Period 3 (1754-1800)

Hamilton Era

  • The 7 years' War put Britain into debt

    • War between Britain and France and their allies over land in North America, like the Ohio River Valley

    • Britain won but left them in debt

  • Because of this, they started taxing everything

    • Tea Act (taxes tea)

    • Stamp Act (taxes stamps on official documents, playing cards, dice, etc.)

    • Quartering Act (Britain forced colonies to house British soldiers staying in the US. Colonists didn’t like it because it was an invasion of privacy and freedoms)

    • Townshend Act (tax on pottery, glassware, paint)

  • Boston Massacre

    • Colonists were mad at Britain for being there and taxing them, so they started yelling at them, throwing ice and rocks

    • British troops start shooting colonists

  • Boston Tea Party

    • The Sons of Liberty initiated it

    • Colonists were mad about tea taxes, so they dressed as Native Americans and threw the tea shipment into the water

  • American Revolution (April 19, 1775!)

    • The shot heard round the world started it 

    • Colonists wanted independence

      • Didn’t like the monarchy or one person governing the entire country

      • First government was a representative government

    • Britain had organized troops and more people

      • More professional and better trained

      • More ammunition

      • Still in debt

    • Colonists used guerrilla tactics, a smaller army

      • Ordinary people fighting

      • Less ammunition

    • Colonists won the American Revolution

  • Declaration of Independence (adopted on July 4, 1776)

    • Mainly written by Thomas Jefferson

    • Influenced by Enlightenment 

      • Focusing on individualism rather than tradition

      • Understand the world through science and reason

      • European idea that spread

    • Influenced by Common Sense

      • Written by Thomas Paine 

    • Follows the theory of social contract

      • people give up some of their rights for protection of others

  • Articles of Confederation (adopted 1777, ratified 1781)

    • First attempt at a governing document

    • Failed because didn’t give enough power to federal government

      • Scared of giving one person too much power (what they escaped from in England with the monarchy)

    • Emphasized state sovereignty

  • Constitutional Convention

    • Goal was originally to revise the Articles of Confederation, but ended up creating new governing document 

    • Big issue was the balance of power between states and government power 

      • Federalists - supported a stronger federal government

        • Loose interpretation of constitution

        • Supported national bank 

        • Wanted an economy based on industry and banking

        • Supported by businessmen 

        • People included

          • Hamilton, washington, adams, marshall

      • Democratic Republicans - supported state power

        • Strict interpretation of constitution

        • Opposed national bank

        • Wanted an economy based on farming and agriculture

        • Supported by farmers and common people

        • People included

          • Jefferson, Monroe