period 3

Unit 3

1754-1800

The American Revolutionary Era

Chapters 6-10

Chapter 6:  The Duel for North America (1608-1763)

George Hanover, or King George I, was the heir to the British throne, but had little interest in Britain.  He was from Hanover (in modern Germany), barely spoke English, and inherited an empire on the rise.  His son, George II was cautious, understood his weaknesses, and surrounded himself with competent advisors. George II also inherited a wealthy, growing empire and did little to stymie its continued growth.  Hence, the period from 1707 to 1760 is known as an era of "salutary neglect," or a period of time when the crown and colonies generally left each other alone -- the money flowed, and the colonies grew and developed. 

In 1760, George II's heir and grandson, the young and ambitious George III, had a very different attitude about the colonies:  they could be used, not ignored; taxed at updated rates; and shown to whom they owed their allegiance.  This tension will come to a head after the French and Indian War (also known as the Seven Years War).  

Since 1598, the French had a colonial presence in Canada.  Their model of settlement was one of trade with indigenous American Indian tribes.  The British, however, sought to settle the land directly, which caused great tension and conflict with the indigenous people more frequently than the French.  The French also made incursions into British territory on a regular basis, since the wilderness was claimed by both in many instances.  In 1754, the royal governor of Virginia appointed George Washington lieutenant colonel of the militia and asked him to explore French actions on the frontier.  Skirmishes quickly erupted and the war drums were beating.  After some early defeats, the British got organized through the leadership of prime minister William Pitt and defeated the French in Quebec (1759) and Montreal (1760) to seal France’s fate on the East Coast of North America.

The war was a wonderful military and territorial success for the Empire but was remarkably expensive.  The French were defeated and would begin leaving, but their American Indian allies were still present and there were not enough resources or will to subdue them.  Hence, the young King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763, which forbade the colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains into Ohio territory.  This was seen as a huge insult to the colonists who did much of the fighting and bore the brunt of frontier raids. 

Chapter 7:  The Road to Revolution (1763-1775)

The crown and parliament wanted the colonies to pay their fair share for the costly French and Indian War, but set off a series of crises that will compel separation in a very short period of time.  Various taxes and regulations were imposed and repealed.  Protests filled the streets regularly.  

The Stamp Act of 1765 was a catalyst for colonial activism against the King’s new tax regime since it was so intrusive to daily life.  Other acts came and went, but a spirit of rebellion was rising – the Sons and Daughters of Liberty were among a few of the organized groups.  Boycotts and violence towards tax collectors increased tension in all the colonies, but none so much as Massachusetts.  When British soldiers fired on wily Boston protesters in March 1770, the acquittal of those soldiers in the “Boston Massacre” radicalized many locals, including John Hancock and Samuel Adams.

Before long, Boston slid out of control.  After the "destruction of the tea" in December 1773, the crown revoked Massachusetts' charter and sent troops to police the streets through the Coercive Acts (or Intolerable Acts as the colonists called them).  Soon, other colonial sympathizers utilized committees of correspondence to discuss British actions, leading to the First Continental Congress in 1774.  

Before the Congress met again, bloodshed in Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, turned tension into outright rebellion.

Chapter 8:  America Secedes from Empire (1775-1783)

When the Second Continental Congress finally met in 1775, they appointed George Washington to oversee the situation in Boston, and sent an “Olive Branch Petition” to smooth things over with the crown.  By then a full-fledged bloody battle outside of Boston proper at Bunker Hill only reinforced that this fight would not be over quickly.  The colonies were not yet united over what to do or if they wanted to get involved in the affairs of Massachusetts at all.  Regardless of their caution, the Revolutionary War had begun.

While open rebellion against the British crown was in full force, a political revolution in self-rule was underway in the 13 colonies, promoted by Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and the ideals of self-rule under republicanism.  Soon, many average people were persuaded to join the patriot cause.  On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress official issued a Declaration of Independence to King George III.  The course of the war was a terrible one for the colonists.  It was essentially a rebellion against the crown, as well as a colonial civil war with Loyalists, Patriots, and those trying to remain neutral battling each other.  New England and parts of Pennsylvania and Virginia were heavy patriot regions, while New York City and much of the southern colonies were predominantly loyalist.  Everyone else just wanted to get by -- they appreciated the benefits and security of being part of the British Empire but sympathized with the colonist’s complaints over mistreatment.  Once bullets started to fly and battles waged, being neutral became remarkably difficult.

The patriot cause faced remarkable odds, but found ways to endure the might of the British Empire nonetheless.  With aid from passionate leaders like John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, other devoted followers, help from the French, and a poorly run war on the part of the British ultimately led the British to let their American colonies go free after eight years of war.  Stories of daring in Trenton, victory at Saratoga, hardship in Valley Forge, and brutality in the Southern colonies, inspired the birth of a nation by the war’s end.  Once the French began their earnest assistance, the British were tired of war and sued for peace.  After the Battle of Yorktown in 1781 a peace treaty was inevitable.

Finally, the Treaty of Paris (1783) granted America its independence and territory west to the Mississippi River, north to the Great Lakes, and south towards Spanish Florida.  A great experiment in self-rule was about to begin.

