CIVICS-CH2Sec2

The Birth of our Nation p. 33

SALUTARY NEGLECT

• Before about 1760, Great Britain put few restrictions on the American colonies, and allowed them to make most of their own decisions.

MERCANTILISM

• In 1760, the British adopted a policy called mercantilism.

• The theory of mercantilism was that in order to be strong and increase its wealth, a country must sell to other countries more than it buys.

• More money must be coming in to the country than going out.

• The empire (mother country + colonies) would be a system that keeps money in the empire.

• The colonies would help by selling the mother country raw materials, and buying finished goods from the mother country.

• A side effect of this policy, was that colonial businesses that were set up to make finished goods would suffer

1763-FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR• At this point, most Americans saw

themselves as proud, loyal British citizens. • From 1756-1763, G. B. fought a long, costly

war with France, called the French & Indian War (also called the 7 Years War). – It was mostly the British (including American

colonists) against the French and their Indian allies.

• The goal of this war was partly to protect the American colonists from attacks by the French (in Canada) and the Indians.

FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR

• The war became a major war fought on several continents. The British won, and as a result, G. B. got Canada from the French.

WAR DEBT FROM THE FRENCH & INDIAN WAR

• Although G. B. won this war, they had a huge war debt to pay (money borrowed to fight the war), and the new territory (Canada) was expensive to govern.

• People in G.B. already paid high taxes to the British government, whereas the colonists paid almost no taxes to the British government.

• Parliament thought it was only fair for the colonists to start paying taxes, to help cover the war debt & expenses.

1765-STAMP ACT• 1765-Parliament passed the STAMP ACT, which

required the colonists to buy a stamp (tax) on all printed material.

1765-STAMP ACT

• The colonists protested, saying that since they had no representatives in Parliament, it wasn’t fair. “No taxation without representation”.

• The colonists protested by boycotting (refusing to buy) British goods. They wore homespun cloth and drank coffee rather than tea.

• So Parliament gave in, and repealed the STAMP ACT.

1766-Declaratory Act

• However, in 1766, Parliament passed the DECLARATORY ACT, saying that Parliament had the right to tax and make decisions for the colonies.

1767-TOWNSHEND ACTS• In 1767, G.B. passed a new set of taxes, called

the Townshend Acts, on basic items, including, glass, lead, paper and tea.

1767-TOWNSHEND ACTS

• The colonists protested and boycotted British goods again.

• They protested in interesting ways, like “hanging the tax agents in effigy” and “tarring and feathering” tax agents. They illegally smuggled in goods from other countries, to avoid paying the taxes.

PROTEST- TOWNSHEND ACTS

• The colonists said G. B. had no right to tax them. G. B. said it did have the right to tax them.

• 1770, G. B. repealed all the taxes, except the one on Tea.

1773-TEA ACT• In 1773, G.B. passed the “Tea Act”. Remember, there

was still a tax on tea, and Americans were still boycotting British Tea.

• The Tea Act allowed the British East India Company to sell tea to the colonists without itself paying taxes to G.B.

• This would mean the B. E. I. C. could sell the tea for a very cheap price. The colonists would pay their tax on the tea, but the tea would be so cheap, that even with the tax, it would be a bargain, cheaper than any tea sold by local merchant, and cheaper than smuggled tea.

“BOSTON TEA PARTY”• Colonists saw that the British government was

trying to “trick” them into paying the tea tax by buying the cheap tea.

• Colonists tried to block B.E.I.C. ships from entering American ports. However, B.E.I.C. ships entered Boston Harbor.

• 1773-To dramatically protest the Tea Act, colonists (including leading citizens) dressed up as Indians, boarded the B.E.I.C. ships, and threw 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor.

BOSTON TEA PARTY

• 1773-To dramatically protest the Tea Act, colonists (including leading citizens) dressed up as Indians, boarded the B.E.I.C. ships, and threw 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor.

1774-COERCIVE ACTS/INTOLERABLE ACTS

• 1774, the British government was furious at the Boston colonists, and passed the “Coercive Acts”, which Americans called the “Intolerable Acts”. These Acts: – Closed Boston harbor to incoming/outgoing ships, until the city

of Boston paid for the Tea they destroyed. – Restricted the right to trial by jury in Boston, until the men who

destroyed the tea were found and punished. – Allowed British agents to search private homes. Said that

British soldiers could be housed in the homes of American colonists.

• These acts were aimed at punishing Boston . Support from patriots in the other colonies poured into Boston.

FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS

• Patriots in other colonies were outraged• Sept. 1774, 12 colonies sent delegates to the 1st

Continental Congress, a meeting to discuss their concerns & represent American interests. It lasted 7 weeks

• They sent a letter to King George III demanding that the rights of the colonists be restored.

• They agreed to meet again if their demands were not met.

THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR BEGINS

• The British sent more troops to Boston to enforce the Coercive/Intolerable Acts. Tension rose.

• The colonists organized “Minute Men”, citizens who would be ready to defend the colony. They began storing gunpowder & rifles in Concord, Mass.

THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR BEGINS

• April 1775: The British found out about the weapons in Concord, & sent British soldiers to Concord to seize the weapons.

• Colonists found out that the British were heading for Concord. Minutemen were organized (Paul Revere, etc), and began shooting at the British soldiers. The British fired back.

• There were two skirmishes, at Lexington & Concord. The Revolutionary had begun (the “shot heard round the world. . .

THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR BEGINS

• One month later, May 1775, the 2nd Continental Congress met. – Some people wanted independence. – Some wanted independence, but thought it was impossible

to win a war against G.B. – Some remained loyal to G.B. (About 1/3 of American

colonists remained Loyalist). • However, a war was going on. So the 2nd C. C.

appointed George Washington as commander of the American forces. The war went on for over a year before independence was declared.

THOMAS PAINE “COMMON SENSE”• Jan. 1776, Thomas Paine (a real radical) published a

pamphlet called “Common Sense” that persuaded more colonists that independence was a good idea. He opposed monarchy and wanted it to be abolished around the world. – O ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny,

but the tyrant, stand forth! Every spot of the old world is overrun with oppression.

– Every thing that is right or natural pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, 'tis time to part

– THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

• By 1776 more than ½ of Continental Congress favored independence.

• They appointed Thomas Jefferson from Virginia to write a declaration that would explain the causes and formally declare independence.

• It listed the “abuses” by George III and called him a tyrant. (However, Parliament, not George III, had made all those laws they objected to.)

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE• IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776• The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen

united States of America• When in the Course of human events it becomes

necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Declaration of Independence, cont• 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,

Declaration of Independence, cont.

• that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it

• and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

• Basic ideas– People have certain “unalienable rights”, rights that

come from their Creator (God) and cannot be taken away.

– The purpose of government is protect these rights. – Government is based on the consent of the people. – The people are entitled to change or overthrow a

government if it fails to protect their rights or goes against their will.

– WHERE DID THESE IDEAS COME FROM??????

JOHN LOCKE

• The ideas in the Declaration of Independence were not new. Jefferson did not think them up.

• Jefferson got these ideas mostly from an English philosopher named John Locke who published “Second Treatise of Government in 1690.

John Locke

• Ideas of John Locke in “Second Treatise on Government”: – All people have certain basic rights: the right to

life, liberty and property. – Good government is based on a “social contract”

between the people and the government. – Social Contract: • The people agree to give up some of their freedom (not

all) and to abide by the decisions of the government. • In exchange, the government promises to protect the

life, liberty and property of the people.

DECLARATION OF INDEPENCENCE• The Continental Congress approved the

Declaration written by Jefferson (based on Locke), with a few changes.

• They signed it on July 4, 1776.