Download 14e Chapter 01-04 Quick Review

Chapters 1-4 Brief Review
Brinkley Text 14e
Chapters 1-4
The REAL Discovery of America
Long before Columbus
 Migrations from Asia across the frozen
Bering Strait
 Perhaps 12,000 – 14,000 years ago
 Perhaps as early as 40,000 years ago

The REAL Discovery of America




Vikings had also visited c. 1000 AD
Perhaps others from elsewhere
By 1491, there were probably 50 million to 75
million people living in the Americas – more
than in Europe at the time
By 1491, perhaps 10 million in what is now the
US
Bering Land Bridge
America Before Columbus
Early inhabitants lived in small nomadic
tribes
 Subsisted by hunting, fishing and
gathering food (hunter-gatherers) and
occasional early farming
 Complex civilizations developed over
time

America Before Columbus
Inca Empire in South and Central
America – complex political system,
paved roads, etc.
 Mayan Empire in Central America and
the Yucatan peninsula – written
language, numerical system, calendar,
advanced agricultural system

America Before Columbus





Aztecs - central and southern Mexico
Elaborate, advanced administrative,
educational and medical systems
Harsh religion involving human sacrifice
Agricultural economy, but with developed
urban centers
Tenochtitlán (where Mexico City is now) had a
population of around 100,000, large public
buildings, paved streets, running water, etc.
Diverse Civilizations



Some Indian tribes lived in fairly primitive
ways
Others had complex and well-developed
social, economic, religious and political
structures
Some were nomadic, others sedentary
Diverse Civilizations




Had not discovered/invented the wheel, no
horses
Did NOT share a common language
Of the estimated 5,000 (or more) languages in
the world, about 1,500 were Indian languages
in the New World
Dozens of “language families,” many isolated
Division of Tasks, Gender-role



Many of the tasks necessary to survival were
assigned by gender
Women always cared for the children and
prepared meals, and sometimes gathered
certain types of food
Men engaged in hunting, fishing, warfare
Division of Tasks, Gender-role



The allocation of other tasks varied by tribe,
region
Since the men were often away, women
tended to control social and economic
organization of tribes
Family lineage was traced matrilineally
(through the mother)
Europe Looks Westward



Prior to about 1500 AD, Europe was not united
Many small political units, subsistence
agriculture, limited commerce
By about 1500 AD, Europe had begun to
recover from the effects of the Black Plague
Europe Looks Westward



Population was rebounding
New business enterprises were emerging and
economic growth were occurring
Political structures were consolidating and
becoming more effective and more powerful
Europe Looks Westward



Europeans sought commercial gain and
prosperity
The power of the Church also motivated the
desire to expand a “Christian Empire,”
pursuing a divine mission
First to begin systematic exploration were the
Portuguese
Europe Looks Westward


Failing to find support for his voyages in
Portugal, Columbus turned to Spain
Columbus sailed west in August 1492, thinking
he was heading to Japan
Niňa, Pinta, Santa Maria
A Reproduction of the Niňa
Other European Exploration of the
New World


The Indian population was soon reduced by
unfamiliar diseases to which they had no
immunity
Spain motivated by profit, wealth, expanding
the Empire, displacing Portugal as a colonial
power, spreading the Catholic faith,
establishing huge profitable agricultural
operations
Other European Exploration of the
New World


After Columbus, Spain dominated exploration
of the New World in the first half of the 16th
century
Spain brought armies, weapons, horses,
superior technology, greed, brutal oppression
of native populations
Division of the New World




Portugal soon followed Spain in voyages of
exploration and colonization
Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) divided South
America between Spain and Portugal
One reason why today, Portuguese is spoken
in Brazil and Spanish in most of the rest of
South America
The English, Dutch and French soon followed
with their own voyages of exploration and
colonization
Division of the New World
Spanish Colonial Empire




Presidios (forts), military outposts, missions
Spanish treated natives harshly, killed leaders,
destroyed records
Natives greatly outnumbered Spanish
Attempt to suppress indigenous religious rituals
led to revolt
Spanish Colonial Empire



