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Chapter 5: The American Revolution

The Origins of the American Revolution

  • Britain had largely failed to have a coherent relationship with the colonies

    • They were constantly at war (expensive)

    • There were competing visions of the empire (Old Whigs/Tories vs. Radical Whigs)

Causes of the American Revolution

  • Attempts to reform the British Empire after the Seven Years’ War was not received well

    • Royal Proclamation (1764)

      • It formally ended the Seven Years’ War and forbade all British settlements west of a line drawn along the Appalachians because the territory was given to the French

    • Sugar and Currency Act (1764)

      • An act passed to raise revenue by stopping the smuggling trade of sugar and molasses

    • Stamp Act (1756)

      • An act that imposed a direct tax on colonists and required that many printed materials in the colonies be produced on stamped paper made in Britain

      • Resistance took three forms: legislative, economic, and popular protest

    • Townshend Act (1767)

      • An act that introduced a series of taxes and regulations to fund the administration of the British colonies in America

  • There were new forms of resistance that were united despite class

    • Non-importation and non-consumption

    • Committees of correspondence

Independence and the War

  • The Revolutionary War began in 1775 and ended in 1781

  • The British initially had the upper hand and believed the threat of war would quell the rebellion

  • A few key victories (Battles of Trenton and Saratoga) turned the tide of the Continental Army

    • Convinced the French to sign the Treaty of Amity and Commerce (which made it a global war of sorts)

  • Eventually, the British turned to the South with the belief that they had friends there, but they did not have the manpower to hold it

    • The costly war began to lose support in Britain, especially since they were also fighting Holland, Spain, and France

  • War ended with the Battle of Yorktown (1781)

Consequences of the Revolution

  • The Revolution unleashed powerful political, social, and economic forces that would transform the new nation’s politics and society

    • States drafted constitutions

    • Political participation increased

    • Mercantilism ended, opening new markets and trade relationships

    • Slavery remained

Chapter 5: The American Revolution

The Origins of the American Revolution

  • Britain had largely failed to have a coherent relationship with the colonies

    • They were constantly at war (expensive)

    • There were competing visions of the empire (Old Whigs/Tories vs. Radical Whigs)

Causes of the American Revolution

  • Attempts to reform the British Empire after the Seven Years’ War was not received well

    • Royal Proclamation (1764)

      • It formally ended the Seven Years’ War and forbade all British settlements west of a line drawn along the Appalachians because the territory was given to the French

    • Sugar and Currency Act (1764)

      • An act passed to raise revenue by stopping the smuggling trade of sugar and molasses

    • Stamp Act (1756)

      • An act that imposed a direct tax on colonists and required that many printed materials in the colonies be produced on stamped paper made in Britain

      • Resistance took three forms: legislative, economic, and popular protest

    • Townshend Act (1767)

      • An act that introduced a series of taxes and regulations to fund the administration of the British colonies in America

  • There were new forms of resistance that were united despite class

    • Non-importation and non-consumption

    • Committees of correspondence

Independence and the War

  • The Revolutionary War began in 1775 and ended in 1781

  • The British initially had the upper hand and believed the threat of war would quell the rebellion

  • A few key victories (Battles of Trenton and Saratoga) turned the tide of the Continental Army

    • Convinced the French to sign the Treaty of Amity and Commerce (which made it a global war of sorts)

  • Eventually, the British turned to the South with the belief that they had friends there, but they did not have the manpower to hold it

    • The costly war began to lose support in Britain, especially since they were also fighting Holland, Spain, and France

  • War ended with the Battle of Yorktown (1781)

Consequences of the Revolution

  • The Revolution unleashed powerful political, social, and economic forces that would transform the new nation’s politics and society

    • States drafted constitutions

    • Political participation increased

    • Mercantilism ended, opening new markets and trade relationships

    • Slavery remained

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