Revolutions: American

How it began Think back to the British Enlightenment experiment… Who was the British King who wanted to bring back royal power? Seven Years’ War with who? Fought primarily in North America.

Seven Years’ War Known as French and Indian War in US France v. Britain in North America Britain wins and gets all of French North America

British gains

So everything is great, right? If Britain won and got all that land then life should be good for them right? What problems could come up for Britain?

Problems for Britain Money Men After the war, Britain had debts to pay off and not enough money to do it Men In North America, British declared that colonists could not use new lands and needed more men in North America to enforce that law.

Money Problems To get more money the British decided that the colonists should help pay. Problem: Colonists did not believe they had a say in what went on even though they basically ran their own stuff The cry from colonists was: “No taxation without representation” What does that mean?

Issues begin What were some events that led to the Revolution?

Steps toward Revolution Boston Massacre: British soldiers fired on a crowd of colonists who were throwing snowballs and stones at them Boston Tea Party: Colonists snuck onto British ships and dumped their tea into the harbor to protest taxes

Influence of Enlightenment ideas Thomas Paine’s Common Sense: Used reason and anti tyranny arguments to say that colonists should declare independence Declaration of Independence: Written by multiple people but primarily by Thomas Jefferson. Followed John Locke’s enlightenment ideas.

Declaration of Independence “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… 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…”

Declaration of Independence

Uh oh, no turning back now Once this document is signed, the colonists have decided that it is independence or death for them The fighting begins with the Continental Congress appointing George Washington as the general of the Continental Army. The colonists struggles through out the entire war but with a little luck and some help from the French, eventually they defeat the British

The American Revolution England Advantages: -professional soldiers -occupied major cities -huge fleet of ships -more money -Loyalists – 1/3 of colonists Colony Advantages: -fighting on their own ground -controlled the countryside -allied support 1777- France, Spain, Netherlands

Colonists win

New Government First try: Articles of Confederation= too weak Could not survive Second try: U.S. Constitution= influenced by enlightenment Locke: Natural Rights and government to protect rights Montesquieu: Separation of Powers; checks and balances Rousseau: Government at the will of the governed Voltaire: Freedoms for the people; Bill of Rights

How this all works in to World History American Revolution was first full fledge attempt by the people to use enlightenment ideas To this point, these thing were just ideas, after it they were put into practice and were (relatively) successful. The people of the world saw this and wondered if it would work for them.