Ideas that Influenced the American Revolution

Vocabulary flashcards defining key historical terms, figures, and concepts that influenced the American Revolution according to the lecture notes.

Why were local governments created?

It took 2-3 months for a ship to get from England to the Colonies.

The Colonies had to figure out how to solve problems for themselves. 

Colonists had to create local governments for day-to-day issues.

**Britain could overrule everything, though.

Mayflower Compact

An agreement signed by 41 colonists on board the ship The Mayflower heading to America that established decision-making by majority rule (voting) for the good of the colony. Established voting, majority rule (different from a King handing down decisions), and the idea that decisions should benefit the community, not an individual.

House of Burgesses

A representative body in Virginia where landowners elected representatives to make local laws and taxes, establishing the colonial desire for representative government. Established that the colonials wanted a voice in their government, and that they wanted to elect representatives

New England Town Meetings

Rocky soil, long winters = no big plantations

Most people lived in towns, or near towns

Eligible male voters made decisions about local issues

Established expectations about voting, local control

Local gatherings in New England where eligible male voters made decisions regarding local issues.

What do all of these local governments have in common?

People (mostly white men) working together to govern themselves and have a voice in how/why they are taxed.

Conflicts with Indigenous Peoples: Land and Western Expansion

Repeated conflicts over land and western expansion helped create colonial resentment toward British policies, especially after the Proclamation of 1763.

Conflicts with Indigenous Peoples: 1600s

Early colonial period had lots of skirmishes, battles, and wars in all colonial regions. Showed colonists how vulnerable they were.

British government negotiated treaties and military offered protection. Colonists expected Britain to protect them.

Conflicts with Indigenous Peoples: French & Indian War

Britain spends a lot of $$$ defending their colonies; raises taxes to pay for it. Colonists want the new land in the Ohio River Valley; Britain tells them they can’t cross the Proclamation Line and raises taxes to fund it.

The Great Awakening

A period of religious changes in the colonies during the 1730s-1740s driven by frustration with strict Puritan rules and a focus on the individual's relationship with God.

How does the Great Awakening have to do with the American Revolution

The Great Awakening was all about challenging religious authority. Colonists became willing to question traditional religious authorities and, by extension, other forms of established authority, like the British government.

Colonial unity: Big outdoor church services called Revivals were exciting events. People traveled to attend them, sometimes even going to another colony, giving people in different colonies a shared religious experience. The Great Awakening was one of the first times when people began to think of themselves as Americans instead of Georgians or Pennsylvanians.

Revivals attracted people from all social classes. Wealthy and poor, men and women, enslaved and free people all worshipped at revivals.

Revivals

Large outdoor church services held during the Great Awakening that brought together people from all social classes and different colonies.

George Whitefield

A preacher during the Great Awakening known for delivering emotional, charismatic sermons at revivals.

The Enlightenment

Philosophical movement in Europe and the Colonies

Started in the 1600s

Influenced how people thought about power, justice, and human rights

John Locke

An Enlightenment philosopher whose ideas about human rights, the consent of the governed, and natural rights deeply influenced American history.

Key Enlightenment ideas from Locke that influenced US History

Consent of the governed

• Power comes from people, not a king. Government has to operate with the people’s permission. Without that, it has no authority.

Natural rights

• All people have rights. Rights aren’t special privileges given by a government. Everyone has them, because we are all human.

Consent of the Governed

The Enlightenment concept that government power comes from the people and requires their permission to have authority.

Natural Rights

The Enlightenment idea that rights belong inherently to all humans because they are human, rather than being special privileges granted by a government.

Economic Self Interest: New England

New England’s economy based on shipping – importing and exporting with England. Taxes after the French and Indian War had the biggest impact in Boston because the city’s economy was based on bringing in goods from England.

New England had higher literacy rates than other regions, because of fewer farms and more people living in cities. Ideas about revolution and independence spread through self-published pamphlets and newspapers. 

Public, theatrical, sometimes violent protests got a lot of attention in Boston. (Boston Tea Party, Tarring and Feathering, burning effigies, etc.)

Economic Self Interest: Southern Colonies

Southern colonies based their economy on forced labor (slavery). As protests against England grew in 1775, Lord Dunmore, the British governor of Virginia, was forced by a mob to flee.

He boarded a ship and tried desperately to regain control, but didn’t have enough soldiers.

Issued “Dunmore’s Proclamation” – promised freedom to any enslaved person “owned” by American patriots who would join him and fight to maintain British rule.

This TERRIFIED Southern enslavers. Their economy would crumble. Also, they feared armed slaves would seek vengeance on them for how they had been treated.

Economic Self Interest: The end of the revolution

By the end of the American Revolution, at least 20,000 people escaped slavery on plantations to join the British and fight their enslavers.

At the end of the Revolution, more than 3,000 formerly enslaved people were sent by the British to live in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Dunmore's Proclamation

A decree issued in November 1775 by Lord Dunmore promising freedom to any enslaved person owned by American patriots who joined him to fight for British rule.

Dunmore’s Proclamation was hugely influential. Between 800-2000 enslaved people escaped to join him.

Issued in November 1775. Declaration of Independence was signed in July 1776.

56 men signed the Declaration of Independence

41 of them owned slaves.

48 of them profited from slavery (through slave trade, shipping, etc.)

Lord Dunmore

The British governor of Virginia who fled to a ship in 1775 and issued a proclamation offering freedom to enslaved people who fought to maintain British rule.

Thomas Paine

An English-born writer, came to the colonies in 1770s, and friend of Benjamin Franklin who wrote the influential pamphlet Common Sense.

Common Sense

A 47-page pamphlet written by Thomas Paine and published in January 1776 that urged colonists to claim independence from Britain.

Common Sense huge influence on America

• BEFORE Common Sense : Most colonists wanted to find a solution through Parliament, sending letters via Committees of Correspondence, negotiations, etc.

• AFTER Common Sense : More colonists called for cutting ties with Britain completely

Common Sense > Declaration Of Independence

Common Sense was published in January, 1776.

The Declaration of Independence was signed in July, 1776.

Without Common Sense, there was not the support to claim independence from Britain.