American Beginnings to 1783

Chapter 1-4

Ancient Peoples Come to the

AmericasThe First Americans

22,000 years ago hunters cross from Asia to Alaska over Beringia

Hunting and Gathering

Inhabitants hunt large animals until climate warms

12,000 to 10,000 years ago hunt small game, gather nuts and berries

Agriculture Develops

Planting of crops begins in central Mexico 10,000 to 5,000 years ago

Some cultures remain nomadic—moving in search of food and water

Early Cultures of the Americas

About 3,000 years ago, inhabitants begin forming large communities

Empires of Middle and South America

The Olmec flourish 1200 to 400 B.C. along Gulf of Mexico

A.D. 250 to 900, Maya culture thrives in Guatemala and Yucatán

Aztec begin building civilization in the Valley of Mexico in 1200s

Inca establish empire around A.D.1200 in western South America

Cultures have cities or ceremonial centers; some have writing

Complex Societies Flourish in the

Americas

Ancient Desert Farmers

• About 3,000 years ago, groups begin growing crops in Southwest

• Groups establish civilizations, 300 B.C. to A.D. 1400

- Hohokam settle in river valleys

- Anasazi live in mesa tops, cliff sides, canyons

Mound Builders

• In East, Adena, Hopewell, Mississippian establish trading societies

• Adena, Hopewell build huge burial and animal-shaped mounds

• Mississippian people build giant pyramidal mounds

North American Societies Around 1492

Native Americans Live in Diverse Societies

California• Kashaya Pomo hunt waterfowl along northwest coast• Yurok, Hupa gather acorns in forests, fish in mountain streams

Northwest Coast• Large communities live along streams, seashore, and in forests• Kwakiutl, Nootka, Haida gather shellfish, hunt whales, otters,

seals• Place totems, symbols of ancestral spirits, on masks, boats,

poles• Potlatches—families give away possessions in special

ceremonies

Southwest

• By 1300, Pueblo settle near waterways, build multistory houses

• Hopi, Acoma live near cliffs, develop irrigation systems

• Grow corn, beans, squash; build kivas, underground ceremonial rooms

Eastern Woodlands

• Tribes like Iroquois build villages in forests; farm, hunt, gather

• People develop woodworking tools, craft objects from wood

• Northeast rely on animals for food, clothing; Southeast, on farming

Native Americans Share Cultural Patterns

Trading Networks

• Trade one of biggest factors in bringing tribes into contact

• Groups specialize in processing or making different products

• Traders on transcontinental network trade items from far-off places

Land Use

• Native Americans consider land the source of life, not to be sold

• Disturb it only for important reasons, like food gathering, farming

Religious Beliefs

• People believe nature is filled with spirits; ancestors guide people

• Some cultures believe in one supreme being

Social Organization

• Bonds of kinship, ties among relatives, ensure customs are passed on

• Division of labor—tasks by gender, age, status— creates social order

• Groups organized by families; some in clans with common ancestor

West Africa Connects with the Wider World

The Sahara Highway

• Trading network connects West Africa to North Africa, Europe, Asia

• Traders bring Islam; by 1200s court religion of Mali, later Songhai

The Portuguese Arrive

• By 1470s, Portuguese have coastal outpost near Akan goldfields

• Direct trade creates closer relations with Europe

• Portuguese begin European trade in West African slaves

• First slaves work on plantation—large farm with single crop

Three African Kingdoms Flourish

Songhai

• In mid-1400s, Songhai controls Sahara trade; gains wealth, power

• Sunni Ali rules 1464–1492, conquers largest empire in area’s history

• Askia Muhammad is master organizer, devout Muslim, scholar

• Timbuktu again becomes great center of Islamic learning

• Songhai control savanna (dry grasslands) but not forest area

• Other kingdoms thrive in coastal rain forest

Benin

• Forest kingdoms trade with Songhai, North Africa, Portugal

• Benin dominates large area around Niger Delta

• Oba, or ruler, controls trade, district chiefs, metal work

Kongo

• Kongo—many small kingdoms in rain forest, lower Zaire (Congo) River

• Manikongo, or ruler, oversees empire of over 4 million people

• Kongo system of government very similar to that of European nations

West African Culture

Family and Government

• Lineage—common descent—decides loyalty, inheritance, marriage

• Oldest relative controls family, represents family in group councils

• Group shares language, history, often territory; has one chief

Religion

• All things have spirits; ancestor spirits visit elders in dreams

• Most cultures believe in single creator; spirits do his work

• Christian, Muslim rule of not worshipping spirits source of conflict

Livelihood

• Make living from farming, herding, hunting, fishing, mining, trading

• Land owned by family or village; individuals farm plots

Use of Slave Labor

• Slaves are lowest social group; slavery not inherited or permanent

• Slaves freed through adoption by owners, marriage, other means

The European Social Order

The Social Hierarchy• Communities are organized according to social hierarchy or rank

• