Lesson on the ideas that led to the American Revolution

1. Revolution Ideology

2. Revolutionary Ideology
• Britain, land of the free!
• Discussion: John Locke and natural rights
• Colonial perceptions of liberty and power
• Liberty threatened!
• The thoughts that lead to independence

3. The Freest People on Earth!
(Protected by the British Constitution)
Personal
Liberty
Royalty
NobilityCommons
Laws, customs
and traditions

4. The British Constitution is…
“the most perfect combination of human
powers in society which finite wisdom has
yet contrived and reduced to practice for
the preservation of liberty and the
production of happiness.”
-John Adams, 1764

5. Discussion:
John Locke
1631 - 1704
Wikipedia.org

6. “The sacred rights of mankind are not to
be rummaged for among old parchments
or musty records. They are written, as
with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of
human nature, by the hand of divinity
itself, and can never be erased or
obscured by mortal power.”
-Alexander Hamilton, 1775

7. Harken back to the days of Rome!
Historum.com

8. “…Liberty has been skulking about in
Corners from the Creation, and has
been hunted and persecuted, in all
Countries, by cruel Power.”
-John Adams, 1765

9. The British Empire, 1763
wcurrlin.de

10. “It is a very improbable
supposition, that any people can long
remain free, with a strong military
power in the very heart of their
country…”
–Samuel Adams, 1768

11. Liberty Threatened:
The Legacy of the French-Indian War
Crushing
British war
debt
End of
“Salutary
Neglect” policy
Colonists not
as free as they
thought

12. Colonial Thinking Changes
The three opinions led to independence:
• Representation
– Colonists have no one to speak their interests
• Constitution
– Fails to protect colonial rights
• Sovereignty
– Parliament has no power over the colonies

13. “But what do we mean by the American
Revolution? Do we mean the American
War? The Revolution was effected
before the war commenced. The
Revolution was in the minds and hearts
of the people… This radical change in
principles, opinions, sentiments, and
affections of the people was the real
American Revolution.”
-John Adam, 1818