Chapter 4-6

Reasons for taxes on the colonies

Reasons for taxes on the colonies

• Britain had a very high war debt (increased taxes on landlords and merchants)

• Increased amount of british troops needed on western border w/ native land

British debate over colonies

• mid-1800s view on colonies changed as Britain saw the value of the land, population, and taxes (not just raw materials) (territorialists)

• Mercantilists wanted to give Canada back to France in exchange for Guadelope (commercially valuable)

• Territorialists wanted to keep Canada (a lot of land)

• Debate over whether colonies should expand westward

King George III

• unstable parliament (removed whigs)

• intellectual and psychological limitations (contributed to instability)

George Grenville

• Prime Minister in 1763

• believed colonists should obey laws and pay a part of the cost of the war

Colonies encroach on native land

• English colonists moved into upper ohio valley; natives objected to the encroachment

• Ottowa Chieftain Pontiac struck back

• Proclamation of 1763: meant to prevent escalation of fighting that might threaten western trade. It forbid settlers to go beyond the Appalachian Mountains

  • Gave london control of westward expansion and kept settlers in profitable coastal areas and kept fur trade for british

• John Stuart and Sir WIlliam Johnson: in charge of “Indian Affairs” for the colonies

• White settlers still went past the boundary

Mutiny Act of 1765

• British troops were stationed in America

• the colonists had to assist in provisioning and maintaining the army

• British navy patrolled American waters to search for smugglers (increased customs)

• NY and MA refused to follow it, NY assembly was disbanded as result

The Sugar Act of 1764

• replaces the Mollasses act of 1733

• strengthened enforcement of the duty on sugar (decreased duty on Molasses) - (indirect tax)

• created vice-admiralty courts to try smugglers (no trial by peers)

The Currency Act of 1764

• required the colonial assemblies to stop issuing paper money and retire paper money already in circulation

• forces colonies to pay british in more stable currency: gold and silver

The Stamp Act

• tax on most printed documents in the colonies (direct tax)

• affected most colonists - got pissed

• used to fund british troops that protect americans

• British were collecting 10x more revenue from the Americas than before 1763

Tensions between American groups

• “paxton boys” group from western pennsylvania descended on Philadelphia with demands for relief from colonial taxes and for money to fight natives

• 1771: small-scale civil war: regulators (south carolina farmers) organized against high taxes that local sheriffs collects - suppressed

• Challenges to landownership: Ethan Allen

Effects of Grenville PRogram

• post-war depression: colonists believed in part caused by Gernville programs

• places hit hardest see the most rebellion (Boston)

• england’s economy is hurt

• colonists used to self government hate grenville program, creates a string of revolts (most of which are in NE/urban port cities)

Patriots

• Defenders of american rights

• Sons of Liberty: Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry, middle/working class, intimidated royal officials throughout the colonies

• Stamp Act Congress: called for only american assemblies being able to tax the colonies

• patriot lawyers and publicists provided the resistance movement with an intellectual rationale, political agenda, and a visible cadre of leades

• used violence/intimidation/boycott

• actions nullified parliament’s taxes

Parliament reaction to patriots

• parliament split: anger over resistance and some desired to leave colonists alone (economic hit on england)

• Lord Rockingham: mollified colonists by repealing stamp acts

• Declatory Act of 1766: reaffirmed parliament’s authority to make laws and were binding on colonists

Townshend Program

• Charles Townshend (exchequer) runs gov for William Pitt

• Duties on paper, paint, glass, and tea imported to america

• increased enforcement of commercial regulation

• turned american resistance into an organized movement

Colonial Boycotts

• still boycotted external taxes because of lack of colonial consent

• non-importation agreements amongst colonies

• massachusetts assembly circulated a letter to colonies to oppose all taxes

Lord North

• took over as pm after townshend died repealed all taxes except on tea

Homespun movement

• daughters of liberty

• in 1769 US in a surplus of goods (don’t need britain anymore)

The Boston Massacre

• competition for scarce employment + colonial resentment of england

• dock workers throw stuff at soldiers, soldiers fire killing people

• Samuel Adams = leader of public outrage

• Crispus Attucks: African American rope maker killed in massacre

Committee of correspondance

• began in boston by Samuel Adams to publicize grievances

• spread throughout the colonies as a way to coordinate their protests

Philosophy behind the revolution

• Americans want a written permanent constitution - England’s is too flexible

• puritan influence

• Scots considered england tyrannical

• country party and Whig’s philosophy

• enlightenment philosophy

Virtual Representation

• used to counter patriot argument of representation

• idea that parliamentary leaders invest in american companies so have their interest in mind

