Unit 2
RevolutionStandards 3 and 4
Anglo French Relationships 1754-1763
• By 1750, Britain & France had become serious rivals because:– Both nations used
mercantilism to expand their colonial claims in order to increase their wealth
– Britain & France went to war 3 times in Europe from 1690-1750
• These wars in Europe meant that their colonists would fight too
Land Disputes with Natives
• During the 1700s, both the British & French colonies were growing
• Land disputes along the Ohio River Valley led to the French & Indian War
Relations with Native Americans
• The growth of the British & French colonies impacted Indians too:– The French increased
their alliances with Native Americans along the Ohio River Valley
– The spread of British colonists into the backcountry & across the Appalachian Mountains led to numerous Indian conflicts
French were friendly with Indians for fur
Indians grew increasingly concerned about British colonists filling into the backcountry
New settlement
The Albany Congress
• In 1754, colonists from across the British colonies met at the Albany Congress to discuss the common problem of Indian attacks:– Benjamin Franklin proposed
the Albany Plan of Union for a coordinated colonial army
– The plan was not approved– The colonists lacked the unity
to solve a common problem
Ben Franklin’s “Albany Plan of Union”America’s 1st political cartoon
The French & Indian War• Britain &
their North American colonists
• France, their colonists, & Indian allies
vs.
■The war started in North America
(1754-1763), but became part of a larger, “world” war called the Seven Years War (1756-1763) due to competition among empires
SEVEN YEAR’S WAR
Turning Point: 1754In 1754, VA governor sent 22 year old George Washington to protect an Ohio Company claim
Washington’s troops were forced to retreat from Fort Duquesne; This clash proved to be
the beginning of the French & Indian War
Fighting the French & Indian War
+ Britain was losing during the early years of the war
+ The colonists saw this war as another European conflict & did not help fight or raise taxes as
much as England expected
+ But, in 1757, British Prime Minister William Pitt issued a “blank check” to win the war
America in 1754 America in 1763
The Treaty of Paris, 1763
The war officially ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763
France lost Canada, most of its empire in India, & claims to lands
east of the Mississippi RiverEngland gained all French lands in Canada & exclusive rights to the Caribbean slave trade
Spain got all lands west of the Mississippi River, New Orleans, but lost Florida to England
Effects of the French & Indian War• Changed the
relationship between Britain & the American colonists:– Colonists were
excited about the possibility of new land in the west now that the French were gone
– Colonists learned new guerilla fighting tactics from the Indians
Effects of the French & Indian War• The French & Indian War
changed the relationship between Britain & the American colonists:
– William Pitt’s “blank check” led to huge war debts
– Parliament expected coloniststo help pay off these debts
– More decisions would now be made by the British Parliament
Effects of the French & Indian War• Other problems
strained the relationship between Britain & the colonists after the war: – The expensive British
army was not removed from America
– The Ottawa Indians, led by Chief Pontiac, attacked frontier settlers who flooded into the Ohio Valley
– Britain had to spend more money defending colonists in the frontier
The end to salutary neglect
–New taxes & laws were passed without asking colonial assemblies
–As Britain assumed more control, the colonists tried to hang onto the power of their colonial assemblies
–This shift would prove to be the beginning of the long road towards colonial independence
Effects of the French & Indian War• The French & Indian War brought an end to
salutary neglect & began parliamentary sovereignty– English officials assumed that Parliament must
have ultimate authority over ALL laws & taxes
–The British began governing their colonies more strictly
Strict British Rule of Colonies• Proclamation of 1763
– Written in response to Pontiac’s Rebellion.
• Attempted to unify all Native Americans.
• Thought English forces were weak after war with France
– Actual document promises NO ENGLISH SETTLMENT west of Appalachians.
Repealed by Parliament in 1766Because of pressure by English businessmen hit by boycotts and decline in number of people willing to be agents
Mob reaction to the Stamp ActFor the 1st time, many colonists refer to
fellow boycotters as “patriots”
The “Sons of Liberty” & “Daughters of Liberty” were formed to protest British restrictions &
became the leaders of colonial resistance
The colonial boycotts were effective & Britain repealed the Stamp Act
The was a series of “indirect” taxes on lead, glass, paper, tea, etc.
