THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: FROM ELITE PROTEST TO POPULAR REVOLT, 1763-1783

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THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONFROM ELITE PROTEST TO
POPULAR REVOLT, 1763-1783

• America Past and Present
• Chapter 5

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Structure of Colonial Society

• 1760s an optimistic post-war period
• Americans proud to be part of Europes most
  thriving, prosperous empire

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Breakdown of Political Trust

• 1760--George III ascended throne
• Suspicions on both sides of the Atlantic that
  Crown wished to enlarge its powers
• Conflict over Parliamentary sovereignty

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End of Salutary Neglect

• 1763 Prime Minister George Grenville
• End of Whig control
• King George III

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Eroding the Bonds of Empire

• Proclamation of 1763
• Currency Act of 1764

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Quartering Act
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No Taxation Without Representation the American
Perspective

• British vs. American Perceptions

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Ideas About Power and Virtue

• John Locke, "Commonwealthmen" inform colonial
  political thought

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Paying off the National Debt

• First minister George Grenville attempts to
  reduce Englands war debt
• Revenue Act of 1764 (the Sugar Act)

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Colonial Products and Trade
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Popular Protest

• 1765--Stamp Act requires that colonists purchase
  stamp to validate documents
• Unites the gentry and the mass of the population
  in protest
• Stamp Act Congress petitions the King and
  Parliament for repeal
• Protest includes mob riots, boycotts

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Failed Attempts to Save the Empire

• 1766--New administration in office, favors repeal
  of Stamp Act
• Repeal tied to Declaratory Act of 1766
• Parliament sovereign over America "in all cases
  whatsoever"
• Controversy estranges colonists from English
  officials

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Fueling the Crisis the Townshend Duties
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Fueling the Crisis the Townshend Duties

• Charles Townshend chancellor of the exchequer
• 1767--Townshend Duties tax American imports of
  paper, lead, glass, and tea
• American Board of Customs Commissioners created
  to collect duties

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Fueling the Crisis Response to the Townshend
Duties

• Sons of Liberty organize boycott of English goods
• Circular letter from Massachusetts House of
  Representatives urges protest
• 92 Massachusetts Representatives defy government
  order to rescind letter

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Fatal Signs of Force

• English government moves troops from frontier to
  Boston to save money
• Tensions increased
• March 5, 1770--English soldiers fired on Boston
  mob, killed five Americans

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Colonial Spin Doctors
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Fatal Signs of Force

• English government moves troops from frontier to
  Boston to save money
• Tensions increased
• March 5, 1770--English soldiers fired on Boston
  mob, killed five Americans
• incident labeled the Boston Massacre
• Paul Revere engraving a best-seller
• Tensions defused by Lord North

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Last Days of the Old Order, 1770-1773

• 170--New prime minister, Lord North,
• leads repeal of all duties except tea
• 1770-1773 marked by tranquility

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Trouble Brewing

• Customs collectors antagonize colonists

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Trouble Brewing

• Customs collectors antagonize colonists
• Radicals protest tea tax as violation of American
  rights
• Committees of correspondence built up alternative
  political structure

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The Final Provocation The Boston Tea Party

• 1773--Parliament passes Tea Act
• designed to help the East India Company by making
  its sale cheaper in America
• Americans interpret as a subtle ploy to get them
  to consume taxed tea
• December 1773--Boston protestors dump the tea
  into the harbor

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The Final Provocation The Boston Tea Party
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The Final Provocation The Coercive Acts

• Port of Boston closed until tea paid for
• Massachusetts government restructured
• upper house made appointive body
• town meetings permitted only once per year
• Accused officials to be tried in England, not
  America
• Army authorized to quarter troops wherever needed

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General Thomas gage

• Nothing can be done but by forcible means

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, MRS. GAGE
Meanwhile
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The Final Provocation The Quebec Act

• Quebec Act establishes authoritarian government
  for Canada
• Colonists interpret Act as final proof of
  Parliamentary plot to enslave America
• Mainland colonies rally to support Boston,
  protest the British blockade

