American Revolution:The Birth of a Republic

Britain and Its American Colonies

The colonies thrived on trade with the nations of Europe

Colonists were British subjects but began to feel a sense of identity as Americans

The colonies had their own governments and were used to a large degree of independence

The Navigation Acts

Laws that prevented the colonists from selling their most valuable products to any country but Britain

Imposed high taxes on French and Dutch goods

Led to smuggling in order to avoid taxes

America Wins Independence

When George III becomes king in 1760, most Americans were happy to be loyal citizens of Britain

The king uses taxes on the colonies to help pay for the expenses of the French and Indian War

George III

The Stamp Act 1765

An official stamp was required on wills, deeds, newspapers, and other printed material

The colonists had no representatives in the British Parliament

This was taxation without representation, and illegal under British law.

http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~cspeidel/stamp%20badges.htm

Boycott

A refusal to buy based on political reasons.

The Stamp Act motivated colonists to boycott British goods.

The British repealed the Stamp Act in 1766.

Growing Hostility Leads to War

The British react harshly to colonial protests

Resentment towards British policies grows among the colonists

Samuel Adams

Organized the Boston Tea Party to protest a tax on tea.

The British navy closes the port of Boston

British troops occupy the city

First Continental Congress

Representatives from every colony but Georgia gather in Philadelphia in 1774

They protested the treatment of Boston

King George paid little attention

Second Continental Congress Formed to debate the colonist’s next move On April 19, 1775 British soldiers and

American militiamen exchanged gunfire at Lexington, Massachusetts

The battle spread to the nearby town of Concord

These are the first two battles of the American Revolution

The Congress names George Washington leader of the Continental army

Enlightenment Ideas Influence American Colonists

Many colonists want to remain loyal to Britain

A growing number favor independence They use Enlightenment ideas to justify

independence They said the king had broken the social

contract

July 4, 1776

The Second Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence

Written by Thomas Jefferson Based on ideas of John Locke

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

A Break With the Crown

John Locke had said that people had a right to rebel against an unjust ruler

The Declaration included a long list of complaints and abuses by king George III

Success for the Colonists

Odds against the colonists were strong Great Britain was the most powerful

country in the world and had the world’s best army and navy

Colonists were highly motivated to fight for their homeland

A war 3000 miles from home was difficult and expensive for the British. Their generals made key errors.

An Alliance With France King Louis XVI of

France wanted to weaken British control in North America

He sent money and troops to help the Americans fight

Yorktown

In 1781, combined American and French forces trapped the British army commanded by Lord Cornwallis near Yorktown, Virginia

Cornwallis was forced to surrender Americans had won the war

Americans Create a Republic

After the victory, the colonies set up a new government

They wanted a republic but were worried about making the national government too powerful

They wanted states to keep most decision-making authority

The Articles Create a Weak National Government

The new government was a loose alliance of states, a confederacy

They deliberately made the national government weak and the states strong

The Articles of Confederation No national executive No judicial branch Only a Congress No power to collect taxes No power to raise a national army No power to regulate trade Each state gets one vote - regardless of

size 9 out of 13 states were needed to pass laws

Limits Create Problems

National government has no power to tax the states

Some states imposed tariffs on goods from other states

Many people are upset with poor economic conditions

Shay’s Rebellion

Daniel Shays led a revolt of angry farmers in Massachusetts

They were protesting taxes and wanted the state to issue paper money so they could repay their debts

The rebellion brought attention to the need for a stronger national army

A New Constitution

In 1787, Congress created the Constitutional Convention to revise the Articles of Confederation

The convention argued for months over important basic issues

How should a new government look?

Who should be represented? How many votes should each state have? Should larger states get more votes than

smaller ones? Should slaves be counted for the purpose

of representation?

The Federal System

Delegates distrusted a strong central government

They created a system with three separate branches

This allowed for a system of checks and balances

Checks and Balances

Each branch of the government has some way to limit the power of the other two branches The President can veto Congress The Congress can override a

presidential veto with a 2/3 vote The Supreme court can declare laws

and actions of the President unconstitutional

Federalism

The Constitution does not eliminate the powers of state governments

Federalism is the existence of a strong national with state governments at the same time

In our federal system, the national government is supreme to the governments of states

Federalists v. Anti-Federalists

Federalists -wanted a strong national government

Anti-Federalists – feared that the Constitution gave the national government too much power.

Ratification

The Federalists promised that a Bill of Rights would be added to the Constitution to protect against abuses by the national government

Anti-Federalists would not have voted to ratify the Constitution without this promise

The Constitution was ratified between 1787 and 1778

The Bill of Rights

Many states did not want to ratify the Constitution

They wanted the document to contain some guarantees of personal liberties

They insisted that a Bill of Right be added to the Constitution

1 Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.

2 Right to keep and bear arms in order to maintain a well regulated militia.

3 No quartering of soldiers. 4 Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. 5 Right to due process of law, freedom from self-

incrimination, double jeopardy. 6 Rights of accused persons, e.g., right to a speedy and

public trial. 7 Right of trial by jury in civil cases. 8 Freedom from excessive bail, cruel and unusual

punishments. 9 Other rights of the people. 10 Powers reserved to the states.