Period 3 (1754-1800)

• How America transformed from Biritsh colonies to a distinct nation and identity

• french and Indian War (7 years’ war - 1754-1763)

  • The disputes between the British and France over the Ohio River Valley

  • Albany Plan (Ben F) - more centralized government for the colonies to provide a more unified defense for the western frontier (set stage for future revolutionary congress)

    • However, the plan was never implemented due to taxation for raising the plan didn’t sit well with the colonies

    • Treaty of Paris (1763) - Ended the French and Indian War, resulting in France ceding most of its North American territories to Britain, which increased British influence and control in the region, while also laying the groundwork for colonial discontent over new taxes and regulations.

    • Proclamation Line of 1763 - Established by the British government to prevent colonial expansion west of the Appalachian Mountains (Ohio River Valley), further fueling tensions between the colonists seeking land and the British authorities trying to manage the newly acquired territories.

      • Pontiac Revolution - opposing Western Settlement

Results of the French and Indian War

• Taxation without representation

• Colonists were used to self government during the era of salutary neglect (British turning Blind eye to the colonies)

• Naviagtion Acts were once under a looser control (smuggling of goods), however since the British were now taxing the Americans, they implemented stricter rules on the Navigation Acts (1651 and 1763 ish)

• Quatering Act of 1765 made colonists house and feed British soldiers in times of peace just to enforce the acts

• Sugar Act of 1764 - stricter tax on molasses

• Stamp Act of 1765 - first direction taxation

• Were the colonists just getting straight up taxes with no representation?

• Parliment said they were getting represented through “Virtual representation” (members of Parliment were being represented through CLASSES of British society, not region)

• This concept was highly controversial among colonists, who argued that true representation required elected officials from their own geographic regions.

• creation of Stamp Act congress and sons and daughters of liberty, wanting to repeal the stamp act

• taxation without representation was tyranny, they wanted their rights as British citizens (as loyalists)

• Sugar and Stamp act was eventually repealed in 1766

• However, the British passed the Declatory Act saying they had to right to pass any law in the colonies “in all cases whatsoever” (reinforcing control)

• Townshed Act in 1767

• The colonial response included protests and boycotts of British goods, which further fueled tensions between the colonies and the British government. (members from all of American Society)

  • Women made their own tea and spun their own clothes (Spinning Bees)

• Boston Massacre of 1770 - sure sign of British increasing tyranny

• Boston Tea Party of 1773 - protests of tea Act (cheaper tea from Biritsh Tea colony - but colonists were used to smuggled tea)

  • Coercive Acts of 1774 - used to punish the colonists for the Boston tea Party. (closed ports, and improved quartering act)

  • intolderable acts

• Patriots and loyalists

  • Patriots - vowed to protect themselves form biritsh tyranny (essentially wanted independence)

  • loyalists -those still loyal to the biritsh crown

• First Continental Congress of 1774 - colonies need to resist the oppressive acts of British Parliment (as loyalists at the time)

  • The enlightenment - natural rights, all human beings are endowed with certain rights by god and not government thereforece the government cannot take their rights away (reason over tradition/religion)

  • Social Contract - power to govern is decided by willing people to hang over that power to create a government capable of protecting their natural rights (consent of the governened - duty to overthrow the government if rights are broken)

  • Separation of Powers (enables the various branches to check and balance the power of the others - republican)

  • Second Continental Congress of 1776 - fighting had already begun so independence from britian was the only way to thrive (majority were still loyalists)

    • Common Sense by Thomas Paine 1776 - spread ideals of independence for many illiterate people

    • Declaration of Independence 7/4/1776 - based of enlightenment thoughts, life liberty and the pursuit of of happiness.

American Revolution 1775-1783

• ill prepared

• continent army

• Battle of Saratoga convinced french to help the colonies

• Battle of Yorktown 1831 marked the end of the Revolution

Articles of Confederation

• strong legislature

• no branches

• no national military force

• very limited power to tax

• Westward Migration often led to conflicts between the Indians and Colonists

  • Northwest Ordinance of 1787 - provided how new territories could apply for statehood and ABOLISHED SLAVERY IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY

• Shay’s rebellion revealed the flaws of the AOC

  • many farmers had fallen into debt during the American Revolution and they protested for relief but to no avail

    • Caused fear among leaders over how many more angry people there would be.

• Constitutional Convention of 1787

  • revise the Articles

    • federalists wanted stronger central government (urban)

    • Antifederalists wanted weaker central government (rural)

    • How should the people should be represented in government?

      • Virgina Plan

        • Representation by population

        • Favored Big states

      • New Jersey Plan

      • Equal representation regardless of population

      • favored the small states

The great compromise of 1787

• legislative branch would be split into a bicameral legislature

  • House of representative - based off population

  • Senate - two per state

  • 3/5ths compromise - for purposes of representation one leave would count for 3/5ths of a person

  • Provided for a more robust central government

  • split government into three branches

  • legislative, executive, and judicial

Ratification

• federalists papers 85 letters for supporting the constitution

• antifederalists argued for bill of rights (protection of individual rights and from the government)

• 1788-1789 the constitution was ratified and put into effect

Distinct American Culture

• ambitious plans for education

• art

• republican motherhood - women could influence their sons into liberty

Presidency

• George Washington was now president and John Adams was vice president

  • Georgey established the cabinets

  • Hamiliton established the idea for a national bank

    • Critics said the constitution said nothing about the bank

    • Hammy argued with the Elastic clause - forms legislation that is necessary and proper to carry out responsibilities

    • Federalists wanted to remain neutral in the French Revolution

    • Whiskey Rebelion 1794 - federalists wanted to tax whiskey and poor farmer rebelled

    • George sent militia to put down the protests which angered critics of the constitution (democratic republicans)

    • Democratic republicans like Jefferson viewed the bank and militia was federal overeach (strict constructionist)

• Washington’s Farewell address

  • warned them of political parties

  • warned of getting involved in foreign entanglements

• John Adams presidency

• XYZ affair - diplomatic incident in the late 1790s, where French agents demanded bribes from American diplomats to negotiate (anti-French sentiment)

• Alien Acts - legal to deport any non-citizen of America (targeted Irish and Scottish immigrants)

• Sedition Act - illegal to criticize the government publicly

• Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions - any law passed by the government that blatantly opposed the Constitution can be nullified