The American Revolution

N. Amer. colonists were inspired by Enlight. ideas

I. Britain & Its Amer. Colonies 1600s-1700s = Brit. colonists thrived along E. shore of N. Amer = George III (King) Pop. of colonies grew  1700 (250,000)  1770 (2,150,000) Relied on trade w/Euro. nations New identity was forming  Each colony had own govt.  Considered to be less Brit. & more Amer.  BUT, still fell under Brit. law

1651: the Navigation Act (restricted trade to Brit. only) Policies benefited both  Amer = raw materials  Brit = manufactured items

II. Amers. Win Independence = Fr. & Indian War  Brits. won all lands east of Mississippi R.  Brit. ran up a huge debt (colonists must pay) 1765 = Stamp Act (tax on all written material)  “No taxation w/out representation!”

A. Tension Grows = relations grew worse  Patriots = 1/3 of pop.  Loyalists = 1/3 of pop = import tax on tea  Boston Tea Party  Brit. navy closed port of Boston Colonists protested Intolerable Acts

1774 = the First Continental Congress  Philadelphia  wanted full repeal of Intolerable Acts April 1775 = Brit. marched to seize colonial guns & gunpowder (Lexington & Concord) May 1775 = the Second Continental Congress July 4, 1776 = Declaration of Independence  Thomas Jefferson (John Locke)  all men are created equal & have certain “unalienable rights”---among these rights are “Life, Liberty, & the pursuit of Happiness”  Locke = people had right to rebel against govt.

III. War for Independence Advantages for Amers.  Home field advantage  War was not popular among Brits.  Brits. had not fielded a standing army (late 1600s)  Brits. had no allies Hired German mercenaries (Hessians) Advantages for Brits.  Strong army & navy  Amers. were not completely united  Brits. had more $  Amers. had trouble building strong army

A. The Fighting (most fighting took place) Oct – turning point  Amers. defeated Brits. (Saratoga, NY) Louis XVI (Fr.) helped Amers. (1778) 1781—Amers. & Fr. defeated Lord Charles Cornwallis (Yorktown, VA)

B. Ending the War 1783: Treaty of Paris ended Amer. Rev.  Amers. won independence & large territory

IV. Amers. Create a Republic Need a nat’l govt. 1781: accepted the Articles of Confederation  Est. U.S. as a republic

A. A Weak Nat’l Govt : govt. under Articles lasted  Provided for Congress, but no executive or judicial powers Congress had no power to enforce measures Needed $ to operate (at mercy of states)

V. The Constitution 1787: met in Phila. to revise Articles  Realized they needed a constitution  Constitutional Convention Create a central govt. Federal system of govt. (divided govt. powers betw. central govt. & individual states) Framers distrusted powerful central govt. – 3 branches  Checks & balances

A. The Bill of Rights Sept. 17, 1787—Constitution was adopted Did it offer protection & freedom to people? Bill of Rights (1791)  Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly  Also, freedom from illegal search & seizure, jury trial Const. & Bill of Rights = put Enlight. ideas into practice

VI. Legacy of the Enlight. Philosophes examined societal ideas  Formed new theories

A. Belief in Progress 1500s--1600s: Sci. Rev.  Ideas spread into 1700s  Gave people confidence that reason could solve social problems Wanted an end to slavery, more social equality, & democratic govt.

B. A More Secular Outlook People questioned religion & Church b/c of Sci. Rev.

C. Importance of the Individual Individualism arose  People looked to themselves Adam Smith  Extended emphasis on the individual to economic thinking  The Wealth of Nations (Laissez-faire)  1. law of self-interest  2. law of competition  3. law of supply & demand