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