American vs. British view of governing

• Americans argued for a division of sovereignty: parliament could make some decisions but so could the colonial assemblies

• British believed Parliament could be the only authority

Sinking of the Gaspee

• Rhode islanders burned and sank a british ship in 1772

• British sent commission w/ the power to send the rioters back to england for trial

Tea Act

• East India Company was almost bankrupt but owed british gov money since it used british troops to quell uprising in india

• tea act of 1773 gave the company the right to not pay the navigation taxes

• the company could undersell local merchants and create a monopoly

• Colonists boycotted tea (women!)

The Boston Tea Party

• Dec 1773

• Bostonians dressed as Mohawks threw tea into the harbor

• response: 1774 policy of coercian

Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts)

• closed boston port

• reduced colonial self government: stripped charter so only loyalists can run the gov

• permitted royal officers to be tried in other coloniesor in england when accused of crimes (vice admiralty courts)

• quartered soldiers in colonist’s barnes and empty houses

• added fuel to the fire

The Quebec Act

• extended boundries of Quebec to include French communities between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers

• gave political rights to roman catholics + legality of roman catholic church

• Americans thought this was a plot to subject them to the Tyranny of the pope + believed it woud limit westward expansion

First Continental Congress

• 1774 Virginia committee of correspondence called a special meeting in the Raleigh Tavern @ Williamsburg and issued a call for a continental congress

• Sep 1774: first continental congress in philadelphia had delegates from all colonies (except georgia)

• rejected a plan for colonial union under british authority

• endorsed a statement of grievances and called for the repeal of all oppressive taxes since 1763

• reccomended that colonists make military preparations against British in boston

• agreed to non-importation, non-exportation, and non-consumption (to cut off all trade with GB)

• agreed to meet again next spring

• formed continental association to enforce the agreements

Conciliatory Propositions

• passed in 1775 by Lord North

• proposed colonies could tax themselves at parliament’s demands

• repealed earlier taxes

• colonies didn’t get word in time: by the time they did the first shots had already been fired

Lexington and Concord

• colonists in massachusetts were preparing their “minutemen”

• General Thomas Gage (commanding British garrison) sent soldiers from Boston to Lexington and concord in April 1775 to suppress colonists and seize their illegal supplies

• William Dawes and Paul Revere set out to warn the villages and farms; when the troops arrived in Lexington minutemen were ready

• British still defeated them. On the way to Concord, farmers hiding in trees took down 3x the number of British soldiers (British discipline was a detriment)

• First shots of the war: “shots heard round the world”

Second Continental Congress

• led by John and Samuel Adams: 1775 greatly divided

• Rejected the olive branch petition: authored by John Dickinson

• challenge british rule because of brutality and corruption

• establish continental army

• appoint George Washington to lead continental army

Thomas Paine

• “Common Sense”

• published in Jan 1776 - a call for independence and republicanism

• aroused the general public and quickly turned thousands of american against british rule

• Message was popular and clear: reject arbitrary powers of king and parliament and create independent republican states: “tis time to part”

The Declaration of Independence

• Thomas Jefferson

• influenced by John Locke

• blamed the rupture on George III ( appeal to sympathies of english people and to the philosophy of natural rights)

• “all men are created equal”

• all men possess the “unalienable rights” of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”

• government derives its “just powers from the consent of the governed”

• declaration led to an increase in foreign aid

Prohibitory Act

• closed colonies to all overseas trade (naval blockade)

responses to independence

• mixed response from americans

• colonies became states + wrote constitutions

• 1777: articles of confederation were adopted by congress (not ratified until 1781) very weak central government

americans mobilizing for war

• needed weapons, soldiers, and supplies

• relied heavily on equiptment captured from the British and that came from european nations (mostly France)

• congress had no authority to levy taxes, printed a bunch of money to pay for war: massive inflation and value of paper money plummeted

  • local farmers and merchants preferred to do business with British who could pay in stable gold and silver

• couldn’t control inflation so paid for war with loans

• few people volunteered for military service so gov began drafting or paying bounties to recruits (ended up with mostly lower class)

