Political & Economic Revolutions ( AMERICA REV)

2nd MAJOR CHANGE

Political & Economic Revolutions

Political & Economic Revolutions

• New National identities emerged. 

• Monarchies challenged as Enlightenment ideas, democratic ideas and new government philosophies emerges and spreads. 

• American Revolution → French Revolution → many other countries applying enlightenment ideas and resisting absolute monarchies.

American Revolution

• Causes

  • Over taxation (Long term cause)

    • Tea tax, stamp tax… etc.

  • No political representation

• Effects

  • After Revolutionary war, founding fathers got together to decide what they were going to do

    • Established Constitution

      • Implementation of Bill of Rights

• Why were the British Colonies more successful than the French and Latin-American revolution?

  • Egalitarian society 

  • Had experience with democracy from Parliament and English Bill of Rights

summary of "“hey king get off our backs!” (american rev)

• The first English settlers arrived in America seeking riches like gold, silver, and a passage to Asia. They were members of a trading company that obtained a charter from the king of England to establish a colony in America. However, the settlers did not discover the expected wealth or trade route. Conditions became so dire that the early colonists resorted to extreme measures, including consuming rats and even resorting to cannibalism to avoid starvation.

• The King of England (King George the Third) had a favorable arrangement, benefiting from others' efforts to colonize while he remained in his palace. However, the power of the monarchy had diminished compared to earlier centuries. By the 1600s, Parliament had gained significant influence, creating laws and advocating for people's rights. The English monarch now received counsel and guidance from Parliament, unlike the absolute power wielded by kings in the 1200s.

• Colonists in America needed governance to address everyday issues, given the distance from the King in England. Influenced by the English Parliament, colonists were accustomed to having a role in governance. In the Virginia Colony, each community elected two representatives to convene for decision-making. In Plymouth Colony, a compact was signed establishing a majority-rule government, with voting rights limited to men. Despite local governance, the colonies were still under the control of the English monarchy, obligated to adhere to English laws.

• By the mid-1700s, there were 13 colonies in America, each with its own government. Colonial governments grew stronger and more independent, handling their own affairs with little interference from Britain. The British government sought to profit from the colonies by forcing them to sell raw materials at low prices and buy finished products at high prices.

• Britain, burdened by debt from expensive wars, sought new sources of revenue, leading to increased taxation of the American colonists. The Stamp Act of 1765 imposed taxes on legal documents, newspapers, and other items, sparking colonial resistance through boycotts. Although the Stamp Act was repealed, subsequent measures such as the Townshend Revenue Act continued to oppress the colonists.

• After repealing the Stamp Act, Britain asserted its dominance with the Declaratory Act, claiming authority over the colonies.

  The Townshend Revenue Act imposed taxes on essential items and granted British officials invasive powers.

  The Intolerable Acts further restricted colonial freedoms and provoked widespread outrage, notably seen in events like the Boston Tea Party.

• Faced with escalating oppression, the colonists concluded that independence was the only solution. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed, severing ties with Britain.The subsequent Revolutionary War led to American victory and the birth of the United States of America.

parliament

Parliament is a group of people who make laws and decisions for a country.

ex: It's like a big team that represents the citizens and talks about important things that affect the country, such as making new rules, deciding on money matters, and discussing issues that are important to everyone. In some countries, Parliament is made up of different groups of people who are chosen by the citizens to speak and vote on their behalf. So, Parliament is kind of like the boss team that helps run the country.

The 13 colonies

The 13 colonies were a group of British colonies established along the eastern coast of what is now the United States. They were :

1. Virginia

2. Massachusetts

3. New Hampshire

4. Maryland

5. Connecticut

6. Rhode Island

7. Delaware

8. North Carolina

9. South Carolina

10. New York

11. New Jersey

12. Pennsylvania

13. Georgia

Stamp Act,

forced colonists to put expensive tax stamps on all legal documents, as well as newspapers, calendars, and books.

 Declaratory Act

 saying that the colonies were dependent on the king and declaring that all laws passed in the colonies had no effec

Townshend Revenue Act,

taxing things it knew the colonists couldn’t make for themselves: paint, glass, paper, lead, and tea. ALSO allowed British government workers to search peoples’ houses and even break down doors to take people’s property

 Quartering Act

forced certain colonists to let British troops live in their houses.

Intolerable Acts

cracked down on any activity deemed “rebellious” to British rule. 

 Boston Tea Party

colonists were so angry about a law called the Tea Act, that they snuck onto a cargo ship during the night and dumped hundreds of crates of tea into the Boston Harbor

The Tea Act

law passed by the British Parliament in 1773, allowing the British East India Company to sell its surplus tea directly to the American colonies, bypassing colonial tea merchants.