1. French and Indian War 1754-1763 Also known as:
“King George’s 2nd War”
“The Late French War”
“The War for Empire”
Colonists begin to question the ability of the British army during the war following early defeats
The war put the British so far in debt that they needed to raise colonial taxes
Teaches the colonists that the British Government makes mistakes

2. Colonial Rebellion against British Policies and Taxes (1763-1775)
“Rights as Englishmen”
No Taxation without Representation
No standing army in towns or cities
Sons of Liberty
Informal organization formed to oppose taxes
Numerous violent protests/riots
Stamp Act Riot
Boston Massacre
Boston Tea Party
Terrorist Cells?
Decentralized authority
Illegal stockpile of weapons
Use of propaganda for recruiting

3. Key Elements of the Declaration
a definition of peoples' natural rights
a description of the purpose of government
a list of grievances against the King of England
“. . . deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. . .“

4. American Revolution (1776-1783)
Revolutionary Ideas
Anti-monarchy
Equality of Men/Natural Rights
Government rules by consent of the people
Patriots or Whigs?
Broad support from all social and economic classes
John Hancock: Sons of Liberty leader; Continental Congress
Thomas Jefferson: Virginia Delegate to the Continental Congress
Peter Salem: Slave
Abigail Adams: middle class wife to Lawyer John Adams
5,000 slaves fought for the Patriot cause and received their freedom
Approx. 20,000 slaves fought for the British army, also for their freedom

5. La Destruction de la Statue Royale
Based on a German Etching
Published in Newspapers all across Europe
Considered dangerous in countries with absolute monarchies
Depicts the destruction of the King George III Statue in New York City

6. American Revolution Continued
Loyalists or Tories?
Wide range of social and economic class-poor backwoods farmers to Royal Governors
300,000 fled to England
Money and property taken by state governments
How did the Colonies win?
French military aid
European volunteers / mercenaries
Many members of Parliament want an end to the costly war
Birth of a new Nation?
13 States act as independent countries
Directed by the Continental Congress
Create the Articles of Confederation
States are more powerful than Congress
William Franklin Royal Governor of New Jersey

7. The Critical Period (1783-1789)
Democracy or Republic?
“Symbol of Liberty”
Who did not have this liberty?
Who did benefit from the Revolution?
War causes severe economic crisis
Shays’ Rebellion—poor farmers have their land repossessed
United States Congress has no power to tax
Weak central government is ineffective
Convention is called for in Philadelphia to revise and improve the Articles of Confederation
Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

8. The Critical Period Continued
The Articles are quickly thrown out
The New Constitution—Issues of Power
Balance of power between big states and small states
State Government vs. National Government
Slave States (current and future) vs. Non-Slave States
Strong Executive vs. Strong Legislative
New Definition of Federalism
Now Federalism refers to a sharing of power between the States and the Central Government
National Government has ultimate authority in most things, the states do retain control over certain areas, such as public education.

9. How Revolutionary Was the American Revolution?
Questions to Consider:
What actually changed?
Status of Women?
Status of Slaves
Status of Non-Whites
Economic opportunities for the poor
Restructuring of the Colonial Government to a State Government
Changing from a Central British Government to a Central “Federal” Government
How extreme are the changes?