• militiamen were under the control of their respective states

• spring 1775: created a continental army led by George Washinton

War Strategy

• US had advantage of fighting on their own ground and having people who were deeply commited to the cause and foreign aid from european competitors of the british

• General Howe’s (British) strategy was of winning surrender rather than destroying: tactic failed

• General Washington’s Strategy was to draw the British away from the seacoast, a war of attrition

First Phase: New England

• after lexington and concord american forces besiefed the army of General Thomas Gage

• Battle of Bunker Hill (June 1775): patriots lost but highest casualties on british of the whole war

• March 1776: British temporarily left american soil b/c boston was unstrategic (evacuation day)

• Feb 1776: Patriots crushed uprising of loyalists at Moore’s Creek Bridge in North Carolina; discouraged British plan to invade the Southern States

• Invasion of Canada: Benedict Arnold and Richard Montgomery threaten Quebec in late 1775 and early 1776: fail

  • congress sent a civilian commission to canada, headed by Benjamin Franklin but the Canadians didn’t support the cause

The Second Phase: The Mid-Atlantic Region

• British take new york

• dark times for continental army

• huge victories at trenton and princeton, saved colonial army

• Britain’s strategy - divide colonies and capture Philadelphia (Howe)

• Patriot Victory @ Saratoga - turning point of the war. Secured French assistance caused by Howe abandoning Burgoyne

• Howe failed to engage with Americas even tho British had advantage

Valley Forge

• Continental Army winter camp from Dec 1777 for approx 12000 ill-equipped, battered troops

• 2000+ men died of dysentery, typhoid, pneumonia, etc.

• Mass desertion was avoided by Washington’s strict but inspiring leadership

Baron Friedrich Willhelm von Steuben

• Baron Friedrich Willhelm von Steuben was critical in developing military discipline, and training (particularly the effective use of the Bayonet) (father of the US Army)

• Von Steuben’s Blue Book was used as a model for the U.S. military for many years

Casimir Pulaski

• father of the American cavalry

• died at the battle of Savannah

The Treaty of Alliance of 1778

• specified that neither France nor America would sign a separate peace agreement before America’s independence was ensured

British reaction to war (by 1778)

• the war became increasingly unpopular in Britain (Tax Burden)

• in 1778: parliament repealed the tea and prohibitory acts (blockades) and renounced its power to tax the colonies - rejected by Americans due to Treaty of Alliance

The Iroquois and the British

• Iroquois had declared neutrality in 1776 but not everyone agreed

• Joseph and Mary Brant (Mohawks) persuaded their tribe + the Seneca and Cayuga to support the British

• Other Iroquois tribes supported the Americans: Oneida, Tuscarora, and some Onondaga

• Caused unraveling of Iroquois Confederacy

The Final Phase: The South

• British changed their stratefy to try to undermime the American from within by envoking Southern Loyalists - failed

• British encouraged slaves to join their cause w/ the promise of emancipation - turned white slave holders against them

• Support for independence increased

• British had some success but patriot guerilla groups harrassed the british

Nathaniel Greene

• British crushed a patriot force under Horatio Gates - washington replaced Gates with Nathaniel Greene (Guerilla Warfare)

• Greene divided the American forces into small fast-moving contingents - used rifles w/ greater aim

• one contingent inflicted large blows on Cornwallis

• Greene combined his forces and caused a lot of casualties on British - Cornwallis abandoned the Carolina campaign

Battle of Yorktown

• British withdrew to receive supplies sent by sea, went to Yorktown to wait for ships to carry the troops to NYC or Charlestown

• Washington & Rochambeau; joined Lafayette in Virginia by land while de Grasse sailed with additional troops for Chesapeake Bay and the York River

• Caught Cornwallis between land and sea - British capitulated Oct 17, 1781 - British surrended 7,000 men

• After yorktown, British still occupied a lot of territory but it was the last major battle of the war

Winning the Peace

• Lord North stepped down as PM: Lord Shelburne succeeded him

• British emmisaries met w/ American diplomats in Paris: Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay

• French (Vergennes) wanted to wait to make peace until British gave Gibraltar back to Spain - Americans proceeded w/o French and achieved a prelim treaty in Nov 1782

• Treaty of Paris: Sep 3, 1783, both France and Spain agreed to end hostilities, recognized US independence

• americans get land south of the great lakes, fishing rights, navigation of the mississippi, and forbade british from taking property

