The American Revolution Chapter 6 Section 4

Main Ideas Enlightenment ideas helped spur the American colonies to shed British rule and create a new nation. The revolution created a republic, the United States of America, that became a model for many nations of the world.

Introduction The Glorious Revolution gave England a constitutional monarchy. Laws limited King’s power. Philosophes, such as Voltaire, considered England’s government the most progressive in Europe. Did the colonists agree? Tyranny Overthrow the government & create their own nation

Britain and Its American Colonies 1600s-1700s – British settlement along the eastern shore of North America. George III – King of Great Britain in 1760 Colonies were successfully growing Population had grown from 250,000 to 2,150,000 between 1700 and 1740 Economically, the colonies thrived on trade with Europe.

Colonists’ Identity By the mid-1700s, colonists had been living in America for 150 years. Were they citizens of their colony or of Great Britain? Colonists saw themselves as less British and more as Virginians or Pennsylvanians. Each colony had its own government and much independence. However, colonists were still British subjects and had to obey British laws.

Navigation Act 1651 – British Parliament passed the Navigation Act. This trade law prevented colonists from selling their most valuable products to any country except Great Britain. Colonists had to pay high taxes on French and Dutch imports.

Britain’s Policies Britain’s policies benefited both the colonies and Britain. Britain bought raw materials from colonies at a low price. Manufactured the materials and sold the goods back to the colonies. Despite the trade restrictions, the colonies thrived. All good things must come to an end…

Americans Win Independence 1754 – War broke out between the English & French on the American continent. What was this conflict called? French and Indian War Why was it called this? French had many Indian allies War ended in 1763 Britain seized nearly all of the French land.

War’s Over. Now what? Wars cost a lot of money. Britain wanted colonies to pay for war because they benefited, too. 1765 - Parliament passed the Stamp Act. Colonists had to pay a tax to have an official stamp put on wills, deeds, newspapers and other printed material.

Response to Stamp Act Colonists were outraged! Never before had they paid taxes directly to the British government. Colonial lawyers argued that the stamp tax violated their natural rights. Accused government of “taxation without representation.” Colonists had no representation in Parliament.

Growing Hostility Leads to War Over the next decade, hostilities increased. Some favored independence. 1773 – in a protest to an import tax on tea, colonists dumped a large amount of British tea into the Boston Harbor. King George III, was infuriated by the Boston Tea Party. Closed the port of Boston.

First Continental Congress The harsh tactics of Britain made some colonists furious. 1774 – representatives from every colony except Georgia gathered in Philadelphia to form the First Continental Congress. Protested the treatment of Boston. King paid little attention to their complaints. Decided to form the Second Continental Congress.

Second Continental Congress 1775 – British soldiers and America militiamen exchanged gunfire in Lexington, Massachusetts. Second Continental Congress voted to raise an army and organize for battle under the command of George Washington. The American Revolution began.

The Influence of Enlightenment Colonial leaders used Enlightenment ideas to justify independence. Colonists asked for the same political rights as the people of Britain. King refused. Colonists felt justified in rebelling against a tyrant who broke the social contract. Whose idea was the social contract?

Declaration of Independence July 1776 – Second Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence. Written by Thomas Jefferson Based on ideas of Locke & the Enlightenment Argued for natural rights.

Contents of the DOI Locke had asserted that people had the right to rebel against an unjust ruler. Therefore, the DOI listed George III’s abuses. Ended by declaring the colonies’ separation from Britain.

Success for the Colonists British did not agree with the DOI. Led to war. Colonies won.

Reasons for Success 1. Americans had a stronger motivation for fighting. 2. Overconfident British generals made several mistakes. 3. Americans had time on their side. British were fighting an overseas war. 3,000 miles away from home Very expensive British finally called for peace.

French Enter the War Louis XVI of France wasn’t concerned with the ideals of the American Revolution. He did, however, want to weaken his rival, Britain. 1781 – 9,500 Americans & 7,800 French trapped a British army commanded by Lord Cornwallis. Cornwallis surrendered.

Americans Create a Republic After declaring independence, states realized the need for a national government. All 13 states ratified the constitution in 1781. Plan for a government = Articles of Confederation Articles suggested a republic. Citizens rule through elected representatives.

A Weak National Government Purposely created a weak national government, so that states would have most control. No executive or judicial branches. States had one vote in Congress. Congress could: declare war, enter into treaties & coin money Congress could not: collect taxes or regulate trade. 9 of 13 states had to ratify new laws.

Limits on National Government Limits produced many problems. National government needed money to operate, but it had to be requested from the states. Several states issued their own money. Even placed tariffs on goods from neighboring states.

A New Constitution Colonial leaders finally recognized the need for a strong national government. 1787 – Congress approved a Constitutional Convention to revise the AOC. Delegates were familiar with the ideas of Locke, Montesquieu and Rousseau.

Creating a New Government Who should be represented in Congress? How many representatives should each state have? Some compromises, some new approaches to governing. Used the ideas from the Enlightenment.

The Federal System Delegates distrusted a powerful central government. Established three separate branches: Legislative, Executive & Judicial Used a system of checks and balances. Presidential veto Congressional override with 2/3 vote Federal System: Power is divided between states and nation.

The Bill of Rights September 17, 1787 - Delegates signed a new constitution. In order for it to become law, 9 out of 13 states had to ratify it. Supporters of the Constitution = Federalists. They argued in The Federalist Papers that the new government would provide a balance between powers.

Anti-Federalists Anti-Federalists did not support the Constitution. They felt it gave the central government too much power. They pushed for a bill of rights to protect citizens’ rights. The Federalists agreed to adding a bill of rights, to get it approved.

Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10) 1st - freedoms of press, religion, speech, assembly and petition 2nd - Right to bear arms 3rd - People are not required to quarter soldiers 4th - Search and seizure 5th - Due process 6th - Trial by jury 7th - Trial by jury in civil cases 8th - Prohibits excessive bail or punishment 9th - Declares rights not mentioned to people 10th - Powers not given to national government belong to the states