Road to Revolution (2)

Road to Revolution

10/3 Political Colonial Government

  • By 1700, each colony had:

    • A governor

      • Appointed by the Crown or Proprietor

    • A legislature

      • Composed of 2 houses with local politicians

10/7 Long Term Causes of the American Revolution

  • Cultural/Intellectual Influences

    • Enlightenment (1600’s-1700’s)

      • Application of Scientific Revolution ideas to society

      • Emphasis on logic, reason, education, and individual rights

    • Key Philosophers

      • John Locke

        • Advocated for natural rights: life, liberty, property

        • Believed government should protect these rights; if it doesn’t, it should be overthrown

      • Rousseau

        • Promoted democracy as the ideal form of government

      • Montesquieu

        • Proposed the separation of powers into three branches

    • Great Awakening (1740’s-1750’s)

      • Reaction to the Enlightenment and control of the Puritan Church

      • Involve tent revivals, traveling ministers like George Whitfield and Jonathan Edwards

        • Emphasized individual relations with God and encouraged collective American identity

10/22 Rivals 1750

  • France vs Great Britain

    • Territorial Claims

      • Ohio River Valley

      • Quebec (1608)

        • Founded by Champlain as the first French settlement in North America

        • Served as a fur trading post linked to St. Lawrence River

      • New France

        • Built alliances with Native Americans through fur trade

  • British Defeat & Conflict

    • Virginia Governor sent militia to expel French, led by George Washington at Ft. Necessity

    • French and Indian War (1754)

      • British generals, like Braddock, ambushed by French and Native Americans

      • Different battle tactics led to British losses in 1755-1756

  • William Pitt’s Leadership

    • Shift in British strategy leading to victories in the war with Iroquois support

1759 - British Victory & Treaty of Paris 1763

  • Significance of the Treaty of Paris

    • France loses all North American land except Haiti

    • Britain acquires land east of the Mississippi River

    • Spain gains the Louisiana territory but loses Florida

10/24 Importance of the French and Indian War

  1. Treaty of Paris (1763)

    • Marked French loss of North American land

    • British territorial expansion east of the Mississippi

    • Spain retains Louisiana, loses Florida

  2. Britain’s Debt

    • High debts, desire for colonists to aid in repayment

  3. Colonial Tensions

    • Ongoing issues with colonist relations

Proclamation of 1763

  • Colonists began taking lands west of the Appalachians

  • Led by Pontiac, Native Americans formed a confederation attacking settler towns

    • Conflicts subsided due to disease

  • Britain could not afford to maintain peace in North America; restricted settlement in newly acquired territories

  • Upset Groups:

    • Farmers and land speculators

Grenville and New Policies (1764)

  • New Prime Minister Grenville knew about colonial smuggling

  • Established courts in colonies with cases tried in Nova Scotia with no jury

    • Key Acts

      • Sugar Act (1764)

        • Tax on sugar, molasses, and rum, reducing tax to 3 cents per gallon

      • Currency Act (1764)

        • Prohibited the use of paper money

      • Stamp Act (1765)

        • Imposed a tax on all printed materials, requiring a stamp as proof of payment (direct tax)

Colonial Response to Acts

  • Protests

    • Boycotts emerged as the most effective means of protest

    • Stamp Act Congress

      • Nine colonies organized a letter to Parliament

      • Demonstrated unity and collective action

    • Forms of Violence

      • Effigies were burned, individuals tarred and feathered, and deemed "run out on a rail"

  • Stamp Act Repealed (1766)

    • Repeal occurred on the same day as the Declaratory Act

      • Affirmed Parliament's authority to legislate for the colonies

Continuing Tensions

  • Townshend Act (1767)

    • Introduced new taxes on lead, glass, paper, paint, and tea

    • Established Writs of Assistance allowing general search warrants to enforce customs—considered infringing rights

  • Colonial Collaboration

    • Circular Letters circulated amongst colonies

    • Non-importation agreements were established to boycott British goods

  • Sons of Liberty emerged, utilizing violence against Stamp tax collectors

Boston Massacre (1770)

  • Tension escalated as 4,000 British troops were stationed in Boston

    • A crowd confronted British soldiers at a customs house, leading to chaos

    • British soldiers fired on the crowd, resulting in several deaths including Crispus Attucks

  • Political Aftermath

    • Paul Revere created a political cartoon to incite colonial outrage

    • John Adams defended soldiers in court,

      • Resulted in most acquitted, two found guilty

  • Repeal of Townshend Act

    • Everything repealed except a token tax on tea to assert control over colonies.