• americans had to pay prewar debts to British merchants + give property back to lowalists

Loyalists and Minorities

• loyalists were alienated during the war - many fled the country

• rich loyalists fleeing opened some economic and land opportunities for patriots

• revolutionaru gov diestablished anglicanism in virginia and maryland

• rev weakened anglicans and quakers and strengthened Romanc catholics (they supported Patriots). After War America got it’s own Catholic hierarchy

The War and Slavery

• African Americans: many defected/escaped during the war due to the British’s promise of emancipation

• increased exposure to ideas of freedom for slaves caused increase in open resistance

• fear of slaves being inspired by revolution caused SC and Georgians + West Indies to be reluctant to support war

• North: revolutionary sentiment + evangelicanism spread anti-slavery

• South: high white support for slavery

Native Americans and The Revolution

• British recruited Natives

• Patriots wanted to end proclamation of 1763

• Cherokee faction in Western Carolinas and Virginia attacked white settlers in 1776 - patriot militia crushed them

• Iroquois caused wide-spread destruction in agriculture of NY and Pennsylvania

• Patriot victory meant Americans expected removal of Western barrier

• 1774: Shawnee Indians attempted uprising on white settlers but attracted no allies and were defeated (Lord Punmore’s War)

• 1782: white militias slaughtered peaceful band of delaware indians

Women’s Rights and Women’s Roles

• men leaving for war meant increasing responsibilities for women in farm and bussiness and increase in impoverished women

• some women went to army camps - preformed tasks (some fought)

• growing support for women’s rights (Abigail Adams and Judith Murray) but war brought few advances

• Women became important for instilling “American values” in new generation - Republican motherhood

The Post-War Economy

• America’s economy became independent of the British

• British tried to drive Americans from waters but American privateers (fast vessels) fought back

• Soon Americans created trade routes w/ the caribbean, souther american, and asia

• states traded amongst themselves, homespun movement gave way for a domestic cloth industry

Main ideals of new country

• americans agreed on having a republic: gov where power was given to the people

• wanted the country to be based on small indpendent landowners and equality and NOT inherited aristocracy (didn’t really happen)

The First State Constitutions

• did not embrace direct popular rule (most had upper and lower house)

• governors couldn’t hold seat in legislature (curb power of executives and seperate legislative and executive branches)

• steps taken to limit popular power: men of middling circumstances

• Georgia and Pennsylvania: most democratic

• shift to strong executives: by fixed salaries and elected by the people

Toleration and Slavery

• slavery survived in southern and border states but not in the North

• most states banned importation of slaves

The Articles of Confederation

• limited power of the national government

• federal gov could: declare war and peace, make treaties, adjudicate disputes between states, print money, and ask states for funds

• couldn’t raise troops or taxes

• big disputes: how to vote + what to do w/ western land?

Western Land Ordinances

• The Ordinances of 1784: divided western territory (now under the control of the confederation) into 10 districts

• The Ordinance of 1785: created the survey and sale system (grids) as a way to raise money for the confederation

• Northwest Ordinance of 1787: abandoned 10 districts, instead created small sections where people could buy land (1$ per acre), once an area had more than 60k people it could apply for statehood.

  • prohibited slavery in the northwest

  • Speculators buy land and sell for more

Native Resistance to Western Expansion (after the war)

• Little Turtle leads forceful resistance

• Battle of Fallen Timbers: ends in Treaty of Greenville and Miami Indians gave up land (1794)

Economic and Political Issues of the Confederation

• Post war depression (confederation couldn’t pay war debts)

• Redemption of war bonds (speculators) angered veterans and farmers

• political disputes over economic issues

• Shay’s Rebellion: showed need for government reform

• people wanted national policies (fear of disorder)

The Constitutional Convention

• called for by Hamilton and supported by Washington and Madison b/c of Shay’s Rebellion

• Washington elected president of the convention

• Delegates (rich men) from every state except Rhode Island

• The Virginia Plan: (supported by larger states) - 2 houses based on populations, upper house elected by lower house who were elected by the people

• New Jersey Plan: urged all states given equal representation - one house legislature

• Compromise: The Connecticut Plan: lower house based on population, upper house 2 senators per state

• Population was determined by census every 10 years

The Constitution of 1787

• Madison

  • ultimate authority comes from the people

  • federalism (shared power betweeen states and fed)