Spanish became slightly more tolerant, less
oppressive, and more assimilation occurred
Spanish population grew, indigenous
population declined
Huge declines in native populations in some
areas
Spanish Colonial Empire



Spanish settlements largely independent of
Spanish monarchy, local political power
Widespread use of native labor with relatively
few immigrants from Spain to the New World
Spain sought to “rule,” not “populate” its
colonies
Spanish Colonial Empire



Discovery of precious metals inhibited other
forms of development
Missionaries were very aggressive and
zealous in spreading the faith to the Empire
Spanish increased assimilation through
intermarriage with native population
English Colonial Empire



England began to gain a foothold in the New
World by the early 17th century
At home in England, there were wars, religious
conflicts, changing economic conditions,
increasing population, decreasing food supply,
growth of mercantilism (merchant capitalism)
Extracting wealth from colonial possessions
was a critical element in economic growth
Mercantilism


Mercantilism (merchant capitalism) based on
the idea that the nation (not individuals) was
the main force in the economy
Goal was to increase the nation’s total
collective wealth
Mercantilism


World’s wealth was thought to be finite – a
“zero-sum game” – one nation could become
more wealthy only if another nation became
less wealthy
A nation’s wealth could be increased by
increasing exports and limiting imports
(balance of trade)
English Colonial Empire


Colonies would be a place where people could
“start anew” in a golden land filled with
promise and opportunity
Colonies would also be a good place to send
troublemakers, excess population, “idle poor”
who annoy others
English Colonial Empire


Colonies would provide a source of raw
materials which England would otherwise have
to purchase from other countries (their
economic competitors)
Colonies would offer new markets for
manufactured English goods (e.g., woolens)
The Puritans




Puritans were English religious dissenters
Out of the Protestant Reformation came the
Church of England
C of E was as much political as it was religious
C of E did not satisfy the religious desires of
many of the people
The Puritans


Some thought that the C of E had retained too
many offensive “Romish” (Roman Catholic)
religious practices and beliefs
Puritans sought to “purify” the Church of
England
English Colonial Settlements


Jamestown (Virginia, 1607) was the first
permanent English Settlement in North
America
There had been previous attempts at
establishing permanent settlements, but they
had failed
English Colonial Settlements




Roanoke (Virginia, 1585), Sir Walter Raleigh –
colonists abandoned attempt and went home
Roanoke (Virginia, 1587) – colonists
remained, but had disappeared when English
returned in 1590
Virginia Dare – first child born in America of
English parents
“CROATOAN” – colony vanished without a
trace
“CROATOAN”
Early Settlement Attempts Less
Than Successful




Why did early attempts at establishing permanent
settlements either fail or turn out to be less than
successful?
They were business operations expected to produce a
profit for the investors
The settlers tried to isolate themselves from the local
inhabitants – enclosed settlements, “transplantations”
of English culture into a place where English culture
had difficulty taking root
Things didn’t work out as they had planned
American Society and Culture
Develops



Settlers began to establish their own ways of
doing things
English ways and English ideas had to be
modified
Colonial society began to change, and
change rapidly
The Early Chesapeake






Jamestown, 1607 – 104 men, no women, 1/3 would
not survive the first year
Site poorly chosen – sought to establish a site that
could be defended against Indians
Low, swampy, hot (is it ever!), humid (is it ever!), prey
to outbreaks of malaria
Surrounding area heavily wooded, difficult to clear
Located in the territory of a powerful Indian
confederation, led by Powhatan
Generally, a miserable place
Virginia Colonies







James River area was an inhospitable, difficult place
to settle
Investors wanted a quick return on their investment,
not a family-friendly settlement
Settlers found it difficult to feel “at home”
By January 1608, 38 of the 104 original colonists had
died
John Smith, Council President
Established his leadership and imposed order
The following year, only 12 of 200 died
Jamestown revisited, 1609





Additional colonists sent to Jamestown
Nine ships. 600 people, including women and children
More hard times – some lost at sea, others grounded
at Bermuda, didn’t make it to Jamestown until 1610
Of the 500 residents in Jamestown that winter, only 50
were left alive when the Bermuda ship finally arrived
Forced communal labor, harsh discipline – colony
survived, but was not a happy place
Tobacco





