1. Birth of the American Republic
17.3

2. Britain Becomes A Global Power
Reasons Behind Britain Becoming a Global Power
Location allowed for Britain to create outposts in the West Indies, North America, India
Favorable climate
Victories in European wars allowed them to attain land close to home and abroad as a result
King George III began to assert his royal authority

3. The 13 Colonies in the Mid-1700s
Britain’s empire included 13 colonies along the east coast of North America
The colonies practiced the policy of mercantilism, exporting more than it imported.
The Navigation Acts were passed by Parliament to regulate colonial trade and manufacturing

4. Colonists Express Discontent
The 7 Years’ War and the French and Indian War drained the British treasury
King George III felt that the colonists should pay for the wars. The Sugar Act of 1764 and the Stamp Act of 1765 taxed the colonies
The colonist's response to paying taxes without a representation in Parliament created the slogan“ No taxation without representation”.
The murder of several colonists in the Boston Massacre resulted in a series of protests including the Boston Tea Party. Britain imposed harsh laws as punishment for colonists’ behavior.

5. Colonists Express Discontent
Representatives from each of the 13 colonies, including George Washington, met in Philadelphia as a Continental Congress
In 1775 a war at Lexington and Concord took place and the Revolutionary War had begun. Washington served as leader of the Continental Army.
On July 4,1776 the 2nd Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence
Written mainly by Thomas Jefferson, the document outlined the colonists’ grievances and the Enlightenment ideas of life, liberty, and property
Colonists Express Discontent

6. The American Revolution Continues
The colonial forces struggled early against t he British, but the Battle of Saratoga was a turning point in the war.
The colonial victory caused other European nations to join the Americans to fight their common enemy Britain. France was a huge help because they supplied supplies, training, soldiers, and ships
In 1781 the British surrendered at Yorktown, VA. In 1783 the war was brought to an end by the Treaty of Paris. This document was signed by the Americans, British, and the French.

7. A New Constitution Reflects Enlightenment Ideas
The Articles of Confederation acted as our nation’s 1st constitution. It was viewed as too weak so the nation’s leaders met in 1787 and drafted a new constitution creating a federal republic
Power is shared between the national government, the federal government and the states. This reflects the ideas of Montesquieu
The Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments to the constitution and protect the basic rights of citizens