Colonial Empires and the American Revolution Ch10 Sec4 Colonial Empires and the American Revolution

I. Colonial Empires in Latin America Spanish and Portuguese colonized the Americas, a new civilization arose called Latin America. Europeans and Native Americans intermarried and their offspring were called mestizos. Because 8 million African slaves were brought to the U.S., Europeans and Africans offspring were called mulattoes.

Port. & Spain both sought ways to profit from their colonies Port. & Spain both sought ways to profit from their colonies. One source was gold and silver, but the main way was farming. European rulers were also determined to spread Christianity. They brought the Native Americans into missions to be converted, taught trades, and encouraged to farming. These missions controlled Native Americans!

The Catholic Church built schools were Natives were taught reading, writing, and math. Women were encouraged to become nuns. Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz urged that women be educated. She died while nursing the sick during an epidemic in Mexico City.

II. Britain and British North America United Kingdom of G.B. came into being in 1707, when governments of England and Scotland united. (Monarch & Parliament shared power) Hanoverians (dynasty) took power in 1714. Robert Walpole was prime minister from 1721 to 1742.

Place for Britain to expand was North America Merchants in the colonial America did not want British gov’t to run their affairs.

III. American Revolution After the Seven Years Wars Britain needed more revenue from the colonies. In 1765 Britain imposed the Stamp Act. In 1765, all printed materials had to have a stamp showing it had been taxed (Stamp Act) This was repealed in 1766.

The First Continental Congress meet in 1774 (Philadelphia). Fighting erupted in Lexington & Concord in 1775. The colonist was led by George Washington.

By 1776, a Second Continental Congress met By 1776, a Second Continental Congress met. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Dec. of Independence (signed).

The American Rev. had begun. How would colonist defeat Britain? France Spanish Dutch

The volunteer American forces were finally able to defeat the British army after defeating Cornwallis at Yorktown. Treaty of Paris (1783) recognized the independence of the American colonies

IV. Birth of a New Nation The 13 colonies were now states. Its constitution was the Articles of Confederation. Under the Articles, the gov’t lacked the power to deal with the nations problems. In 1787 delegates met to revise the Articles (Constitutional Convention)