American revolution

1. THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION

2. The Settlement of America
During the Age of
Exploration, Europeans
began colonizing in
North America
England granted
joint-stock charters
to colonists who were
searching for wealth
or religious freedom
From 1607 to 1733,
England established
13 colonies in America;
The colonies were very
different & lacked

3. Economics & Government in America
⦿ Text
England used mercantilism
to control colonial trade &
increase their profits
Despite these trade
restrictions, the
colonists made money
trading with England
England used a policy
called salutary neglect
which allowed colonists
freedom to make their
own laws & taxes
Americans created their
own colonial assemblies &
enjoyed self government

4. The French & Indian War (1754-1763)
For 150 years, colonists were
happy with this relationship
with England
But, everything changed after
the French & Indian War
In 1754, England & France
went to war for seven years
over territory in America
In 1763, England won the
war & the Treaty of Paris
gave England all French
lands east of the Mississippi
River...
…But the war left England
with massive debts

5. The Seven Year War
⦿ A seven year war between
1756 – 1763
⦿ Dispute between England and
France about their dominance
and control over various
colonies.
⦿ England won, but both
countries went deeply into debt
to finance the war.
⦿ They borrowed the money
from wealthy landowners in
their country.
⦿ Then they needed to repay
them – so started to tax the
common man.

6. For Example: The Stamp Act
of 1765
⦿ A tax on all paper
in the colonies
including:
⚫Legal documents
⚫Newspapers
⚫Playing cards
⦿ The money raised
was used for more
tax collection.

7. The Colonists Revolt
⦿ Women organize into a
group known as the
“Daughters of Liberty”
and are able to lead a
boycott against British
goods through making
their own.
⦿ There were also lots of
protests against the
troops charged with
maintaining order –
think Hartal

8. The British Respond
⦿ The taxes were not resulting
in much of a profit, so they
cancelled the stamp tax and
all other taxes but the tax on
tea
⦿ BUT (as American history
books said) around the
same time they used
inappropriate force in a rally
in Massachusetts resulting in
the death of five colonists.

9. The Colonists Are
Outraged!
⦿ Started to call for “no
taxation without
representation!”
⚫Meaning that they should
not be taxed by a
government that their
interests are not
represented by.

10. 1773 Boston Tea Party
⦿ Bostonians dumped
300 chests of tea
into the Boston
Harbor
⦿ AND THEY DID
NOT PAY THEIR
TAXES!!!

11. British Pass “Intolerable
Acts”
⦿ Well, at least that is what the
Bostonians called them. The British
called them the Coercive Acts.
⦿ They were intended to make an
example of Massachusetts.
⦿ A series of laws resulted in:
⚫ The Boston port being closed to all but
British ships
⚫ The right to execute colonists who did
not feed and shelter British troops
⚫ A ban on British troops being tried in
MA court
⚫ The British government running all
town meetings in Boston

12. The Colonists Prepare to
Fight
Need to balance
motivating the
“masses” to
participate, but not
motivating them so
much that they will
take over the colonists
who want to lead

13. British Strike
⦿ The British decide to
attack
Massachusetts, the
hotbed of revolution,
before their ideologies
spread too far and
they were successful
in gathering the
masses.

14. Plan to Seize a Stash of
Arms

15. But the Colonists Learned of
the Plan
⦿ Paul Revere was instructed
to inform the rest of when
the British were coming.
He instructed friends to give
him a signal of how the
British would be arriving –
to display one lantern in a
church if the British came
by land and two if by sea.
He then rode around at
midnight to alert everyone
to the fact the British were
coming!

16. War Breaks Out
⦿ That night there was a
bullet fired – but it is
not clear who fired it.
⦿ It is still known as the
shot heard around the
world.
⦿ Men came out to fight
the British in a hurry –
now known as the
Minute Men.

17. Have to Fight the British
Red Coats
⦿ Well trained, supplied, and ready for war!

18. Army Led by George
Washington

19. And helped by the French
⦿ Who were still upset by
the loss in the 7 year
war
⦿ Supplied the colonists
with money, arms, and
officers.
⦿ The Statue of Liberty
was a gift from France
to commemorate the
countries alliance in
realizing independence
(about 100 years later).

20. Americans were literate & read books by leading
Enlightenment thinkers, especially John Locke, &
used these ideas to justify their protest
“People are born with natural rights,
including life, liberty, property”
“Government power comes from the
consent of the governed”
“Kings can be overthrown if they
violate peoples’ natural rights”

21. British abuses & Enlightenment
ideas inspired Americans to
declare independence
Ben Franklin, John Adams, &
Thomas Jefferson served on the
committee to draft the
Declaration of Independence

22. Title

23. Declaration of Independence
July 4, 1776
⦿ In a document,
written by Thomas
Jefferson, the
colonists informed
the British that the
colonies were now
free and
independent states.

24. Citizenship Under
Declaration
⦿ Includes:
⚫Men who do not own property
⚫The notion that all men are created equal
“We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal, that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these
are life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness.”

25. Constitution by 1787
⦿ Established a series of
checks and balances
between the three branches
of government:
⚫Executive
⚫Legislative
⚫Judiciary
⦿ Had 10 initial amendments,
known as the bill of rights,
which provided specific rights
to citizens of the United
States.
⦿ Went into effect in 1789.

26. The War is Won in 1783
⦿ Many thanks to the French and Spanish
who joined the war and put too much
pressure on the British for them to
possibly succeed.
⦿ As part of the agreement, the United
States got control of lots of land that was
occupied by the Native Americans.

27. And helped by the French
⦿ Who were still upset by
the loss in the 7 year
war
⦿ Supplied the colonists
with money, arms, and
officers.
⦿ The Statue of Liberty
was a gift from France
to commemorate the
countries alliance in
realizing independence
(about 100 years later).