Post on 17-Oct-2020
transcript
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The American
Revolutionary
War
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From the beginning, the British tried to
control colonial trade through
MERCANTILIST laws.
One of the first examples of this was the
NAVIGATION ACTS (1660-1696):
1. Colonial trade had to be shipped on British ships so
they could stop in a Br. port and be taxed before
reaching final destination.
2. Enumerated goods = colonial goods which Br.
needed and required to be sold only to her (tobacco,
sugar, indigo, cotton, lumber, naval stores).
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Although England attempted to control
colonial trade policy from the beginning,
she DID NOT ENFORCE TRADE LAWS
since she was busy with wars in Europe
and India.
American colonists had a great deal of
governmental freedom from the
beginning. Each colony elected its own
ASSEMBLY which made local laws and
decisions.
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American colonists were very
independent-minded.
They disregarded economically damaging
British trade laws and smuggled goods in
from the French West Indies.
The British were not aware of colonial
disregard for their laws for some time.
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The French and Indian War (1756-1763):
1. Called The Seven Years War in Europe
2. Conflict brought on by colonists
crossing over the Appalachians for cheap
land
3. War between FRENCH & ALGONQUIAN
INDIANS versus ENGLISH, COLONISTS,
AND IROQUOIS INDIANS
4. Struggle over control of the OHIO
RIVER VALLEY
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English wanted to
make more cheap land
available to the
colonists and to pursue
“Manifest Destiny.”
French wanted to
connect their northern
colony of New France
(Quebec) with their
southern colony of
Louisiana to cut off
further English
expansion to the west.
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The British sent 10,000
Redcoats to fight the
French & Indian War!
Once they got to the
colonies, they were
shocked at the degree to
which the colonists had
ignored British law!!
From 1760, Britain decided to maintain a standing army
of 10,000 troops in the colonies.
The British, colonists, and Iroquois Indians won the
French & Indian War. The Treaty of Paris of 1763
removed France from North America!
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English King George III
ruled from 1760-1820. He
inherited the throne at the
age of 22. Was
inexperienced, insecure,
and tried to rule alone. Did
not like Parliament and did
not work well with it. Had an
illness known as porphyria
which made him periodically
act insane. (caused dark
red urine too!!)
Since government at top levels
was confused and inconsistent,
the lower level bureaucracy
carried out colonial policy which they consistently implemented
without interference from higher government. As a result, colonial
taxes & laws were consistently enforced.
10King George III & Family (England)
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Results of the French & Indian War 1756-63:
1. France lost N. American lands
2. Cost of war doubled Britain’s national debt
3. **Britain began to strictly enforce colonial
laws and taxes!
4. In response to Pontiac’s Rebellion of 1763,
in which Ottawa Indians attacked and killed
more than 2000 colonists for encroaching
upon Indian land in the Ohio River Valley, the
British issue the Proclamation of 1763 which
prohibited colonists from settling west of the
Appalachian Mts.
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British Moves to Collect Colonial Taxes:
1. Strengthened Customs
A. Writs of Assistance (search warrant)
B. Admiralty Courts
2. 1764 Sugar Act
3. 1765 Quartering Act
4. **1765 Stamp Act (direct tax)
A. “virtual representation”
B. Sons of Liberty
1. Samuel Adams
2. John Hancock
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Samuel
Adams (left)
John
Hancock
(right)
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British Moves to Collect Colonial Taxes:
5. 1773 Tea Act
A. Br. East India Tea Company allowed to
sell directly from Br. Wholesaler to
American retailer (cut middleman).
B. Gave England a monopoly on tea sales in
colonies!
6. 1773 Boston Tea
Party
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Tarring and Feathering
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American Colonial Path to Independence:
1774 Continental Congress formed & met in
Philadelphia. Organized boycott of British goods &
ordered formation of colonial militias.
1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord - - Br. Troops
sent from Boston to arrest key colonial leaders (John
Hancock & Sam Adams) and to capture colonial supply
of munitions at Concord.
July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence - - followed
principles of English Enlightenment philosopher, John
Locke.
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The 1777 Battle of Saratoga (upstate New
York) was the turning point in the
Revolutionary War.
In 1787, the American Constitution was
ratified! It incorporated many of the ideas of
the Enlightenment. The USA became one of
the first tests of the governmental ideas of the
Enlightenment!!
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Signing the Constitution of the USA in Philadelphia, 1787
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