American Revolution

mercantile system

The colony existed for the benefit of the mother country

the enlightenment

a European movement that emphasized science and reason as a key to improving society

What did Thomas Jefferson say about natural rights

life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

what was the french and indian war

A conflict between Britain and France. Britain won, but they needed money after the war, so they raised taxes in the colonies

Proclamation of 1763

Documentation ordered colonial settlers to remain east of the Appalachian Mountains (did not listen)

sugar act

taxed foreign goods imported into the American colonies

stamp act

law passed by the Parliament that made colonists pay taxes on physical materials, specifically printed papers

Quartering act

forced the American colonies to provide housing and food for British soldiers.

Intolerable acts

A series of five punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 to punish the colony of Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party.

The Boston Massacre

A confrontation that killed five people but was deemed a massacre as a form of propaganda. It also might not have been a massacre bc the colonists might not have been defenseless.( throwing slowballs, heavy wooden clubs, and other things like pitchforks)

The Declaration of Independence

Written by Thomas Jefferson. It listed the ideas of natural rights, a list of grievances against Britain, and established the United States of America as separate from Britain.

Patriots

supporters of the war

loyalists

those who opposed independence and stayed loyal to the crown

the battle of saratoga(10-17-1777

The turning point was a colonial victory that caused Britain to re-evaluate its military strategy. It also convinced France to join the war on the colonists' side.

Valley forge(dec19-1777 to june 19 1778

A campground where Washington stayed during the winter. It came to symbolize heroism.

Yorktown (oct 9-17th 1781)

With help from the French, Britain ultimately surrendered

battle of bunker hill (September 28 and October 19, 1781)

deadliest battle

Battle of Trenton (12-26-1776)

colonial victory inspired people to re-enlist

Battle of New York (8-27-1776)

heavy losses, American retreat

Battle of Philadelphia (summer of 1777)

Britain won and took control of the capital(Phili)

Why was fighting in the winter difficult

People could have frozen to death. Hard to row in the icy conditions; lack of necessary items

At the end of the war, they signed

The Treaty of Paris

Common Sense- Thomas Paine

written to change colonists' minds because it said there was no benefit from Britain, they had been ruling themselves for 100 years, and they should just be free from England

The Battle of Lexington

Shot heard round the world

The shot heard around the world means

The American Revolution inspired other revolutions around the world

Articles of Confederation

The first Constitution of the United States. It was weak. It had a loose "league of friendship" among the colonies. Congress could not draft soldiers or levy taxes. It could only request money from the states; Congress could not regulate interstate or foreign trade. The national government had no military mechanism to force states to comply with its treaties or laws.

Granted liberty but did little to provide stability

Shays' Rebellion (1786-1787),

Farmers' uprising in Massachusetts, the state militia had to put down the rebellion, showed the need for an army, and showed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

problems of the Articles of Confederation

Each state valued and followed its own rules rather than the Constitution, leaving the central government weak and lacking the powers needed to run the nation.

George Washington

1st President of the United States was a strong leader and wanted to win (inspired people)

Join or die

Famous cartoon drawn by Ben Franklin, which encouraged the colonies to join in fighting the British during the French and Indian War

Minutemen

citizen soldiers who could be ready to fight at a minute's notice

Thomas Jefferson

Wrote the Declaration of Independence, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Thomas Jefferson used the ideas of the Enlightenment from

John Locke (natural rights), Montesquieu (inductive reasoning), Rousseau (eliminate monarchy and create a government of minimal evil)

Articles of Confederation strengths

The first constitution for the new nation

Northwest Ordinance — set guidelines for new states

Articles of Confederation Weakness

Money

Most states refused to contribute money; the government was constantly short on funds.

Congress had no power to control trade between states or between states and foreign countries.

Congress did not have its own army or navy and had to rely on individual states to supply troops in an emergency

No power to tax

No common currency