The American Revolution

1. The American Revolution

2. What caused the American Revolution? • Discuss this question in a small group. • Decide what your #1 reason is and write it on a white board. • Nominate one person to share with the class.

3. Long-Term Causes of the Revolution

4. 1. Salutary Neglect • Lasted from 1607 – 1763 • Lenient or non-existent enforcement of British rules and laws.

5. 2. History of Self-Government • The colonies ruled themselves up to 1776 • House of Burgesses • Mayflower Compact • Albany Congress • Great Awakening led to “congregational democracy”

6. 3. British Mindset • The colonies are the children of their English parents. • They should be • Watched • Disciplined • Made to Obey • The colonies owed something to those that founded and allowed the colonies to be created. • The least they could do was submit and be subordinate.

7. 4. Theory of Mercantilism • 1. Colonies should be established to benefit the mother country. • Desires - exports to be greater than import - gold and silver to be gathered

8. 5. Enlightenment Ideas • Writings of John Locke (Two Treaties on Govt.) that described the Social Contract • Republicanism • Private Property Rights

9. Copy each statement and decide if it is true or false while watching • 1.The Age of Reason is another name for the Enlightenment. • 2. Deists and Catholics had almost identical ideas about religion. • 3. Francis Bacon and René Descartes are considered to be the "Fathers of the Enlightenment." • 4. Voltaire invented a system for biological classification • 5. The use of the scientific method improved the quality of scientific study.

10. Philosopher Activity • Each member of the group must read the excerpt about the philosopher • Fill in the chart about the philosopher you have been assigned • Write the information on the orange sheet to share with the class. • Find the other group that has the same philosopher and decide which you like better and who will share

11. Who said it? • "No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.“ • “All mankind... being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions.”

12. Essential Question • How did the French and Indian War and Pontiac’s rebellion create dissent among the colonists?

13. Events leading to the Revolution

14. The French & Indian War (7 Years War) • 1754 • Troops were in America to protect Americans. Shouldn’t Americans _______ for this protection?

15. 2. Proclamation of 1763 • Colonists could not cross the Appalachian Mountains. • Passed in response to Pontiac’s Rebellion. • Britain did not want to protect those that moved west from Indians.

18. Alexander Hamilton Born 1755 in the Caribbean First Secretary of the Treasury

19. Essential Question • Warm-up answer yesterday’s EQ and get ready for your quiz. • What is a revolution anyway and are we on the verge of another revolution in this country? • Today we will: Quiz, lecture, research/write

20. 3. Navigation Acts • A series of laws restricting trade. • Certain items could only be sent to England. • British ships must be used for trade. • Writs of assistance (general search warrants) were used to search for smuggled goods.

22. 4. British Taxation Begins because of war debt incurred by the French & Indian War.

23. A. Sugar Acts • Colonists resisted the British right to tax them. • British Prime Minister Greenville never dreamed that colonists would respond the way they did, or that he didn’t have the right to tax them. • Colonists cut back on consumption of British goods. The Sugar Act was later repealed.

24. B. The Stamp Act • Tax placed on paper goods • Stamp Act Congress • Denied Parliament’s right to tax • Ben Franklin went to England • Mobs erupted • Several Stamp Offices were destroyed • Tax collectors were hung in effigy (with devils horns) • Tax collectors were tarred & feathered. • Colonists stopped consumption

26. Groups held mock trials that included charges of murder by stamp. Parliament spoke of treason, anarchy, & rebellion.

28. Only a few of the colonies ever paid this tax. Due to the massive protests, many tax collectors were too _______________.

29. The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted • James Otis • Rights are not derived from human institutions, but from nature and God. Thus, government does not exist to please monarchs, but to promote the good of the entire society

30. “No taxation without Representation.” VA House of Burgess – “we send no representatives to Parliament, they have no authority to tax the colonies.”

31. “Taxation without representation is tyranny.”

32. Patrick Henry introduced the VA Stamp Act Resolutions. "language so extreme that some Virginians said it smacked of treason".

33. Sons of Liberty • In response to the Stamp Act, this group was established. • They spread propaganda throughout the colonies. • Started by Sam Adams & John Hancock

34. Parliament • Repeal would establish & bad precedent. • “Why should we expect them to ever pay if they succeed escaping this one.” • English merchants were mad. • Colonists stopped consuming goods

35. 1766 • 1. Parliament repealed the Stamp Act • 2. Parliament passed the Declaratory Act • “The Parliament…..had, hath, and of right ought to have, full power and authority to make laws and statutes of sufficient force and validity to bind the colonies and people of America ... in all cases whatsoever".

36. Many historians believe the Stamp Act would have led to armed conflict if it had not been repealed.

37. 5. Conspiracy Theory • The colonists believe that Britain has a vast conspiracy to take away their LIBERTY & reduce them to slavery. • Each tax and act reinforces this belief.

38. “Give me Liberty or Give me Death.” Patrick Henry 1775

39. 6. The Quartering Act, 1765 • Colonists must house Redcoats in barracks, inns, taverns, or vacant buildings. • Soldiers must be given beer, cider, firewood, and candles.

40. The Revolution was not inevitable at this point. There was no real organized movement. Colonists were determined to resist their unconstitutional authority.

41. 7. The Townshend Acts • (named after new British Prime Minister) • Duties on paper, paint, lead, glass, and tea • Stamp Act was a direct tax, these were designed to be indirect. Townshend believed the colonists would be okay with them.

42. Protest of Townshend Duties • Letter from a farmer in PA • John Dickinson • taxes laid upon the colonies for the purpose of raising revenue, rather than regulating trade, were unconstitutional • Non-Importation Plan (for merchants) • “save your money & save your country.” • Lessen consumption of English goods = repeal • Smuggling increased • Boycotts (consumers) • “Let us behave like dutiful children who have received unmerited blows from a parent.”

43. Tactics • Businesses who didn’t follow non-importation • Boycotted • Names published in newspapers • Tarred & Feathered • Kicked out of Town • Shops destroyed • Owners hung in effigy • The ____________ of _____________ was key in organizing the Protest.

44. “Don’t Tread on Me!”

45. Liberty Poles • Poles (or trees) like this would be displayed. • Often British officials would tear them down.

46. Boston • The Quartering Act led to great tension. • Sons of Liberty worked to keep shops from hiring off-duty soldiers. • Several liberty poles were chopped down & replaced. • British warships were in “war maneuvers” in Boston harbor.

47. Tension • A standing army in the midst • Competition over jobs • Troops patrolled the city • Buildings they occupied were taken illegally. • Conspiracy Fears • Several Brawls occurred

48. 8. The Boston Massacre • March 5, 1770 • (5) ARE KILLED. • SONS OF LIBERTY DEMONSTRATE THEIR PROPAGANDA SKILLS • 10,000 SHOW UP FOR FUNERAL PROCESSION.