-Spread propaganda and information by exchanging letters about British atrocities-Began in Massachusetts-Other colonies formed committees-Evolved into first American congresses Committees of Correspondence
Taxes• ½ English debt from
defending colonies• Colonists should pay some• Taxes in England were
higher• Colonists angry• No taxation without
representation
Colonists injured British soldiers by
throwing snowballs & oyster shells
With only 4 dead, this was hardly a
“massacre” but it reveals the power of colonial propaganda
Leads to First Continental Congress which attempted to help Boston
The Enlightenment• Colonists used the ideas of the
Enlightenment to justify their protest–John Locke wrote that people have
natural rights (life, liberty, & property) & should oppose tyranny
–Rousseau believed that citizens have a social contract with their gov’t
–Montesquieu argued that power should not be in the hands of a king, but separated among gov’t branches
1st Continental Congress 1774• Meeting in Philadelphia• 12 of 13 colonies• Petitions to the king and plans for
complete boycott• Will meet again in May 1775 if needed
2nd Continental Congress May 1775
• All 13 colonies• Petition King George III• Name George Washington as leader of Continental
Army
BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL JUNE 1775
• Colonists take Bunker Hill
• Frontal assault launched by British
• Americans outnumbered
• Gunpowder ran out and hill abandoned
• Heavy British casualties
OLIVE BRANCH PETITIONJULY 1775
• Profess American loyalty to the crown
• Asked King to stop hostilities• King proclaims colonies in rebellion
and hires Hessian troops
THOMAS PAINE “COMMON SENSE” JANUARY 1776
• Calls for independence and a new type of political society
• Govt should govern by consent of the people
• Written in common language
• Pushed people to independence
Examining Excerpts from Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
• Examine Common Sense:– In teams, read the 6 excerpts from
Common Sense & write the main idea in your own words
The American Revolution
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE JULY 4, 1776
• Explanation of independence• All people have “natural rights”• King was denying rights so independence justified• List of deeds by King
Member Colony
Ben Franklin Pennsylvania
Roger Sherman Connecticut
Thomas Jefferson Virginia
John Adams Massachusetts
Robert Livingston New York
The Declaration of Independence
• By 1776, American colonists were divided into 3 groups:–Patriots supported separation
from Britain (independence)–Loyalists wanted to remain
British colonies –Neutrals were undecided about
which side to choose
The Enlightenment• The American Revolution was inspired by the
Enlightenment:– John Locke—all men are born with natural rights &
citizens can revolt from tyrannical gov’ts– Montesquieu—separation of powers; checks &
balances– Thomas Paine’s Common Sense urged colonial
independence
The Declaration of Independence • By July 1776, enough Americans were
“patriots” that members of the Second Continental Congress formed a 5-man committee to draft a Declaration of Independence:–Thomas Jefferson of Virginia was the
principal author–It was based on the “enlightened”
ideas of John Locke & explained why the colonists were rebelling
All men are born with “natural rights” of life, liberty, & property
Citizens can break their social contract with their gov’t when their gov’t becomes tyrannical
Class Activity Examining Excerpts from the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence & Influences from the Enlightenment
The American Revolution• The Dec of Independence was a formal
demand for separation, but the Revolutionary War had already begun in 1775:– Lexington & Concord– Formation of a Continental Army under George
Washington– Americans were divided among Patriots, Loyalists,
& Neutrals
Patriots vs. Loyalists
• Where were the Loyalists?
• Why were Loyalists near cities?
• Why are Indians loyalists?
Revolutionary War• When the war began,
the British had a clear military advantage:–400% larger & more
experienced army–More money –The world’s most
dominant navy–Manufacturing to
make war supplies
Revolutionary War• But, the American
colonists had:–Familiarity with the
environment –A commitment to win
the war –Short supply lines to
their soldiers–A defensive strategy
to outlast the British
To win, the English had to find & defeat the Continental Army
Britain under-estimated the colonial commitment to independence
The Role of George Washington• As leader of the Continental Army, George
Washington was the symbol of the American cause:– He had to build a professional army & coordinate
the militias – Encouraged common citizens & volunteer soldiers
to support the war even when the British seemed destined to win during the early years of the revolution
American Military:
Continental Army,
Colonial Militias, & Civilians
Differing Military StrategiesThe Americans The British
• Outlast the British–Defend colonial
lands & drag out the war
–Guerilla tactics –Make an alliance
with France
• Divide & Conquer–Use Loyalists, seize
property, encourage slave revolts
–Split the Northern & Southern colonies
–Blockade ports to prevent trade
General Washington
General Gage
Battle Map
Crossing the Delaware in route to a surprise attack at Trenton & Princeton, 1776
The French Alliance• From the beginning of the
war, American diplomats, led by Benjamin Franklin, tried to form an alliance with the French:– The French gov’t was
willing, but needed to see that the Americans had a chance to win
– The French agreed to join the American cause after the battle of Saratoga in 1777
The “Turning Point” of the Revolution: The Battle of Saratoga, 1777
Marquis de Lafayette
After Saratoga, French general Lafayette helped train
American troops while the French navy helped
neutralize the British advantage on the high seas
When French troops arrived in the spring 1778, the tide of the war shifted in favor
of the Americans
VALLEY FORGE• During the winter of 1777-78, Continental
Army troops nearly starved at Valley Forge, PA but Washington & Lafayette inspired & trained the troops to continue the fight
YORKTOWN
• From 1778-1781, both sides traded victories, but the war finally came to a conclusion at the Battle of Yorktown
• By 1781, Washington trapped the army of British General Cornwallis between the Continental Army & the French navy
• General Cornwallis surrendered to Washington in 1781, ending the American Revolution
• Cornwallis’ surrender was the “day the world turned upside down”
TREATY OF PARIS
• The Treaty of Paris in 1783 ended the American Revolution
• The treaty gave America:– Full independence – All territory east of Mississippi River, between
Canada & FL– The removal of the British army from U.S. claims in
America
Results of the Treaty of ParisAfter Treaty of Paris 1763 After Treaty of Paris 1783
Inspiring Other Revolutions
Political
Economic
Social