a.k.a., Things youve studied 4 times before. American
Revolution Review
Slide 2
A. Britain as Superpower British advantages: 1) Military Royal
Navy
Slide 3
A. Britain as Superpower (cont.) 2) Economics Colonial trading
empire. Mercantilist system. Export > Import.
Slide 4
A. Britain as Superpower (cont.) First of the 13 colonies:
Jamestown (Virginia) 1607 Last colony: Settlers trickled in over
150 years. 1750 Population reached 1 million. Georgia 1732
GOLD
Slide 5
A. Britain as Superpower (cont.) Why a trickle and not a flood?
California experience: 1848 Gold discovered. 1849 Gold Rush. 1850
Statehood. 1880s Population = 1 million
Slide 6
A. Britain as Superpower (cont.) A territory which is:
Economically important (Resource rich with easy money-making
opportunities) Politically important. (Great powers want to own it,
control it, and decide what happens there.) =
Slide 7
A. Britain as Superpower (cont.) How were the colonies
governed? British govt. = unitary system. Due to salutary neglect,
the colonies were run by: locallyelectedassemblies.
Slide 8
A. Britain as Superpower (cont.) British govt.: American govt.:
Central control. Local control.
Slide 9
B. The Seven Years War British v. French 1) North America (F
& I War). 2) Indian subcontinent. 3) Central Europe. Winston
Churchill: Seven Years War = First World War
Slide 10
Slide 11
B. The Seven Years War (cont.) Huge British victory. Huge war
debt. Parliament put TAXES directly on the colonies for the first
time.
Slide 12
B. The Seven Years War (cont.) We objected for 2 reasons: 1) No
taxation w/o representation. 2) We rejected to the usurpation of
our local decision-making power. To usurp = to take away w/o legal
right.
Slide 13
C. Declaration of Independence Two audiences: PROPAGANDA! 1)
Unconvinced colonists. 2) Potential foreign allies.
Slide 14
C. Declaration of Independence Based on Social Contract Theory:
Free people created governments, Governments that dont, to protect
their rights. should be overthrown. Main author = Main ideas =
Thomas Jefferson. John Locke.
Slide 15
C. Independence! (cont.) 1775-76 Lexington & Concord (1775)
Lexington & Concord (1775) Declaration of Independence
(1776)
Slide 16
C. Independence! (cont.) 1777-78 Victories at Saratoga (1777)
Treaty of Alliance w/France (1778)
Slide 17
C. Independence! (cont.) 1781-83. Victory at Yorktown (1781)
Treaty of Paris (1783)