Tobacco was unknown in Europe until
discovered in the Americas
Denounced by critics as a “poisonous weed”
A “vile and stinking custom”
But still, the demand for tobacco soared in
Europe
Tobacco would grow well in Virginia, and was
the key to success of the colony at the time
Tobacco is a Dirty Weed
Tobacco is a dirty weed,
I like it.
It satisfies no normal need,
I like it.
It makes you thin, it makes you lean,
It takes the hair right off your bean.
It’s the worst darn stuff I’ve ever seen.
I like it.
-- Graham Lee Hemminger (1895-1950)
Virginia grows and expands






The colony was surviving, but needed more people to
make it profitable
“Headright” system – land grants to those who would
emigrate
Skilled craftsmen and women began to arrive
House of Burgesses (elected legislature) met in
Jamestown in 1619
First African slaves arrive in 1619
War became the solution to conflict with the Indians –
sought to suppress the natives
Maryland and the Calverts








George Calvert (Lord Baltimore), Catholic colonist
Sought colonial grant as a haven for Catholics who felt
oppressed by the Anglican church at home
Successful colony from the beginning
Little or no conflict with the Indians, no Indian attacks
No “starving time,” no plague
Encouraged Protestants to emigrate also
Religious toleration, freedom of worship
Religious tensions remained
Bacon’s Rebellion







Nathaniel Bacon – large farm, seat on the Governor’s
Council
“Backcountry gentry”
Conflict with Indians, for whom the land was
supposed to have been reserved
Conflict between Bacon and Governor Berkeley over
Indian lands, fur trade with the Indians
Bacon openly made war on the Indians
Declared an outlaw by Governor Berkeley
Bacon almost won, but died suddenly of dysentery
Bacon’s Rebellion






Continuing struggle to define the boundary between
colonists’ land and Indian land
Pattern of making agreements with the Indians, then
violating them
Indians would only tolerate a certain amount of
intrusion into their territory
Competition between the eastern (Tidewater) settlers
and the western (backcountry) settlers
Volatility/unpredictability of free, landless settlers with
little opportunity
Increase of slavery instead of indentured workers
New England





Mayflower, 1620
Plymouth Company - migrating “Pilgrims” –
from England to Holland, Holland to America,
seeking religious freedom
Mayflower compact
Not really self-government (yet) but set the
stage
Still Englishmen, allegiance to the king
Plymouth





Plymouth Pilgrims settled on cleared land that had
been an Indian village (depopulated by disease) –
made their survival easier
Indians were generally friendly and helpful, in part
because they had been decimated and weakened by
disease
Indians showed Pilgrims useful skills
Pilgrims were generally more peaceful, more tolerant,
and less hostile than other settlers had been
Thanksgiving
Plymouth Plantation




William Bradford chosen to be governor again
and again
People were industrious but poor
Content with living as godly people where
they believed God had placed them
Wanted to serve as a model for other
Christians
Turbulent Times in England






King Charles I succeeded to the throne in 1625
Attempted to restore Catholicism in England
Disbanded Parliament
Civil war
King Charles I overthrown and executed
Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector
English Civil War and the Restoration
Colonies






Charles I dissolved Parliament and began ruling as an
absolute monarch
Finally called Parliament back into session when he
was in need of money
Military challenge to the king, civil war
Cavaliers (supporters of the king) vs. Roundheads
(supporters of Parliament, mostly Puritans)
Roundheads defeated and executed the king
Oliver Cromwell ruled as “Lord Protector” for nine
years
Restoration





After Cromwell’s death, his successors were
unable to hold onto power
Charles II returned from exile and claimed the
throne
King Charles II rewarded his supporters with
grants of land in the New World
Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
Evolution from money-making enterprises to
permanent settlements
Massachusetts Bay Colony




Massachusetts Bay Company obtained a
charter from the king, originally as a business
venture
Sought opportunities in America, a haven for
Puritans (a “city on a hill”)
John Winthrop led 1.000 people to the new
world – the largest single migration of its kind
in the 17th century
Winthrop himself held the charter – colonists
were responsible to no one but themselves
Massachusetts Bay Colony






