Causes of the American Revolution
1)
Imperialism: Great Britain and
the colonists have different goals.
Method of rule in the colonies
begins to change as a result.
Causes of the American Revolution
2) Enlightenment:
a) Social Contract Theory of John
Locke
b) Natural rights
c) Duty of government:
d) Challenge authority
Causes of the American Revolution
3) Great Awakening:
a) Widespread
b) passionate belief
c) Sense of equality
d) willingness to challenge
authority
Causes of the American Revolution
3) French-Indian War:
a) GB is broke.
b) Increased taxes and control
c) Colonist resist taxes and
control.
d) Tension exists and increased
over time
Causes of the American Revolution
4) Virtual Representation:
The House of Commons
represented all British subjects
wherever they were.
George Grenville
Causes of the American Revolution
5) Right to Self-Tax:
According to British Law taxation
could not exist without consent.
Self imposed taxes were
customary in the colonies.
Taxes
 External Taxes: imposed
to
regulate trade. Parliament
 Internal Taxes: imposed
to raise
revenue. Colonial legislatures
Consent of the Governed
A
condition urged by many as a
requirement for legitimate
government: that the authority of
a government should depend on
the consent of the people, as
expressed by votes in elections.
See Declaration of Independence, democracy, and John Locke.)
Rights
 Where
do natural or inalienable
rights come from?
 How do we know?
 What are they?
 How can they be known?
 How can they be protected?
Acts and Laws that cause tension
 Declaratory Act:
 Parliament
has the right to
legislate for the colonies in all
cases whatsoever.
◦ (mercantilism, imperialism)
 What
is good for England is
policy!
Acts and Laws that cause tension
 Townsend
Duties
 Taxes
paid by importer and pass
on to the consumer.
◦ Glass, tea, lead, paper, paint
Acts and Laws that cause tension
 Quartering Act:
◦ Required colonies to furnish shelter
and provisions for British troops.
◦ Later expanded to putting soldiers
into private homes.
Acts and Laws that cause tension
 Proclamation
of 1763:
 No settlers West of Appalachian
Mts.
 GB is trying to avoid Indian Wars.
 Increased unrest in the colonies
Boycotts, Activism, Tension
 Nonconsumption: Boycott
of
British goods.
 Treatment
 Mob
of tax collectors:
rule:
 Tar and feathering:
Boston Massacre: March 5, 1770
5
dead
 11 wounded
 9 soldiers tried for murder in
Boston
 7 acquitted
 2 convicted of manslaughter
 John Adams, Josiah Quincey
Boston Tea Party Dec. 16, 1773
 100-150
men
 Dump Tea into Boston Harbor
 Leads to the Coercive Acts
Committees of Correspondence
 System
of communication put in
place to link the colonies, cities
and towns to news and events.
Acts and Laws that cause tension
 Coercive Acts
◦ Port of Boston closed
◦ Parliaments supremacy enhanced
◦ Power of Royal Gov. expanded
◦ Councils are now appointed
◦ Representation is gone
◦ Trials of capital crimes in England or
Canada.
◦ Military Rule
First Continental Congress
 Organized
through committees
of correspondence to respond to
British actions.
 Not
elected positions
 Not recognized by GB
First Continental Congress
 Declaration
of Rights:
◦ Peace
◦ Liberty
◦ Security
◦ Representation
◦ Acknowledge GB regulation of
trade
◦ Self-taxation
First Continental Congress
 Committees
 Created
of Public Safety:
by Continental Congress
to enforce the boycott of British
goods that they organized.
Legitimacy???
 Committees
of Correspondence
 Committees of Public Safety
 Continental Congress
◦ British view:
◦ Patriot view:
Battle of Lexington and Concord
 April
19, 1775
 “Shot Heard Around the World”
 First Fighting of the War
 American Victory
Terms:
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Liberty
Tyranny
Militia
Virtual Representation
Consent of the
governed
External Taxes
Internal Taxes
Convicted
Acquittal

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Manslaughter
Citizen
Subject
Inalienable rights
Common Law
Constitution
Parliament
Enlightenment
Despotism
Absolutism