Chapter 9:  The Confederation and the Constitution (1776-1790)

The war is over -- America finally achieved its independence!  In 1777, Congress proposed the Articles of Confederation as a loose way to align the state's interests during the war.  It was finally approved in 1781.  Once the war ended, however, the Articles were exposed as having significant flaws:  the national government could not tax, raise an army, or regulate currency.  Once a financial depression manifested, serious problems became unavoidable to ignore.  Despite passing the Northwest Ordinance in 1787, the Articles and Confederation Congress needed revision. 

Calls came out for reform after Shay's Rebellion in Massachusetts realized many people's fears about a weak central government.  By then, even the often cool, even-tempered George Washington recognized the need for change.  

That revision, made during the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia, would become our Constitution.  The revolutionaries John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were away in Britain and France, respectively, but many other big names of the age showed up:  George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Edmund Randolph, Roger Sherman, Luther Martin, and many others.  Quickly they decided to scrap the Articles and start a new government:  Madison’s Virginia Plan became a model for the House of Representatives; the New Jersey Plan wanted the states to have equal representation.  The Great Compromise created the bicameral legislature we have today.  There would be no king, but a President elected by an Electoral College every four years, and a separate co-equal judicial branch.  Congress would have clear enumerated powers and states would have sovereignty as well, and both would have the ability to amend the Constitution.  

Once the Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, it went to the states for ratification.  Not everyone was happy.  The new Constitution contained the three-fifths compromise, which made slavery politically advantageous for states with large slave populations.  The new Constitution also did not contain a Bill of Rights to protect the people from the new federal government.  The states necessarily lost power to the national government under the new arrangement.  The new law system made no room for political parties, which will quickly develop in the next decade.  It also required an active, engaged citizenry.  Republican motherhood, and civic virtue were social themes that stressed civic engagement in order to keep the republic from succumbing to the wiles of democracy.

Madison, Hamilton, and John Jay wrote a series of newspaper articles under the pseudonym Publius, collectively called The Federalist, defending the philosophical principles and practical application of the new Constitution.  By the fall of 1788, enough states ratified the Constitution to have a federal election.  By April 30, 1789, Congress and the president, George Washington, had all been sworn in.

Chapter 10:  Launching the New Ship of State (1789-1800)

The Constitution was finally ratified and elections for the new government took place in the Fall of 1788.  Soon, George Washington was sworn in as the first President of the United States.  By the end of 1791, the several states had ratified the Bill of Rights.  The American experiment was off and running!

But running where?  

We had huge national and state debts.  The assumption of war debt to the federal government was a key issue that divided the political class.  Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson often sparred over their economic views and this came to a climax over assumption.  Hamilton ultimately won – the federal government would assume the state’s debts, and Congress would pass an excise tax as well; but Jefferson got the national capital (and thereby the center of political power) moved to the Southern state of Virginia, just down river from Washington’s estate at Mount Vernon.  It would be a federal district called Washington City, made the permanent capital in 1801.

How the new government should be run became the central feature in national politics.  Some favored using the Constitution as a loose framework to build the powers of the federal government; others saw the Constitution as a finished product that should be adhered to strictly.  Hence, the first political parties emerged and were well-organized by 1800:  the broadly interpreting Federalists of Hamilton and John Adams, and the strict-constructionist Republicans of Madison and Jefferson. 

We also had tense relations with many American Indian tribes (most of whom supported the British in the war).  Britain was antagonistic towards us on the high-seas and economically.  France's revolution was beginning to descend into chaos and bloodshed, putting pressure on fledgling America to intervene.  Washington was adamant about staying neutral and even agreed to the controversial and unpopular Jay Treaty in 1796, which was beneficial toward Britain.  On his way out of office, Washington issued a Farewell Address where he implored the American people to stay neutral in world affairs and avoid political parties.  By leaving after two terms Washington set a precedent which will last until 1940, but he also voluntarily gave up power.  Even George III envied Washington’s willingness to leave national leadership!  

President Adams will also try to be neutral, but the XYZ Affair and the Quasi-War with France stymied that goal.  Domestically, Adams signed the intrusive Alien and Sedition Acts, which galvanized the opposition into composing the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions that made a case for limited government.  In 1800, the people made a clear decision about which direction they wanted the country to go.

my notes:

Northwest Ordinance- plan for new states to join the US, banned slavery, protected civil rights, established a process for new territory to reach statehood liek the 13 colonies, Native land should not be taken with their consent

Shay’s Rebellion- uprising from farmers because they were mad about their high taxes and debt collection —> urged for a stronger central government as they realized it was too weak

When makign the constitution two plans: Virginia—> representation was based on population NJ —> equal representation

Great Compromise- settled for bicameral legislature (senate and house of representatives)

Constitution raised problems of inequality- 3/5 compromise would give slave slates an advantage and there were no Bill of Rights to protect basic rights

The Federalist- Papers that convinced the colonies to ratify the Constitution

Rise of political parties

Federalists- Hamilton and Adams- believed in a loose interpretation

Republicans- Madison and Jefferson- strong, strict interpretation of Constitution

Farewell Address- Washington’s speech before leaving office which urged the people to stay neutral and avoid political parties

XYZ Affair- France was mad that US was negotiating with Britain and took their supply ships. Jefferson sent 3 diplomats (XYZ) to negotiate but instead tried to bribe the US and ask for a loan —> led to way between France and US Quasi War

Alien and Sedition Act- tighten rules on immigrants and natural rights, made it a crime for people to write negatively about the government

Virginia Kentucky Resolutions- said that the government overstepped their power with the Alien and Sedition Acts and allowed for the states to establish them unsonsitutional