People other than religious separatists soon arrived,
led to expansion of the colony
However, non-Puritans could not vote
Religious dissent was viewed seriously – dissenters
could either conform or leave
Many chose to leave, which spread English
settlement across New England
Expansion into the Connecticut valley, New Haven,
Rhode Island, etc.
Some were even more strict in enforcing religious
conformity than Massachusetts Bay
Roger Williams




Controversial young minister, lived for a time in
Salem, Massachusetts
Williams argued for complete separation from the
Church of England
Williams also argued for a complete separation of
church and state, to avoid having the church
corrupted by the secular world
Rhode Island chartered, based on religious tolerance
Anne Hutchinson





Originally lived in Massachusetts Bay Colony
Charismatic, vocal and outgoing person, not a “retiring,
deferential wife and mother”
Began to express her hostility to the established order,
exhibited remarkable knowledge of theology, claimed
to be inspired by the Holy Spirit
Eventually moved to Rhode Island, and then to New
York
Her followers also migrated, to New Hampshire and
Maine
James, Duke of York






Brother of King Charles II
Large grant of land in an area already claimed by the
Dutch
Dutch overwhelmed by superior force and
surrendered
Dutch “New Netherland” colony was renamed “New
York”
Several different ethnic groups and Indian tribes,
several different religious faiths
James was a Catholic, but did not impose his faith on
the colony
Quakers







“Society of Friends”
Quakers = “tremble at the Name of the Lord”
Equality between men and women
No official paid clergy
Pacifists
William Penn
Charter of Liberties, representative assembly
Caribbean Colonies






Substantial native populations
Conflict with the Spanish
Based on raising crops for export, e.g.,
sugar cane
Small white population dependent on slave
labor
Harsh treatment of slaves, slave revolt
Trade with North American colonies
Georgia




James Oglethorpe motivated by philanthropic
and military concerns
Sought to create a place where impoverished
Englishmen could “start anew”
Sought to erect a barrier between the English
colonies and the Spanish colonies
Military force, several wars
The “Glorious Revolution”







King Charles II proved to be unpleasant and unpopular
Violated “Rights of Englishmen” by attempting to
consolidate North American English colonies
Deposed in favor of his sister Mary and her husband
William of Orange, invited by Parliament
William = ruler of Netherlands, staunch Protestant
“William and Mary” assumed power in bloodless
revolution
Massachusetts governor also deposed
New York ruled for a time (1689-1691) by selfappointed governor Jacob Leisler
British Colonies in America







Seen by both British and Americans as outposts of the
British world
Many had come to America to escape British Tyranny,
but . . .
They still considered themselves British
Other nationalities arrived
Slavery was an established institution
Native population still outnumbered immigrants by a
large factor
Regional differences continued
Colonial Population






Natives outnumbered immigrants
Immigrant population grew rapidly
By late 17th century, Europeans and Africans
outnumbered natives on the Atlantic coast
Some upper-class
Some middle-class
Many laborers
Indentured Servitude







Young men and women bound to a term of servitude,
as laborers or domestic servants
In exchange for passage to the New World, plus food
and shelter for the term of their indenture
Usually a period of four to five years
Some came voluntarily
Some were criminals who came involuntarily
Some criminals chose to be hanged rather than come
to America
Many completed their term of service and left with
nothing
Indentured Servitude






Difficult to compel the Indian population to do certain
kinds of work
Severe labor shortage, “servants for sale”
Some (former) indentured servants successfully
entered society upon completion of their indenture;
most did not
Some became farmers, artisans
Most did not
Many relocated often in search of opportunity
Improved Living Conditions





Non-native population increased
Longevity improved
Conditions better in the north than in the south
Climate, disease, water, etc.
Primitive medical conditions and medical
knowledge
Women and Families






Women married significantly younger than in England
Indentured servants usually forbidden to marry until
their term of service was up
Still, many extramarital pregnancies
On average, women bore a child about every two
years, often as many as eight, or more
Many children died young
More men than women – women could be somewhat
selective
Slavery in New England







