Causes of the American Revolution

Democratic Ideals in the Colonies Magna Carta (1215) English Bill of Rights (1688) Enlightenment (1700s) Great Awakening (1740s)

Democratic Ideals in the Colonies Magna Carta (1215) Limited king’s power Protected private property Right to trial by jury

Democratic Ideals in the Colonies English Bill of Rights (1688) Guaranteed individual freedoms Required Parliament to meet often Without Parliament’s approval, the monarch could not: (1) raise taxes or (2) build an army

Democratic Ideals in the Colonies Bicameralism Legislators divided into 2 separate assemblies (chambers or houses) Upper House (Aristocrats) Lower House (Commoners)

Upper House Wealthier and wiser Stabilizing force, elected not by mass electors, but selected by the State legislators Republican nobility to counter what Madison saw as the “fickleness and passion”

James Madison “Use of the Senate is to consist in its proceeding with more coolness, with more system and with more wisdom, than the popular branch.”

Upper House Framers granted Senate prerogatives in foreign policy, an area where steadiness, discretion, and caution were deemed especially important

Upper House Senate chosen by state legislators Senators had to possess a significant amount of property in order to be deemed worthy and sensible enough Only in 1913 that 17th Amendment passed, mandating Senators would be elected by popular vote rather than chosen by the State legislatures

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Democratic Ideals in the Colonies The Enlightenment, or The Age of Reason (1700s) Emphasis on human reason (philosophy) Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu The people can govern themselves (without a monarch, including God!)

John Locke Of Locke's influence Thomas Jefferson wrote: “Bacon, Locke and Newton I consider as the three greatest men that have ever lived, without any exception, and as having laid the foundation of those superstructures which have been raised in the Physical & Moral sciences.”

Democratic Ideals in the Colonies The Great Awakening (1740s) “Awake thou that sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” (Paul to the Ephesians, 5.14)

Democratic Ideals in the Colonies The Great Awakening (1740s) Religious revival: “Feel the Spirit!” Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield Direct (individual) experience of the Spirit Self-directed spirituality More religious diversity More religious toleration

Sinners Inna Hurns urvin Urngry Gerd “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: His wrath towards you burns like fire; He looks upon you as worthy of nothing else but to be cast into the fire; and yet it is nothing but His hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment.” (Jonathan Edwards) Sinners Inna Hurns urvin Urngry Gerd

Causes of the American Revolution Mercantilism Causes of the American Revolution

Policies of Mercantilism: The Navigation Acts No country could trade with colonies, unless goods were shipped in either English ships Crew operating ships had to be at least 75% English/colonial The colonies could export only to England Almost all goods traded between colonies and Europe had to go through an English port (taxes!)

Crackdown in Massachusetts: The Dominion of New England Puritan leaders were hostile to royal authority King James II put the Northern colonies under a single governor, Sir Edmund Andros “You have no more privileges left you, than not to be sold for slaves.” Colonists restricted from local assemblies

The Glorious Revolution Problems in England: The Glorious Revolution King James: a Roman Catholic who disrespected Protestants and Parliament Parliament invited William of Orange, the husband of King James’s daughter, to take the throne William and Mary become king and queen Parliament passes laws making it more powerful than the monarch

Problems in New England: Colonists Respond to Glorious Revolution (1) Colonists arrest Andros (2) Parliament restores Mass. Charter New charter required more religious toleration Puritans may no longer torture Quakers Non-puritans required in the colonial congress

England Relaxes: Salutary Neglect As long as colonies were economically loyal to England (mercantilism), English Parliament did not supervise colonies closely Results in greater colonial self-government Colonists still considered themselves English citizens