  • seperation of powers: three branches of gov

• wanted to prevent despotism and the tyranny of the people

• gave no rights to natives and POC (3/5 of a person)

• Selection of president: electoral college chosen by state legislatures

Concessions on slavery

• congress was denied the power to regulate slavery for 20 years: mollify north and south

• fugitive clause: allowed masters to reclaim enslaved blacks who took refuge in other states

• 3/5tth clause: a slave considered 3/4ths in counting population for legislature (didn’t want them to count for taxes)

The Federalist Papers

• written to persuade (NY) of t==he importance of ratification of the constitution==

• Main authors: Hamilton, Madison, and John Jay

Debate on the constitution

• anti-federalists: afraid of creating strong and potentially tyrannical government that would end individual liberty

• delaware first to ratify; NY, MA, and VA want Bill of Rights

  • 10 amendments limit government’s power over the people, the 10th reserved powers for the states not outlined in the constitution

The Executive and Judicial Branch

• washington elected first president unanimously, John Adams is VP

• president could nominate cabinet members but senate must approve: once approved only president could fire

  • secretary of state: jefferson

  • secretary of the treasury: hamilton

  • secretary of war: knox

• Judiciary Act of 1789: congress chose 6 supreme court justices, court would decide constitutionality of state laws

Hamilton’s Financial Plan

• Congress should assume all state debts to establish good credit

• charter a national bank: centralized banking and currency would stabilize inflatioon

• Hamilton loosely interpreted the constitution: “all laws which shall be neccesary and proper” (Jefferson and Madison opposed)

• Tarrifs and Excise taxes would help pay off the national debt

• States that had paid their debts opposed assumption of debt b/c they didn’t want to pay taxes for other states’ debts

• Deal w/ Virginians: capitol will be in the south (Washington DC) if virginia supports assumption

• Nationa Bank was granted 20 year charter - restored public credit, increased bond sale, and helped merchants and manufacturers - small farmers bore largest brunt

emergence of political parties

• most founders believed political parties were dangerous

• Madison + others believed federalists had become an overbearing/corrupt majority

• emergence of the Republican Party: large partisan influence

The (Democratic) Republican Party

• leaders: Thomas Jefferson and James Madison

• Jefferson believed in an agrarian republic: did not want development of an advanced industrial economy. wanted decentralization and strong relations w/ France

• Republicans supported French rev even through the radical phase

• more popular in rural south and west

Federalists

• more popular in Northeast and Southern Seaports

• favor industrialization and trade

• want strong relationship w/ Britain

Issues of the early republic

• Whiskey Rebellion - PA farmers refused to pay whiskey tax, Washington used militia to enforce it

• What to do with natives?

  • constitution recognized natives and gave them some sovereignty but not independent nations

Maintaining Neutrality

• Proclamation of Neutrality: lucrative for american farmers during chaos of French rev

• Citizen Genet: french guy who tried to recruit Americans to French cause

  • US privateers attacking spanish and english ships

  • violated neutrality: washington demanded French recall him

• Britain seize US ships trading w/ French in west indies

• Jay’s Treaty: commercial agreement with britain: must pay for the stuff they seize

• Pickney’s Treaty: w/ spain, opened missippi river and new orleans to americans, settled florida borders.

The Election of 1796

• Washington’s farewell adress - warned against foreign alliances and rivalry politics

• divided federalists

• some support adams but some prefer Pickney which leads to Jefferson winning second most votes (he becomes VP)

Quasi War w/ France

• caused by Jay’s and Pickney’s treaties

• XYZ affair: Talleyrand demands bribe to talk about ending attacks on US vessels

  • Adams outraged: creates navy and allies with British against French

• French step down

  • New trade agreements w/ Napoleon

The Alien and Sedition Acts

• to shut down opposition to Federalists

• Alien Act restricted foreigners

• Sedition Acts: allowed gov to prosecute opposition as treason: anti-federalist newspapers targeted

• Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions: states had right to nullify laws they deem unconstitutional (Jefferson and Madison) - didn’t get much support

The “Revolution” of 1800

• peaceful transfer of power between parties (SUPER uncommon)

• election of 1800: Adams vs. Jefferson

• adams was very unpopular b/c of Alien and Sedition acts

• 73 votes ach for Jefferson and Burr

• Jefferson wins election (hamilton swayed congress in his favor cause Burr is untrustworth)