 red coats -Run out of gunpowder and forced to leave hill
Brits lost many men –
Considered victory
Bloodiest battle of war
British will state we are in state of REBELLION
Aug 23 1775
Hessians
Declaration of Independence
•
•
•
•
•
How does the loyalty shift
Hire hessians
Freedom for slaves if help Brits
Burning of Norfolk
Paine’s –Common Sense
Common Sense
•
•
•
•
•
•
1776
Propaganda
Colonial polices are inconsistent
Independence only course
King was “royal brute”
America had a sacred mission –independent
democratic republic
• Persuades Congress to go all the way
• Could not get aid unless independence
Proposing Independence
• June 7, 1776
• Philadelphia –
• “Colonies are and of right ought to be free and
independent states”
• July 2 1776 motion adopted
• Committee on Independence – T Jefferson, B
Franklin, J Adams, Roger Sherman and Robert
Livingston
Declaration of Independence
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
3 Parts
Preamble – influenced by John Locke
States rights of colonists to break away –
Life liberty pursuit of happiness (property)
All men are equal
27 grievances
Significance is foreign aid
Patriots and loyalists
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Adams : 1/3 Patriots 1/3 loyalists 1/3 neutral
Loyalists are Tories 20 percent
Older, wealthier, more educated
Patriots
Whigs
Numerous in New England
Minority movement
Robert Morris “financier of Revolution”
Battle of Saratoga
• Most important battle
• Sought to capture New York
• Make possible French aid (which will
determine our independence)
• Spanish and Dutch will enter as well –England
faced with world war
• Saratoga will revive the cause
Valley Forge
1777-1778
• Supplies scarce food clothing
• Baron von Stueben – whip us into shape
• Demonstrate American resolve under bad
conditions
• Crisis letters read here to encourage moral
Is there a traitor among us
•
•
•
•
Yep --- Benedict Arnold
1780 tremendous blow to American morale
Does not like way he is treated
Washington persuades him to make him head
of West Point
• Plots to sell out the strong hold of West Point
(Hudson River)
• Plot is discovered
1777—How will we govern
• John Dickinson
• 2 CC creates Articles of Confederation
• First Constitution last until – 1789 when
Constitution is adapted
• Powers: conduct wars, handle foreign
relations, secure loans, borrow money
• CAN NOT: regulate trade, conscript troops,
levy taxes
Our Ally
•
•
•
•
•
•
French
Marquis de Lafayette – helps get aid for us
Declaration will ensure it
Treaty
We would have independence
Wage war until it is won or until both agree to
terms
Southern Colonies
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Savannah is taken in 1778-1779
Charlestown 1780 – 4th largest city
Devastating loss heavy losses
Nathaniel Green – clears GA and S .C of most Brits
troops
Cornwallis forced to abandon
Battle of Yorktown --- last major battle of the war
Chesapeake is blockaded by French, Washington
will march attack Brits by land
1781 Cornwallis will surrender
Peace of Paris
• United states formally independent
• Boundaries stretch to Mississippi River Great
Lakes and Spanish Fl
• We Promise: British loyalists will not be
persecuted
• Property restored
• American had to pay back British creditors
• We don’t comply and becomes partial cause of
War of 1812