Scarce labor supply, always a market for slaves
Slaves sold by African chieftains,
Slaves shipped to South America and Caribbean by
the Portuguese, then the Dutch and the French
Soon expanded to North America
Perhaps as many as 11 million Africans forcibly
brought to the New World
More African immigration than European immigration
Slave population grew
Slave Trade







Female slaves were often victims of abuse
Slave ships were dark, dirty, crowded, horrible
Some captains packed ships as full as possible
Some captains assumed that a certain percentage
would die and be thrown overboard on the voyage
Some captains were more humane than others
African slaves, and even African non-slaves) seen as
inferior by most whites
African slaves heavily concentrated in southern
colonies
Slavery in the Colonies







About twice as many male slaves as female slaves
This slowed population growth among slave population
By 1700, more slaves being born than being imported
Hard, debilitating work – e.g., rice cultivation
Although children were being born to slaves, slave population did
not increase appreciably
Some slaves were treated like indentured servants and freed
after a period of time, but owners were not under any obligation to
do so as with indentured servants
Keeping children of slaves in bondage ensured a steady supply of
slaves
Slavery in the Colonies





A few freed African slaves became landowners
themselves, and some apparently even owned slaves
of their own
Still, Europeans asserted that they were inherently
superior
Slaves, Indians, and even the Irish were defined as
“inferior races”
Any slave ancestry, no matter how small or far
removed, defined a person as “black”
Later would be known as the “one-drop rule”
Other European Emigration





As economic conditions improved and restrictions on
emigration increased in England, English emigration
the colonies declined
Other nationalities and ethnic groups began to
emigrate
French Huguenots (French Calvinists) had been
tolerated in Catholic France, but the Edict of Nantes
was revoked in 1685
Huguenots began to come to America
German Protestants soon followed
Other European Emigration





Germans settled in New York, then
Pennsylvania
“Pennsylvania Dutch” (Deutsch)
Among them were Moravians, Mennonites
German-speaking Swiss Protestants joined
them
Scottish and Irish Presbyterians
Colonial Economies







As population grew, economy expanded
Southern economy – Tobacco was the basis of the
economy in the Chesapeake region
Tobacco market was sometimes volatile
Tobacco cultivation suited to the use of slave labor
Rice was a staple in the southern colonies of Georgia
and South Carolina
Both labor-intensive and suited to the use of slave
labor
Indigo (used for blue dye) also grown
Northern Economies






In the Northern colonies, agriculture dominated as it
did in the south
However, industry began to arise on a small scale
Cobblers, blacksmiths, silversmiths, gunsmiths,
cabinetmakers, printers, etc.
Water power for mills – grinding grain, processing
cloth, lumber, ironworking, woolens, hats, etc.
Shipbuilding began to flourish
Few people were self-sufficient, depended on
commerce with others
Improvised Economy




With little “hard money,” colonies had to rely
on other things as media of exchange
Barter system
Trade with Caribbean colonies
Sugar, molasses, slaves for rum, agricultural
products, meat, fish
“Triangular Trade”







Rum, other manufactured goods transported from New
England to Africa, traded for slaves
Slaves transported to West Indies, traded for sugar and
molasses
Sugar and molasses transported to New England
Sugar and molasses made into rum, transported to
Africa, etc.
America, England, Africa, West Indies, Europe
Growing trade, growing economy, growing
consumerism, rising merchant class
Some social mobility
Southern Agrarian Economy





Dominated by Plantation system
Some were small – landowners and indentured
servants worked side by side
Some were very large – e.g., 40,000 acres
(over 60 square miles, about ¼ the size of
Memphis), 285 slaves
Some had most of the trappings of small towns
Southern society was highly stratified
Slave Society





Rigid social separation from whites imposed by whites,
but constant interaction
Formal marriage encouraged by whites; nuclear
families,elaborate social structures developed by
slaves
Kinship ties sometimes established with unrelated
slaves who had no other relatives
Slaves sometimes established languages of their own
(e.g., Gullah)
Slave religion blended Christianity with African folk
religion
Resistance to Slavery




