Key Concepts

• How Britain's massive debt from the Seven years war resulted in renewed efforts to consolidate imperial control over the North American markets, taxes and political institutions

• How Britain's renewed efforts to consolidate imperial control were supported by some colonists and resisted by others

• How the resulting independence movement was fueled by est. colonial elites as well as grassroots movements that included newly mobilized laborers, artisans, and women

• How the independence movement rested on arguments over the rights of British subjects, the rights of the individual, the ideas of the Enlightenment

• Why Britain had overwhelming military and financial advantages and the Patriot cause benefited from greater familiarity with the land, resilient military and political leadership, ideological commitment, and support from European allies.

• How new ideas about politics and society led to debates about religion and governance and ultimately inspired experiments w governmental structures.

Ideologies

• Republicanism: the idea that citizens of a society should give up their selfish interests for the common good contrasts the British philosophy of monarchy and aristocracy. Shows how colonial govt. depended on self-sufficiency and civic involvement, planted ideas against Britain.

• radical Whigs: British political commentators popular among the colonists who feared the threat of liberty posed by the British monarchy. Warned listeners to be wary of corruption and be vigilant in defending their rights. Promoted the idea that the British govt. was bad.

• Mercantilism: British belief that wealth = power and that a country should import more than it exports.

  • justification for the colonies: they were a market to sell to at higher prices and buy from at cheap prices.

  • Britain wants to keep their monopoly, so they passed laws prohibited colonial trade with countries besides Britain (Navigation Laws) Note the Nuance: mercantilism

• Navigation laws weren't heavily enforced, so colonies got away with smuggling

• British crown was allowed to nullify any laws passed by colonial legislatures that detrimentally affected mercantilism not used very often, but colonies were annoyed by its presence rather than practice

• Colonies benefited: British paid bounties for colonial ship parts, VA tobacco had a monopoly over Britain, protected by the world's strongest navy at no cost (until the French and Indian War)

Rising Tensions (and Taxes)

• Many taxes imposed by George Grenville

• Sugar Act (1764): tax on sugar imported from the West Indies. Tax eventually lowed, but resentment lingered.

• Quartering Act (1765): required certain colonies to provide food and shelter for British troops.

• Stamp Act (1765): required the use of stamps on most legal documents and bills to certify payment

  • Virginia Resolves by Patrick Henry. Also taxation without representation British respond that colonies that virtual representation

  • Stamp Act Congress (1765) statement of their rights and grievances to the British crown and ask them to repeal the Stamp Act- ignored in England, but major step towards colonial 27 colonial delegates meet a NYC to write a unity.

• Declaratory Act: passed after the Stamp Act was repealed, it affirmed the right of Parliament to have absolute sovereignty over the colonies

Colonial Resistance and More Acts

• Admiralty courts: offenders of the Sugar and Stamp Acts were put to trial without a jury and were guilty until proven innocent

• Nonimportation agreements: colonists boycotted British goods, making homemade goods and discouraging habits that the British profited off of. Increased resistance and allowed women to play a more active role in society

• Sons/Daughters of Liberty: enforced nonimportation agreements against violators by tarring and feathering, especially British officials.

• Townshend Acts: imposed by Charles Townshend, est. an import duty on glass, paper, paint and tea (which the colonies drank daily). Especially troublesome because they were supposed to pay the Royal Governors salaries. Because of protests, wasn't very profitable for British (actually losing money)

• Boston Massacre (March 5th 1770): British troops sent to Boston to control rebellious colonists, who are resentful of the 'red coats. Jeering crowd + angry troops = massacre. Troops were barely punished, sparking outrage.

• Committees of Correspondence: created by Sam Adams, these organizations spread through the colonies to keep the spirit of resistance alive and continue to defy British policies. Allowed for serious debate over whether or not to take actions evolved into American Congress

Colonial Resistance and More Acts (cont.)

• Background: British East India Company is in massive debt from unsold tea, facing bankruptcy, and British govt. is worried because they could lose a lot of money in tax revenue

• Govt. helps them by granting them a monopoly over colonial tea: colonies would get cheap tea and company would get rid of debt

  • Colonies saw this as manipulation; protesters prevent tea from even reaching port

• Governor Thomas Hutchinson of Boston refuses to give into protesters and ensures tea reaches some colonists disguised as Indians dump tea into the harbor

• Intolerable Acts: laws against Massachusetts/ Boston. Notably, the Boston Port Act which stopped trade and severely hurt MA economy.

• Quebec Act (1774): British law that gave Quebec more land (until the Ohio River) and religious freedom. Colonists mistook this as part of the British response to the Boston Tea Party.

• 1st Continental Congress (1774): colonial delegates meet to redress grievances in an appeal to king while considering a more violent route NOT calling for independence at all

  • as time goes on, the colonists will stop seeing complete independence as a radical option, but rather, the only option

  • created The Association which called for a complete boycott of British goods.

Start of the War

• Battle of Lexington and Concord (1775): British troops are sent to seize colonial gunpowder and capture the leaders of the rebellion. Colonial minutemen fight back, some colonists die. Marks the official start of the war.

• Marquis LaFayette: rich French soldier who fought for the colonies. His family influence and political connections were valuable in getting foreign aid from France later in the war.

• Valley Forge (1777): George Washington led colonial soldiers in the Southern campaign as they suffered from a lack of food and clothes during the harsh winter.

  • Many were poorly trained to fight, so George Washington brought Baron Von Steuben in toe col help.

• Camp followers: women who were paid to follow the colonial army by cooking, sewing, and providing first aid when someone was hurt. Shows how women were just as involved in the war effort as men.