1. THE BIRTH OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC I. Britain’s power grab
II. American colonies in the mid-1700’s
III. Discontent
IV. Revolutionary War
V. Constitution

2. I. Britain’s Power Grab Text
England used mercantilism to control colonial trade & increase their profits
England had a monopoly on the slave trade – giving them a ton of money!
England won the Seven Years War in 1763, pushing France West of the Mississippi

3. II. The Colonies in the mid-1700’s
For 150 years, colonists were happy with this relationship with England
In 1763, England won the French and Indian War & the Treaty of Paris gave England all French lands east of the Mississippi River...
…But the war left England with massive debts
Colonists believed that they were rightful English citizens, and demanded the same rights as people living in England!

4. III. Colonists express discontent (anger)
To pay off war debts, Britain created a series of new taxes on the American colonists
The colonists were upset that Parliament in England would pass laws without the colonists approval !
Their slogan became: “No taxation without representation”
Patrick Henry:“Give me Liberty, or give me death!”

5. III. Colonists express discontent (anger)
Boycotts were effective, but the king & Parliament believed the Americans should obey British laws & took power away from the colonial assemblies
Colonists responded to new taxes with boycotts
Boston Tea Party

6. III. Colonists express discontent (anger)
Americans were literate & read books by leading Enlightenment thinkers, especially John Locke, & used these ideas to justify their protest
“People are born with natural rights, including life, liberty, property”
“Kings can be overthrown if they violate peoples’ natural rights”
“Government power comes from the consent of the governed”

7. III. Colonists express discontent (anger)
Ben Franklin, John Adams, & Thomas Jefferson served on the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence
British abuses & Enlightenment ideas inspired Americans to declare independence

8. Title

9. Check this out ya’ll!!
On July 4, 1776 Americans sent King George III the Declaration of Independence

10. III. Colonists express discontent (anger)
From 1763 to 1776, tensions between the English government & the American colonists increased

11. IV. American Revolutionary War
Disadvantages
Advantages
outnumbered
less resources
no military strategy
they knew the territory (home field advantage)
good leader (G. Washington)
Without the help of the French in 1777, the American colonists may have lost!
CRASH COURSE – AM. REV.

12. The American Revolution lasted from 1775 to 1783
IV. American Revolutionary War
After 6 years of fighting, the Americans defeated the British at the Battle of Yorktown
The American Revolution lasted from 1775 to 1783

13. IV. American Revolutionary War
The Treaty of Paris, 1783 granted the United States independence from Britain & all lands east of the Mississippi River
With independence, the United States needed a national government to unite the new nation

14. V. A New Constitution
The founding fathers created a “federal” system that created a national gov’t but allowed the 13 states to keep power & make their own laws
Many of the ideas of the Enlightenment served as inspiration for the new national government of the United States