There were occasional slave uprisings and
rebellions
Rebellions were rare and unsuccessful
Most common form of resistance to slavery
was running away
But runaway slaves had no place to go and
success was difficult
Puritans




Settlements/towns with “covenants” binding all
the residents together
Generally small communities, town meetings
Only adult males could participate/vote, subject
to membership in the church and evidence of
being part of the “elect”
Eldest son did not always inherit – father
decided
Witchcraft Phenomenon









Witch hysteria, 1680s – 1690s
Salem, 1692
Adolescent girls, West Indian servants, “voodoo”
Accusations of prominent people began
Nineteen people executed
Accusers later recanted
Illustrated the highly religious character of communities
Firm belief in the power of Satan, etc.
And one of those executed was . . .
Colonial Cities






Small communities, by today’s standards
New York – about 25,000 people
Merchant class dominated
Tradesmen, workers, artisans, indigents
Sharp social distinctions
Usual urban social problems – crime, vice,
pollution, disease, epidemics, traffic
Awakenings and Enlightenment





Religious toleration in America far greater than
in Europe
Many different religious practices
Church of England was the “official” church in
parts of New England
Few Roman Catholics, anti-Catholicism
Fewer Jews, forbidden to vote or hold office
The Great Awakening




Increased religious fervor, 1730s-1740s
Revival of old religions, founding of new ones,
increased piety
People sought closer relationship with God
Powerful preachers – Wesley, Whitefield
The Enlightenment







Advances in scientific and intellectual discoveries
Natural laws, power of human reason
Undermined traditional authority, e.g., the churches
Not so much a direct challenge to religion as quest for
rational enquiry
Some religious leaders wavered - Cotton Mather still
believed disease was a punishment for sin, yet
encouraged inoculation for smallpox
Value of education, rise of public schools (required by
law)
Literacy (among whites) increased
The Enlightenment







Most colleges were founded by religious leaders
(Harvard, Yale, William and Mary, Princeton)
“Liberal Arts” curriculum
Other colleges founded as secular institutions
Still, those with access to education were mostly white
men
Education sometimes forbidden to African slaves
Colonial almanacs widespread
“Poor Richard’s Almanac” published by Benjamin
Franklin
The Calm Before The Storm






Englishmen in America thought of themselves
as “free” during the early 18th century:
Policy of “benign neglect” – control eased
Distance from Great Britain
Local Assemblies of Burgesses
Still thought of themselves as Englishmen
Believed that the benefits of being part of the
British Empire outweighed the disadvantages
Colonies Divided







Royal appointments made via bribery,
favoritism, cronyism
Decentralized colonial administration
Colonies were separate, sovereign entities
Albany Plan of Union, 1754 (proposed)
Benjamin Franklin supported it
Proposed to colonial assemblies
None approved it
The Struggle for the Continent







Expansion of French presence in America
French tolerated Indian way of life
Powerful Iroquois federation
French Empire in North America, conflict with
English colonial Empire
French and Indian War, 1754
Battle of Quebec – Plains of Abraham, 1759
Wolfe and Montcalm
General James Wolfe
(January 2, 1727-September 13, 1759)
He raised up his head
Where the guns did rattle
And to his aide he said,
“How goes the battle?
“Quebec is all our own,
They can’t prevent it”
He said without a groan,
“I die contented”
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon
Marquis de Saint-Veran
(February 28, 1712-September 14, 1759)
"I am happy
that I shall not
live to see the
surrender of
Quebec.”
War for the Empire






French and Indian War largely a colonial conflict
Modest (and inept) assistance provided by the British
Local colonial forces
Fort Necessity debacle (a young colonel George
Washington forced to surrender to the British)
William Pitt (British Secretary of State, later P.M.) –
unified military strategy for British forces
British military became more effective
New Imperialism






