French and Indian war

Introduction to the American Revolution

  • Timeframe: 1754 to July 4, 1776

  • Key Events: French and Indian War leading to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Causes of the American Revolution

  • Events leading to the revolution include:

    • Colonial experience

    • British mercantilist policies

    • Proclamation Act

    • Taxation without representation

    • Boston Massacre

    • Coercive Acts

    • Continental Congresses

  • Important individuals:

    • King George III, George Washington, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, John Adams, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson

  • Ideas influencing the revolution:

    • Enlightenment concepts of Natural Rights, Representative Government, Republicanism, Liberty.

Skills Required

  • Historical questioning, source evaluation, analysis of perspectives, interpretations, continuity, and change in revolutionary developments.

The French-Indian War

  • Duration: 1754-1763.

  • Causes included colonial expansion, conflict over North American territory with French.

  • Conclusion via Treaty of Paris on February 10, 1763.

Consequences of the French-Indian War

  • Colonist experiences and military gains; British debt accumulation.

  • Initiated Pontiac's War and led to the Proclamation Act.

Proclamation Act of 1763

  • Prohibited colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to appease Native Americans.

The Thirteen Colonies

  • Comprised New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies.

  • Colonist society characterized by more equality compared to Britain.

Mercantilism

  • Economic theory prioritizing national power through resource acquisition from colonies, limiting colonial manufacturing and enforcing trade.

Conclusion

  • Pre-1763, Britain loosely governed colonies but post-war fiscal pressures led to stricter control and legislative enforcement, signaling a shift in colonial governance.