The American Revolution (1775-1783)

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The American Revolution(1775-1783)
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The American Revolution

• How do we see the thought of the Scientific
  Revolution and the Enlightenment coming through?
• Why do you think this revolution was so
  significant for world history?

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The American Revolution
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The American Revolution

• Taxation of the Colonies
• Americans had paid only local taxes
• No longer acceptable to Parliament
• Stamp Act (1765)
• Townshend Acts (1767)
• No taxation without representation!

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The American Revolution

• The Boston Tea Party
• Tea Act (1773)
• Tax on tea retained
• East India Company
• Granted monopoly on sea trade
• Had exclusive right to sell tea in colonies
• Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773)
• Mohawk Indians stormed tea ships
• 90,000 lbs. of tea dumped into harbor!!!

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The American Revolution

• The Intolerable Acts (1774)
• Port of Boston closed!
• Almost rescinded Massachusetts charter!
• Forced billeting of British soldiers!

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The American Revolution

• The Revolution Begins!
• Colonists organized for defense
• BATTLE OF LEXINGTON (April 19, 1775)
• Continental Congress organized Continental Army

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The American Revolution

• George Washington (1732-1799)
• Virginia gentleman, politician
• Military experience
• Resented British exploitation, regulations ?
  resistance
• Commander of Continental Army

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The American Revolution

• The Declaration of Independence
• Announcement of secession from British Empire
• Justification for rebellion
• First document of its kind!
• Adopted July 4, 1776

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The American Revolution

• The Declaration of Independence
• When in the Course of human events, it becomes
  necessary for one people to dissolve the
  political bands which have connected them with
  another, and to assume among the powers of the
  earth, the separate and equal station to which
  the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle
  them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind
  requires that they should declare the causes
  which impel them to the separation.

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The American Revolution

• The Declaration of Independence
• We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
  all men are created equal, that they are endowed
  by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
  that among these are Life, Liberty and the
  pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these
  rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
  deriving their just powers from the consent of
  the governed, --That whenever any Form of
  Government becomes destructive of these ends, it
  is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish
  it, and to institute new Government, laying its
  foundation on such principles and organizing its
  powers in such form, as to them shall seem most
  likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

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The American Revolution

• The Declaration of Independence
• But when a long train of abuses and usurpations,
  pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a
  design to reduce them under absolute Despotism,
  it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off
  such Government, and to provide new Guards for
  their future security.--Such has been the patient
  sufferance of these Colonies and such is now the
  necessity which constrains them to alter their
  former Systems of Government.

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The American Revolution

• The Fighting by 1778
• Neither side had distinct strategic advantage
• British strategy divide and conquer, isolate New
  England
• BATTLE OF SARATOGA (October 1777)
• American victory! ? surrender of 6,000-man
  British army (Oct. 17)
• Turning point of war

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The American Revolution

• French Support
• Had been aiding Americans secretly
• Now open support
• American-French alliance formed (1778)
• French aid provided

The Marquis de Lafayette
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The American Revolution

• Questions?

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The American Revolution
Surrender of Cornwallis

• American Victory
• BATTLE OF YORKTOWN (1781) ? British surrender
  (Oct. 19)
• Treaty of Paris (1783) marked end of war

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The American Revolution
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The American Revolution
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The American Revolution
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The American Revolution

• Themes in United States Government
• FEDERALISM
• Power to be allocated between central and
  outlying governments
• Goal keep central government in check!
• Democratic equality, republicanism
• Limited government
• Separation of powers
• Constitution

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The American Revolution

• The Constitution
• Went into effect 1789
• Structure of government
• Legislature
• Executive power
• Judicial power
• THE BILL OF RIGHTS (1791)
• Guarantee of individual liberties

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The American Revolution

• Amendment 1
• Congress shall make no law respecting an
  establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
  free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom
  of speech, or of the press or the right of the
  people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
  government for a redress of grievances.

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The American Revolution

• Questions?

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The American Revolution

• How do we see the thought of the Scientific
  Revolution and the Enlightenment coming through?
• Why do you think this revolution was so
  significant for world history?