Treaty of Paris (1763) ended French & Indian War
France ceded most of its colonies in the New World
Spain cedes Florida
British Empire at peace (for a change) but saddled with
huge war debts - could no longer afford “benign
neglect” of the colonies
Prime Minister George Grenville (1763) sought to
recover war costs from colonies, pay down the debt
But the colonies were reluctant to be a source of
revenue (“cash cow”) for the Empire
Proclamation of 1763





Britain “apologizes” to the Indians
“Temporarily” forbids English colonial expansion
beyond the Appalachian Mountains
Advantageous to the British but resisted by the
colonists
Failed to stop westward expansion and settlement
Agreements with the Indians made, broken, made,
broken again
Taxes, Taxes, Taxes

British sought to strengthen its control and
authority in the colonies, increase revenue,
recover costs of war

Sugar Act (1764)
Currency Act (1764)
Stamp Act (1765)


Britain Tightens Control





British removed appropriation of funds for local
government from local control
British started enforcing the Navigation Acts
Taxes raised on items Americans have to
import from Britain, and enforced this time
Much resented by colonists
British were soon collecting ten times more tax
revenue from the colonies than before
Colonial Resistance






Colonists resented the taxes, but found
resistance difficult
Boycotts
Riots
Popular unrest
“Sons of Liberty” (1765) formed to unite
colonists against taxes
Some protests turn violent
Coming of the Revolution




Warning signs
Colonial assemblies petitioned the King
Colonists believed that local taxes should be
administered by local authorities
Colonists were mostly unsuccessful with
peaceful petitioning and negotiating, but the
stage was set
Coming of the Revolution





We called it the “French and Indian War”
In Europe, it was called the “Seven Years War”
It had been a huge expense for the British Empire,
huge debt incurred
Parliament’s view: colonists should pay for the
expense of defending their side of the ocean against
the French
Colonists’ view: the war was England’s war; we
volunteered our men to fight it over here. We’re not
going to pay for it, too!
Britain Tightens Control





To aid in enforcing their new rules . . .
British to keep 10,000 British troops in the
colonies
Quartering Act 1764
Not much different from earlier acts of
Parliament
But this time (after 1763), they were strongly
enforced
Rights of Man and
the Philosophy of Revolt





18th century known for new writings on “Natural
Law,” and “Rights of Man”
John Locke, tyranny, “Philosophy of Revolt”
Scots, Puritans, British opposition radicals
London’s view: rights apply first to Englishmen
living in England, secondarily to colonists
Colonists view: we are Englishmen, too, and
entitled to the rights of Englishmen!
Stamp Act Congress



1765: Virginian Patrick Henry introduced a
resolution against the Stamp Act (“If this be
treason, let us make the most of it!”)
1765, nine colonies sent delegates to Stamp
Act Congress (in 18th century, “congress” just
meant “meeting”)
Their argument: as Englishmen, we cannot be
taxed without our consent
Stamp Act Repealed






Stamp Act Congress was a meeting, NOT a
government
First example of colonial representatives working
together to solve a problem
Formal complaint to Britain, boycott of British goods
Stamp Act repealed by popular pressure from British
merchants hurt by the boycott
Prime Minister Grenville fired by the King
But the fact that England “backed down” emboldened
the colonials
Declaratory Act of 1766




BUT – Parliament also quietly passed the
Declaratory Act of 1766
A “quiet time bomb”
“Britain shall have the right to tax or make any
and all laws necessary to govern the colonies,
in all cases whatsoever.”
Overlooked by colonists at the time
New Taxes, New Penalties




Charles Townshend becomes Prime Minister
(1770)
New taxes on items imported into the colonies
from Britain
New penalties for attempting to import from
other countries
Violators tried in Britain – not locally
Stirrings of Revolution



Slow complaints at first from the colonies
“Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer” (by John
Dickinson) re-stated objections as violations of
natural law and natural rights
1768, Sam Adams’ Massachusetts Circular
Letter urged each colony to petition Parliament
to repeal the Townshend Acts
Townshend clamps down





Townshend reacted quickly, and harshly:
Withdraw the petition or risk having your
Houses of Burgesses closed
Increase troop presence in each colony
Send spies to entrap smugglers
General harassment of colonists
Boston Massacre






