The American Revolution

Transcription

1 The American Revolution

2

3 The American Revolution in relation to...

4 the English Civil War and the French Revolution -English Civil War begins in 1642 when, following a failed attempt to arrest radical members of parliament (those who signed the Grand Remonstrance), Charles I raises troops against parliament -English Civil War ends in 1688 when parliament invites William of Orange and his wife, Mary (James II s daughter) to assume the throne of England. This invitation is predicated on the understanding that William and Mary will sign the Bill of Rights, effectively agreeing to rule alongside parliament and respect the rights of their people -American Revolution begins in 1775 and ends in French Revolution begins in 1789 with members of the Third Estate separating from the Estates General and swearing the Tennis Court Oath at Versailles -French Revolution ends in 1795 with the formation of the Directory (this date is debatable, as some believe the end of the revolution occurs with the fall of Robespierre while others believe it coincides with either the rise or fall of Napoleon! For our purposes, this is the date/event you need to know [it s also the one your textbook gives!])

5 the Salem Witch Trials -Massachusetts Bay Colony established in English Civil War begins in English Civil War ends in Salem Trials begin in February, 1692 when Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams accuse Tituba -Salem Trials end in May, 1693 when Governor Phipps pardons and releases all accused witches -American Revolution begins in 1775 and ends in French Revolution begins in French Revolution ends in 1795

6 Who s in Power?

7 England George III ( ) (We haven t heard of him before! For context: William and Mary, Anne, George I, George II, then George III)

8 France Louis XV (Remember him? He came after the Sun King but before Louis XVI, who was married to Marie Antoinette and died during the Revolution. So, right about here: Sun King/Louis XIV, Louis XV, Louis XVI)

9 Causes of the American Revolution

10 Setting the Stage 1763: Treaty of Paris, signed by George III and Louis XV to end the Seven Years War, cedes the vast majority of French territory in North America to the British (some goes to the Spanish and a tiny bit is kept by France) 1763: George III s Royal Proclamation angers the American settlers

11 The Royal Proclamation - indirect cause of the American Revolution -recognized that most of the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains belonged to the First People of North America -set restrictions on settler migration (colonists could not move into the Ohio Valley and other desirable areas) -satisfied the First Nations because it forbade settlers and traders from entering their territory without permission -colonists viewed the proclamation as favouring the First Nations interests over their own and considered it a sign that the British government did not regard them as true equals (see page 299)

12 Identity Crisis -American colonists did not view themselves as American -identified with the colony in which they lived (Virginians, New Yorkers, etc.) -even identified as British to some extent (many had family and financial ties to Britain, some even owned property in the home country) -Britain was a manufacturing nation (even before the Industrial Revolution which didn t occur until the mid 1800s) and North America supplied raw goods, an arrangement that was beneficial to business people on both sides of the Atlantic

13 Taxation without Representation -Britain attempted to pay for its expenses from the pockets of the American colonists, without their consent -colonists considered this presumptuous demand a great insult -unfortunately, resistance was difficult without a sense of unity

14 TwR: The Stamp Act 1765: made Americans pay tax on many goods and most government services (much like our GST/PST) -tax was in the form of a stamp that had to be purchased and affixed to everything -money raised through this tax was supposed to go towards protecting the colonies (but was implemented suspiciously quickly after the Treaty of Paris, when England was still broke!) -enraged colonists because they had no say in the government

15 TwR: The Stamp Act Continued -colonists attacked crown representatives sent to enforce the tax (even tarring and feathering some!) -mobs destroyed the houses of government officials -many English sided with the American colonists and most officials in the colonies were too afraid to attempt to enforce the tax -act was repealed (taken back) in 1766

16 TwR: Tea Act introduced along with other taxes as a replacement to the stamp act -other taxes were eventually abolished but the tea tax continued

17 Boston Massacre -tensions were rising as American colonists were being forced to billet British soldiers or to pay for their lodging -1770: nervous British soldiers misunderstood an order and fired into a crowd of protesters, killing several people

18 Boston Tea Party Sons of Liberty dressed as Mohawks and threw crates of tea into the Boston Harbour to protest the Tea Act -Boston Tea Party:

19 The Quebec Act Canadiens prevented from establishing an elected assembly (effectively keeping power in the hands of the English) -American colonists saw this as an ominous sign; they already had elected assemblies but had been hoping for even more independence and its resulting democracy

20 The Quebec Act (I Know, We Talked About This ) -following the Quebec Act in 1774, each of the colonies sent representatives to the First Continental Congress (Thomas Jefferson was one of these representatives) -colonies agreed to work together for the very first time! -Congress soon demanded a boycott of all goods from England, essentially cutting all economic ties with the home country -colonists began to train and amass weapons and ammunitions (preparing for war!)

21 The Revolution Begins!

22 British Sentiment -many in England supported the Americans (perhaps influenced by their own recent struggle for democracy?)

23 American Sentiment -some did not support the Revolution (about 20%, actually!) -these Loyalists were persecuted (think tarring and feathering, burning of houses, expulsion, etc.) -many Loyalists fled north (more on that later!)

24 The Shot Heard Round the World -British and American soldiers faced off on April 19, 1775 at Lexington Green in Massachusetts -British soldiers were told not to fire and the Americans were told to leave -someone fired a shot -Americans were driven away with surprisingly few casualties -on the road back to Boston, Americans ambushed the British, causing many casualties

25 American Strategy -Americans knew they needed an army and manage to assemble a large one -George Washington was one of the original leaders and was soon made commander of the newly formed Continental Army (he later became America s first president! Who else can you think of who shifted from a military leader to a political one?) George Washington:

26 Barring the Back Door -Americans were sure Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland would support them in their revolution -sought to prevent British troops from coming through the back door of Quebec -failed attempt to seize Quebec in 1775 (by Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold) helped to ensure that the Canadians remained loyal to Britain (this attempted invasion will be important later on, during the war of 1812!)

27 So, What s Our Game Plan?

28 The American Declaration of Independence -many revolutionary leaders did not want a complete break with England -in fact, the whole idea of the revolution stemmed from England (Locke believed that people had a right to freedom and should be allowed to rid themselves of a bad monarch!) -eventually, it became apparent that complete independence was the only option

29 Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration -In 1776, Thomas Jefferson (with some help from Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams) drafted the American Declaration of Independence, an important statement of principles of democracy and freedom and a document that is still in force today (Cranny, 1998, p. 306)!

30 The American Declaration of Independence Read the information given on page 307. Discuss with your group what similarities and differences this document bears to the others we have learned about (Magna Charta, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen, etc.)

31 The American Declaration of Independence Similarities to Previous Documents: Differences from Previous Documents: -equal rights to citizens (mostly land-owning caucasian men) -Magna Carta: cut down monarch s rights/preserved the rights of citizens under a monarch -created by men, not monarchs -lengthy -Bill of Rights: specifically designed by parliament for the monarch to follow -inspired by other documents (except the Magna Carta) -Declaration of Independence written and ratified hastily

32 George s Reaction -George III was less than thrilled by the Declaration of Independence -increased the size of his army and navy -battle continued for 7 years!

33 Louis Reaction -in an attempt to avenge his grandfather s epic failure during the Seven Years War (when he lost most of France s territory in the New World), Louis XVI stepped in to offer support for the Americans -French support swung the balance of the war in favour of the Americans

34 The American Revolution ended in 1783 with the surrender of the last British stronghold (NY).