APUSH Unit 3 Class Notes

Empire and Identity

18th Century

• competing interests in Americas leads to clash between western powers
  • Age of exploration + consolidation of power and advancements
• Europeans go to Asia, Africa, the Americas
  • British, Spanish, French, and Iroquois + native nations in America
  • colonies develop patriotism/nationalism
• Iroquois confederation creates alliance with colonies and crown
  • $Covenant-Chain Alliance$
• Britain’s goal was to establish and secure land in Americas (just gave out charters)
  • No/limited aid to settlers; colonies created at the expense of colonists, not British
  • colonies self-governed; British mostly look the other way
  • colonial self-government leads to a divide and separate colonial identity
  • Who is really in charge? Does the crown have authority in colonies?
• Authority in colonies: Crown → governors → colonial assemblies → local administration
• British citizens represented in Parliament but colonists aren’t
  • colonists identify with local assemblies over Parliament because they have representation there
• British interest shifts; mainly land → economy, politics; colonies critical to control
• Complicated concept of identity; what rights and responsibilities do colonists have?

^^1754^^

• conflict in Europe and conflict in North America
• Albany conference of ^^1754, June 19th → July 11th^^
  • establish unity among colonies four security/defense against French
• Britain doesn’t have resources for war, need colonies to fight
  • want Ohio River Valley but French have it
  • “We don’t like the French” - the British
• Iroquois alliance cut off; threatens trade (very important)
• colonial governments not coordinating/cooperating
• Ben Franklin proposes %%Albany Plan of Union%%, confederation of 13 colonies
  • rejected unanimously at the time
• Colonies not friends/not getting along at this time

7 Years’ War

• Seven Years’ War spreads to Europe
  • Prussia and Spain join
  • Ends in $Treaty of France/Utrecht$ in ^^1763^^
• Britain gets a ton of land and France and Spain lose land
  • Spain loses Florida, Britain gains land in Africa and India
• Virginia pressed Britain to go to war to get the $Ohio River Valley$ before France
  • Native Americans still living there
• Natives in Ohio River Valley take forts and undo gains of Seven Years’ War
  • 2 years later Britain takes the land back and suppresses the natives
• West of Appalachians = native lands, east of Mississippi = colonist lands
  • colonists unhappy, can’t utilize Ohio River Valley which was the main purpose of them fighting in the Seven Years’ War
• Why revolution?

1. Religion (Christianity + Christian doctrine)
2. Philosophy (John Locke + Enlightenment thinkers)
3. Political/Economic (Taxes, acts, enforcement of laws)

9/26 Notes; Something Revolution

• ^^1774^^ First Union government
  • %%Continental Congress%% of representatives from 13 Colonies as a union
  • In response to Intolerable Acts
  • lasted 6 months
• Threat of independent America/Union
  • Tension ramping up; $Sons of Liberty$ + others respond to British presence
• Fighting breaks out at Lexington and Concord in ^^1775^^ over ammunitions storage
  • Americans drive British back to Boston
• Americans have no national army/organization
  • Military made of independent state militias
• %%Second Continental Congress%%’s goal was to establish a continental army and make Washington general
  • 10,000–12,000 troops/regulars
• ^^March 1776^^, militias drive British from Boston
• Attempt to invade Canada fails miserably
• ==Declare== ^^Independence^^ ==on== ^^July 4th, 1776^^
• King George assembles a big army and it lands in New York in ^^mid 1776^^
  • 500 ships and 32,000 troops
• Americans need to be smart to beat the British
  • Capture British troops in Trenton, New Jersey after Christmas
  • ^^09/11/1777^^ $Battle of Brandywine Creek$; British win and take over Philadelphia
  • Congress has to flee; morale crushed
• Designed a plan to take Hudson River Valley; meet American forces at $Saratoga$ on ^^09/19/1777^^ and Americans win 6 weeks later; critical victory which convinces France to openly join them
• Washington hunkers down in Valley Forge for the winter; brutal winter
  • 20% of troops die (2,000 out of 11,000
  • Brings some military masterminds to train soldiers and plan forts/defenses (A Prussian and a Pole)
• French arrival causes British to evacuate Philadelphia
• Washington attacks retreating British forces but it’s a draw, battle happens at Monmouth
• ^^1778^^ Britain shifts focus to South; thought they’d get support from loyalists and promised slaves freedom
  • If occupied southern ports, cut off supplies
• Capture Savannah, seize Charleston (4 month battle), crush American forces in South Carolina
  • Patriot militias beat loyalist militias
• Jan Greene beats Cornwallis over series of engagements
  • Cornwallis surrenders to Washington on ^^10/19/1781^^ at Yorktown
• Peace conferences held in Paris

Madison’s Federal Negative Class Discussion

Articles of Confederation

• ^^1787^^; war essentially won and Cornwallis defeated
• New government, %%Articles of Confederation%%
  • preliminary constitution, sets up structure of government
  • A “firm league of friendship” between states
  • unicameral congress
  • Each state retains sovereignty
  • Each state gets equal representation
  • Every colony has one vote/one representative in Congress
  • State legislature appoints representatives
  • Needed unanimous consent to amend Articles
• What could Congress do and not do under the Articles of Confederation?
  • Can:
  • Ask states nicely to give funds to the national treasury
  • Declare war
  • Enter treaties and alliances
  • Borrow money and spend it
  • Can’t:
  • Collect taxes
  • Compel states (lack $coercive power$)
  • Control foreign or interstate commerce

Critical Period

I am really mortified beyond expression that in the moment of our Acknowledged Independence we should, by our conduct, verify the predictions of our transatlantic foe, and render ourselves ridiculous and contemptible in the eyes of all Europe.

-George Washington

Problems arise in 1786

1. Economic Depression

1. very severe
2. imports down
   2. Trade Problems

1. foreigners block exports

       1. states have no negotiating power

          1. congress can’t impose tariffs 2. play states against each other

2. states impose tariffs on each other
   3. Public Debt

1. very heavy (from war)
2. interest not being paid

       1. government can’t tax 2. states not adequately contributing

3. “little people” forced to sell to speculators at large discounts to make a living
   4. Private Debt/Paper $

1. small private debtors want relief

       1. moratorium on debt

2. many states inflate (Rhode Island)

       1. creditors furious

5. Shay’s Rebellion

1. fear of democratic populace
2. tyranny of majority
   6. Federal Enforcement

1. federal government can’t enforce peace treaties or laws

       1. no coercive power

Madison’s Diagnosis

1. Federal government is too weak

1. lacked enforcement power

       1. treaties/laws can’t be enforced

          1. can’t punish/deter states

2. lacked coordination

       1. $commercial policies$ (states put tariffs on each other)

2. Dangers of small republics

1. dangers of states (small republics) acting independently
2. $tyranny of the majority$

       1. one faction rules over others 2. easier to form/coordinate a majority faction in small republics

3. need to enlarge/extend the sphere

Examples of “tyranny of the majority:”

• Shay’s Rebelloin
• Rhode Island
• Virginia wants to make Anglican church state religion