Petty violence by colonists against British by 1770
Boycotting (“non-importation,” in colonists’ vocabulary)
of British goods hurt British economy
“Boston Massacre,” 1770
Five people killed - Crispus Attucks
“Innocent Blood Crying from the Streets of Boston”
American resentment inflamed
Crispus Attucks
(c. 1723-March 5, 1770)
Lord North, Taxes Eased




George III replaced Townshend with Lord
North
All taxes repealed EXCEPT a token tax on tea
Colonists had ways of avoiding this tax, too
British stepped up their anti-smuggling patrols
Colonial Resistance
Continues




Rhode Island colonists burned British customs
ship Gaspee, which had been far too
successful in catching smugglers.
British soldiers never arrested responsible
parties.
Parliament passed Tea Act in 1773
Eliminates colonial middlemen (and their
profits) from the tea trade
Resistance Continues
Colonial leaders’ approach: fight the new
law however possible:
 Don’t buy British tea
 Smuggle when possible
 Don’t allow British ships to dock

Boston Tea Party






Boston Tea Party
An “act of war,” or petty vandalism?
No suspects arrested by Britain; no trail of
clues
Many Americans abhorred the “tea excitement”
But most abhorred British coercion even more
British response: coercion
Britain Strengthens Control






The Coercive Acts (1774)
Boston Harbor closed indefinitely (until someone
comes forward with names of culprits)
Colonial legislatures closed, all colonies held
collectively responsible
Royal governor’s power increased
All colonial crimes tried in Britain, not locally
Quartering Act strengthened
Colonial Resentment



Britain’s view: criminal actions forfeit your
“natural rights”
Colonists’ view: don’t call us Englishmen
unless you will treat us with all the rights given
to Englishmen in England
Samuel Adams stirred up public outrage,
helped form a Committee of Correspondence
Coercive Acts, 1774





Britain feared a surprise attack by Indian tribes
Passed Quebec Act (not directly related to the
Boston troubles, though it seemed to be)
NO colonist shall attempt to move into Canada
Colonists had their own name for the Coercive
Acts and the Quebec Act:
“INTOLERABLE ACTS”
First Continental Congress




“First Continental Congress” (Fall 1774),
delegates from all the colonies
NOT A GOVERNMENT – just a meeting at
which a course of action could be planned
Agreed to re-state their objections to Britain “as
loyal Englishmen”
Rejected a proposal to join all 13 into a union,
seeking a new kind of relationship with Britain
Loyalists and Patriots




First Continental Congress to meet again in Spring
1775, assess situation
A hot political issue, with many points of view:
LOYALISTS – believed Britain couldn’t mean any harm
to Englishmen, stressed importance of obedience to
English law (also called “TORIES”)
PATRIOTS – believed union and independence were
the only solution to the problem of guaranteed rights
Moderates Wait and See




MODERATES (most common view in 1775): wait and
see what happens, Loyalist and Patriot views are both
too extreme for safety
British actions in 1775 and 1776 pushed many
Moderates into the Patriot column
Taverns were a hotbed of political/revolutionary
discussion
Alcohol flowed freely, intoxication common in colonies
at the time
Rumors of War




British General Gage in charge of all British
troops in the colonies
Rumors of a planned colonial uprising (“Minute
Men”)
“Rude rabble without a plan”
Gage determined to find-and-destroy,
demonstrate British force to any who were
thinking of rebellion
“Shot Heard ‘Round the World”




April 1775, Gage led a show of force through
Massachusetts
Rumors preceded him; encounter with “Minute
Men” in Lexington and Concord
“Shot Heard ‘Round the World”
By day’s end: 1000+ British dead, Gage’s
army forced into retreat.
Revolution Begins


At the end of the first day, Britain had suffered
twice as many casualties as the colonists
The Revolution was on
Samuel Adams (1722-1803)
“If ye love wealth better than
liberty, the tranquility of
servitude better than the
animating contest of
freedom, go home from us
in peace. We ask not your
counsel or your arms.
Crouch down and lick the
hands of those who feed
you. May your chains set
lightly upon you. May
posterity forget that ye were
our countrymen.”