The American Revolution Britain and Its American Colonies

The American Revolution

Britain and Its American Colonies • Britain began colonizing North America in the early 1600 s. • By the mid-1700 s, the 13 American colonies were large and prosperous. • Population grew from 250, 000 in 1700 to 2, 150, 000 in 1770 • Colonists thought of themselves as Americans, but were subject to British law. • The 1651 Navigation Act required the colonies to only conduct trade with Britain • Known as the Mercantile System, this law initially benefitted both Britain and the colonists • Britain got cheap raw materials, colonists got cheap manufactured products

The French and Indian War • In 1754, British and French forces in North America went to war. • This was the North-American portion of the Seven-Years’ War. • Both the French and British enlisted Native Americans to fight with them, promising freedom and land. • The British eventually won, but the war was extremely expensive. • In order to pay for the war (which Britain considered beneficial to the colonies) Britain passed the 1765 Stamp Act • Taxed all printed goods; angered publishers, lawyers, etc.

Growing Hostilities • The colonists were upset by the Stamp Act, claiming that Britain couldn’t tax them directly since they didn’t have parliamentary representation. • Over the next decade, hostilities between Britain and the colonists increased. • In 1773 colonists dumped a shipload of tea into Boston harbor to protest a tax on tea (Boston Tea Party) • In 1774 Britain passed the Coercive Acts, which closed the port of Boston, placed Massachusetts under direct British control, allowed criminals to be tried in Britain, and required colonists to quarter British soldiers in their homes. • Colonists called these acts the “Intolerable Acts. ”

Growing Hostilities • As Britain continued tightening its grip on the colonies, many Americans began demanding independence. • In September 1774 the First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia • Sent a petition to King George III demanding parliamentary representation; it was ignored. • On April 19, 1775 British and American forces exchanged gunfire in the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord. • The Second Continental Congress decided to form an army under the command of George Washington. • The Revolutionary War had begun

Enlightenment Influences • In July 1776, the Second Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence. • The Declaration was based on the Enlightenment Ideas of John Locke: • All men are created equal • People have fundamental human rights (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness) • Government exists to guarantee human rights • People have the right to rebel against an unjust ruler

Colonial Success • Despite Britain’s large, well-trained military and superior resources, the American colonists eventually won. • Multiple factors led to Colonial victory • Colonists were highly motivated by independence • British overconfidence caused them to make mistakes • Britain was fighting very far from home, which was extremely expensive • France gave funding and troops to the colonists in order to weaken Britain • In 1781, British forces surrendered at Yorktown.

A New Republic • In 1781, the Articles of Confederation were adopted as the governmental system of the United States of America. • The United States became a republic; citizens ruled through elected representatives. • The national government was extremely weak • States maintained most of the power • National government only had a single branch—Congress • Each state had one vote, regardless of size • Laws needed approval from 9 of the 13 states to pass • Congress could mint currency, declare war, and negotiate treaties • Congress could NOT collect taxes, maintain an army, or regulate trade

The Constitution • The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation created problems: • Couldn’t pay war debts • Interstate trade suffered due to high taxes • In 1787 the Constitutional Convention met to fix the Articles of Confederation. • Eventually, they discarded the Articles completely and instead adopted a new Constitution.

The Constitution • The US Constitution was based on the Enlightenment principles of Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau. • Called for three branches of government: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. • Government leaders would be elected by the people. • Included a system of Check and Balances. • Utilized Federalism—a division of responsibility between the individual states and the Federal government.

The Bill of Rights • In order to become law, the Constitution needed to be accepted by 9 of the 13 states. • A fierce debate arose between supporters of the Constitution (Federalists) and those who feared the Constitution made the national government too powerful (Anti. Federalists). • Anti-Federalist states insisted on a Bill of Rights being included before they would ratify the Constitution. • The Bill of Rights included ten amendments to the Constitution guaranteeing basic rights such as a fair trial, freedom of speech and religion, and the right to bear arms. • The constitution was officially ratified in June 1788.

In Conclusion… • The formation of the United States was the first time Enlightenment ideas had been used to create a functional government. • The Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights redefined the way people thought about government. • The United States became an ongoing experiment in Enlightenment ideas. • Other nations would soon begin fighting for more Enlightened government.