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The Final Provocation The Ultimate Crisis

• Parliaments insistence on supremacy would make
  rebellion unavoidable
• Ben Franklin suggests Parliament secure colonial
  loyalty by renouncing claim to supremacy
• Parliament rejects Franklins advice

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Steps Toward Independence

• September 1774--First Continental Congress in
  response to Coercive Acts
• Congress commends Suffolk Resolves urging
  forcible resistance
• Intercolonial Association halts commerce with
  Britain until Coercive Acts repealed

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Shots Heard Around the World

• April 19, 1775--skirmish breaks out in Lexington,
  Massachusetts

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Shots Heard Around the World

• April 19, 1775--skirmish breaks out in Lexington,
  Massachusetts
• Fighting spread along road between Lexington,
  Concord, Boston
• English retreat to Boston with heavy losses

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Shots Heard Around the World
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Early Battles

• Ft Ticonderoga May 1775

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Early Battles

• Bunker Hill June 17, 1775

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Early Battles
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Beginning The World over Again Early War
Effort

• June 1775--Congress appoints George Washington
  commander of Boston force
• Hessians
• Slaves

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Beginning The World over Again Decision for
Independence

• January 1776--Thomas Paines Common Sense urges
  independence

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• July 2, 1776--Independence voted by Congress

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The Loyalist Dilemma
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Loyalist Strongholds
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Patriots

• Whigs
• New England
• Nathaniel Hale

I only regret that I have but one life to lose
for my country"
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British Strengths

•     Strengths      Population      Monetary
  advantage
• Navy
• Slaves
• Indians
• Professional Army
• Hessians
• Loyalists
•      

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British Weaknesses

• Distance
• Size
• Really bad generals
• Loyalty
• France
• Parliament       

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American Strengths

•         Leadership
•         France
•         Defensive war
•         Agriculturally self-sustaining        
  Marksmanship
•        The Glorious Cause

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American Weaknesses

• Organization
• Jealousy
• Economic
• Military
• Profiteers

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Beginning The World over Again Decision for
Independence

• January 1776--Thomas Paines Common Sense urges
  independence
• July 2, 1776--Independence voted by Congress
• July 4--Declaration of Independence issued

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Building a Professional Army

• Washingtons task
• The Continental Army fighting force and symbol
• Militias role

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Testing the American Will 1776

• American army routed on Long Island
• New York City captured
• Washington forced to retreat through New Jersey
• British obtain thousands of
• Oaths of Allegiance in wake of retreat

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"Times That Try Men's Souls"

• December 25, 1776--Washington captures Trenton

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Battle of Princeton

• January 1777

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Battle of BrandywineSeptember 11, 1777

• Halted British advances toward Philadelphia

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Paoli Massacre

• Shook Washington.
• Howe takes advantage and slips into Philadelphia

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Victory in a Year of Defeat

• British campaign for New York under John
  Burgoyne defeated at Saratoga

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Victory in a Year of Defeat

• Washington's army winters at Valley Forge,
  Pennsylvania

"We have this day no less than 2,873 men in
camp, unfit for duty because they are barefooted
and otherwise naked."
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The French Alliance

• Saratoga prompts British suit for peace to
  prevent Franco-American alliance
• Terms include repeal of all laws since 1763,
  respect for colonial taxation rights
• February 1778--Americans ally with France to
  secure full independence

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The Final Campaign

• Spring 1780--English capture Savannah and
  Charleston
• August 1780--American army routed at Camden,
  South Carolina

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Kings MountainOctober 6, 1780

• Turning point of the southern war

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The American Revolution, 1775-1781
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Battle of Yorktown
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Battle of Yorktown
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Winning the Peace

• Peace Treaty of 1783 negotiated by Franklin, John
  Adams, and John Jay

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Preserving Independence

• The American Revolution begins construction of
  new form of government
• Question remains a government of the elite or a
  government of the people?