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American Revolution
The teen colonies rebel
(no surprises here, except we won!)
objectives
• Explain the causes and effects of the
American Revolution
• Explain the role of the enlightenment on
the American Revolution
It was a power struggle
• Britain wanted America
to accept their authority
– But had neglected the
colonies for over 100 yrs
• America has grown in a
different direction
– Influenced by the French
Enlightenment
• It is all about parents (British) getting the
children (colonies) to do something they do not
want to do (pay taxes)
The characters
Mom and Dad
13 ungrateful children
The Enlightenment
The bad influence
Benign neglect or salutary neglect
• America was selfgoverning and self
sufficient.
• Overrun with
smugglers.
• America knew
freedom.
Treatment of colonies
• British has passed many
laws but were not enforced.
• Britain protected the
colonies.
– Wanted repayment for
protection
The British try to take charge in America
• The Stamp Act
– First to tax the
people directly
– Stamp for all
legal
documents
Response to the Stamp Act
• Sons of liberty
formed
– 1765
demonstrated
and protested
against the act
– No stamps sold
Stamp protest
• What does this mean?
• Why is the stamp a
skull and crossbones?
Declaration of Rights and
Grievances
• The colonist defense against the
stamp act
– Stated Parliament had no power to
tax the colonies because they are
not represented in parliament
• The colonies act as one
• Act repealed
The 2nd attempt
• 1767-Townshend act
– Indirect tax on the rich
– Glass, lead paint, paper
• These are luxury goods.
– Tea tax
American Response
• Response to the Townshend act
–Organized resistance
–Boycotts - drink coffee
–No taxation without
representation
The British fight back
• Increased
military presence
• The Boston
Massacre
• 5 people die in
the MASSACRE
The Trial for British Soldiers
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“Reasonable doubt”
John Adams
Samuel Adams
John Hancock
Cripus Attucks
The Massacre propaganda
The Townshend Act repealed
• Left tea tax
• Rioters taken to England for
trial
• No taxes
• Boston tea party
The Boston tea party
• British East India Trading
Company pays no tea taxes
–Undersell colonial merchants or
s mugglers
• Dec 18, 1773
The Boston tea party
• 50 members of the SOL
• 3 Ships-the Beaver, Eleanor,
Dartmouth/dressed as Indians
• 9659 sterling into the water
• We will not accept British
authority
Boston Tea Party
America Responds
• Committees of correspondence
–Mass and Vig
–Communication line for
colonies to report threats on Am
erican liberties
–1774 most colonies involved
British react
• King George III
–1774 the intolerable acts passed
–Shut down Boston Harborcolonist refused to pay for
damages
–Quartering act = more soldiers
–Martial law in Boston
The intolerable acts
• Outraged citizens
• Made the colonies more
unified
• September 1774-first
Continental Congress
–Declaration of Colonial Rights
Getting ready to fight
• Stock pile weapons minutemen
• British General Gage sends
troops from Boston to Concord
• Paul Revere’s ride 4-18-1777
Ride of Paul Revere
• 3 men-Revere, Dawes, Prescott
• The Regulars are coming
• Revere was captured
• The Famous poem
• The real deal
At Lexington and Concord
• First shots of the war
• “the shot heard around the
world”
Lasted 15 min
• Later the ambushed
The war was in motion
• Things move more slowly back
then…
Remember the causes
• Salutary neglect and the British
debt after the French and Indian
war were 2 causes of the war but
there is one more
• ENLIGHTENED IDEAS
Patriots or American
• American Advantages
– Leadership-Washington, Franklin, Jefferson,
– Home field –we know the land
– Guerrilla warfare-borrowed from the natives
during the French and Indian war- IT WON
THE WAR FOR US
– The French and the Prussians-without them we
could not have fought the British Army
British or Loyalist
• British Advantages
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Better organization
Better equipment
More Money
Better navy
• American John Paul Jones
Key battles
• The British take an early lead
• Saratoga is the turning point of the war
• York town is the end of the war and YES
America wins
Benign Neglect
French and
Indian War
Use Enlightened
Ideas to validate
Protest
American
Revolution
Self Government and
Smuggling
British want re-payment
Taxes (ex)
Americans Protest
and Rebel (ex)
Some taxes revoked
except -------
How did we win
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Help from the French
Home field advantage
Militia
British Mistakes
New Government
• Articles of Confederation 1781-1789
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No power to tax
No power to regulate interstate commerce
No court system
No executive branch
• Constitution 1789-present
• Solved the problem of the AOC
USA paves the way
• Inspiration for French Revolution
• Latin American Revolutions
Effects of the American Revolution
• American colonies are independent
• They will experiment with a new kind of
democracy, based on enlightened ideas and
the practicing English government
• They will inspire others to rebel against
their mother countries
•