1. American and French Revolutions
Main Idea: Enlightenment ideas led to revolution, independence, and a new government for the United States. Beginning in 1789, a revolution threw France into chaos. Thousands of people, including the king and queen, died violently during the revolution.

2. The American Revolution
Enlightenment ideas inspired Great Britain’s colonists to seek independence and start a new nation founded on the ideals of the enlightenment.
The American colonies overall experienced a large amount of independence from Great Britain – they had their government and made their own laws.
Colonists began to identify more closely with the colonies rather than their British roots.
Following the French and Indian War Prime Minister Grenville kept 10,000 British troops in the colonies after the war and demanded the colonist help pay for the troop presence through taxes.
Stamp Act (1765): tax on all legal documents, newspapers, almanacs, sermons, and playing cards
Merchants in New England felt it would hurt business and others like Samuel Adams argued that it was “taxation without representation” since there were no colonial representative in Parliament

3. The American Revolution
The colonies met at the First Continental Congress and agreed to issue a Declaration of Rights to protest the actions of the British; they accepted the right of Britain to regulate trade but rejected the taxes imposed by the British.
Those who supported the king were called Loyalists and those who wanted independence were called Patriots.
During the war Thomas Paine in his pamphlet Common Sense argued that the colonies deserved independence because they had an identity separate from the British.
When the Second Continental Congress met a committee formed to write a document to declare the colonies independence which became known as the Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration of Independence included ideas from John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau including the idea that “All Men are Created Equal” and men have a right to “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

4. The American Revolution
In September 1783, Americans aided by the French, forced the British government formally recognized the Declaration of Independence by signing the Treaty of Paris.
The treaty set up the boundaries for the new United States which was larger than the original 13 colonies.
With the American Revolution over the Americans would now have to create a new government.
French revolutionaries were inspired by the American Revolution and began to oppose the French Monarchy.
The Americans signed the Constitution that created the Federal System or a system where certain powers are held by the federal government and some by the state.
The constitution held many enlightenment ideas including:
Checks and balances through dividing the government into three branches
The government exists to serve the people
Protection of the natural rights of man through the Bill of Rights
Equality of men