1. The American Revolution

3. Independence Movement
Effort for independence fueled by
Laborers
Artisans
Women
Arguments over British subjects
Enlightenment ideas & rights of individual

4. Enlightenment Thinkers
Protestant evangelical religious fervor strengthened many British colonists’ understandings of themselves as chosen people blessed with liberty
Enlightenment philosophers inspired American political thinkers to emphasize individual talent over hereditary privilege
John Locke, Adam Smith

5. Committees of Correspondence
Formed by Sam Adams in response to British actions (acts, etc)
Purpose to spread the spirit of resistance & keep resistance to British policy alive
Evolved directly into first American congresses

6. Strengths and weaknesses
British Strengths:
Professional Army (50,000 men)
American loyalists and Native Americans joined army
Monetary wealth
Naval power
British Weaknesses:
France waiting for opportunity to betray Britain
London government was inept
Operated under difficulties in America
Scarce food & rations
3,000 miles from home

7. Strengths and Weaknesses
American Strengths
Geographical familiarity with land
outstanding leadership: George Washington (military); Benjamin Franklin (political)
Foreign aid from European allies
Fighting defensively
Actions of colonial militias & Continental army
Self-sustaining agriculture
Belief in a just cause
American Weaknesses
Badly organized
Lacking in unity
Economic difficulties
Inflation

8. Olive Branch Petition
Olive Branch Petition: Professed American loyalty to the crown; begged the kind to prevent further hostility
King refused reconciliation
Hired Hessians (German mercenaries) to help crush “rebellion”
Angers colonists- why?

9. Paine’s Republicanism
Paine also called for creation of a republic
Power flows from people themselves
Not corrupt monarch
Had been practiced in colonial town meetings

10. Loyalists vs. Patriots “Tories” vs. “Whigs”
Who primarily made up each group?
“Give me liberty or give me death”

11. French Aid France eager for revenge on Britain
Why?
French allied with colonists
Both agreed to wage war until US was independent & agreement reached w/ Britain
Colonists were wary, but needed help…

12. Colonial War Becomes a World War
France, Spain & Holland involved
War also being fought in South America, Caribbean & Asia
Those who suffered from British dominance overseas
*Colonists did not achieve independence until the war became too big for Britain to handle*

13. Native Americans
Various tribes attempted to forge advantageous political alliances with one another & European powers to protect their interests
Limited migration of white settlers
Maintained tribal lands
Two nations of Iroquois fought on side of colonists
Westward expansion did not halt

14. The Sea Frontier American navy: Small number of nondescript ships
This tiny force never made a dent against Britain’s huge fleets
Chief contribution: destroying British merchant shipping

15. The Final Curtain Victory at Yorktown
French provided sea power & ½ troops
After victory at Yorktown, fighting continued between Patriots and Loyalists
Washington was successful in keeping states together so a peace treaty could be signed

16. Peace at Paris Ben Franklin, John Adams and John Jay gathered in Paris
Treaty of Paris, 1783
British officially recognized the independence of the United States
Granted generous boundaries to U.S.
Loyalists not to be persecuted & property restored
Why so generous to Americans?

17. French Revolution
French Revolution spreads throughout Europe and beyond
Helps fuel American debate over the US domestic order but also about its proper role in the world
American Revolution and ideas of D.o.I had reverberations in France, Haiti, and Latin America…inspiring future independence movements

18. “The American Revolution was truly revolutionary”
Do you strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree with this statement? Why?