Chapter 22 Section D Britain and its American Colonies Britain and its American Colonies American colonist saw themselves less British and more Virginians or Georgians Navigation Acts – Laws preventing colonists from selling their most valuable products to any country except Britain Colonists had to pay high taxes on imported French and Dutch goods Britain was a mercantilist nation After the French and Indian War (1763) Britain tightened trade restrictions

Original 13 Colonies

Britain and its American Colonies Americans Win Independence Taxation of American colonies was due to the debt from the French and Indian War Stamp Act (1765) Colonial response was a boycott of British goods and Parliament repealed the Act in 1766 Parliament passes a Tea Act Colonial Response – “Boston Tea Party” All Colonies except Georgia, meet for the First Continental Congress and agree to meet again April 19, 1775 – Battles of Lexington and Concord

Boston Tea Party

Britain and its American Colonies George Washington is selected as Commander of the Continental Army Many colonial leaders believed that George III had broken his “Social Contract” Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, basing it on John Locke and his Enlightenment ideas

Founding Fathers Washington Jefferson

Britain and its American Colonies Success for the Colonist 1.Motivated by defending their homeland 2.Over confident British Generals made mistakes 3.Time and distance were on the Colonist side 4.France’s entry into the war (on the colonist side) was decisive

Britain and its American Colonies Americans Create a Republic Articles of Confederation established the United States as a Republic Republic – a government in which citizens rule through elected representatives

Articles of Confederation

Britain and its American Colonies Articles of Confederation Created a weak national government No Executive or Judicial Branches Each state had one vote Congress could declare war, enter into treaties and coin money Congress COULD NOT collect taxes or regulate trade Financial problems will result in Shay’s Rebellion in Massachusetts

Shay’s Rebellion

Britain and its American Colonies The Federal System is Developed Builds on Montesquieu’s Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances Federal system divided power between national and state governments James Madison is the primary writer of the new Constitution New Constitution was signed September 17, 1787

James Madison

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