American Philosophes

• Benjamin Franklin• Thomas Jefferson• John Adams• Thomas Paine

Tar and Feathering

The Boston Massacre The Boston Massacre ((March 5,1770March 5,1770))

Tea Act Tea Act (1773)(1773)8 British East India Co.:British East India Co.:

Monopoly on British tea Monopoly on British tea imports.imports.

Many members of Many members of Parliament held shares.Parliament held shares.

Permitted the Co. to Permitted the Co. to sell tea directly to sell tea directly to colonies without colonies without middlemen middlemen (cheaper tea!)(cheaper tea!)

8 North expected the North expected the cols. to eagerly choose cols. to eagerly choose the cheaper tea.the cheaper tea.

Boston Tea Party Boston Tea Party (1773)(1773)

The Coercive or The Coercive or IntolerableIntolerableActs Acts (1774)(1774)

Lord NorthLord North

1.1. Port Bill Port Bill

2.2. Government Government ActAct

4.4. Administration Administration ofof Justice Act Justice Act

3.3. New Quartering New Quartering Act Act

First Continental First Continental Congress Congress (1774)(1774)55 delegates from 12 55 delegates from 12

coloniescoloniesAgendaAgenda How How

to respond to to respond to the Coercive the Coercive Acts & the Acts & the Quebec Act?Quebec Act?

1 vote per colony 1 vote per colony represented.represented.

The British Are The British Are Coming Coming . . .. . .

Paul ReverePaul Revere & & William DawesWilliam Dawes make make their midnight ride to warn the their midnight ride to warn the

MinutemenMinutemen of approaching British of approaching British soldiers.soldiers.

The Shot Heard The Shot Heard ’’Round the WorldRound the World!!

LexingtonLexington & & ConcordConcord – April – April 19,177519,1775

The Second The Second Continental Continental

CongressCongress(1775)(1775)

Olive Branch Olive Branch PetitionPetition

Thomas PaineThomas Paine: : Common SenseCommon Sense

• It was ridiculous for an island to rule a continent.• America was not a "British nation"; it was composed of

influences and peoples from all of Europe,• Even if Britain was the "mother country" of America, that

made her actions all the more horrendous, for no mother would harm her children so brutally.

• Being a part of Britain would drag America into unnecessary European wars, and keep it from the international commerce at which America excelled.

• The distance between the two nations made the governing the colonies from England unwieldy. If some wrong were to be petitioned to Parliament, it would take a year before the colonies received a response.

• The New World was discovered shortly after the Reformation. The Puritans believed that God wanted to give them a safe haven from the persecution of British rule.

• Britain ruled the colonies for its own benefit, and did not consider the best interests of the colonists in governing them.

• Less-quoted sections of the pamphlet include Paine's over-optimistic view of America's military potential at the time of the Revolution. For example, he spends pages describing how colonial shipyards, by using the large amounts of lumber available in the country, could quickly create a navy that could rival the Royal Navy.

Declaration of Declaration of Independence Independence

(1776)(1776)

Declaration of Declaration of IndependenceIndependence

Independence HallIndependence Hall

New New National National SymbolsSymbols

BritainBritain AmericansAmericans

AdvantagesAdvantages ?? ??

DisadvantagesDisadvantages ?? ??

On the Eve of the On the Eve of the Revolution ?Revolution ?

Washington’s HeadachesWashington’s HeadachesOnly 1/3 of the colonists were in favor of a war for independence [the other third were Loyalists, and the final third were neutral].State/colony loyalties.Congress couldn’t tax to raise money for the Continental Army.Poor training [until the arrival of Baron von Steuben.

Military StrategiesMilitary Strategies

Attrition [the Brits had a long supply line].Guerilla tactics [fight an insurgent war you don’t have to win a battle, just wear the British down]Make an alliance with one of Britain’s enemies.

The Americans The British

Break the colonies in half by getting between the No. & the So.Blockade the ports to prevent the flow of goods and supplies from an ally.“Divide and Conquer” use the Loyalists.

Phase IPhase I:: The Northern The Northern CampaignCampaign[1775-1776][1775-1776]

Bunker Hill (June, 1775)Bunker Hill (June, 1775)

The British suffered over 40% casualties.

Phase IIPhase II::NY & PANY & PA

[1777-1778][1777-1778]

New York City in FlamesNew York City in Flames(1776)(1776)

Washington Crossing the Washington Crossing the DelawareDelaware

Painted by Emanuel Leutze, 1851

Saratoga: Saratoga: “Turning “Turning Point”Point” of the War? of the War?

A modern-day re-enactment

Phase IIIPhase III:: The Southern The Southern Strategy Strategy [1780-1781][1780-1781]

Britain’s “Southern Britain’s “Southern Strategy”Strategy”Britain thought that there were more

Loyalists in the South.Southern resources were more valuable/worth preserving.The British win a number of small victories, but cannot pacify the countryside [similar to U. S. failures in Vietnam!]Good US General:Nathanial Greene

The Battle of Yorktown The Battle of Yorktown (1781)(1781)

Count de Rochambeau

AdmiralDe Grasse

Cornwallis’ Surrender at Cornwallis’ Surrender at Yorktown:Yorktown:

Painted by John Trumbull, 1797““The World Turned Upside The World Turned Upside

Down!” Down!”

North America After theNorth America After theTreaty of Paris, 1783Treaty of Paris, 1783

The United States in The United States in 17871787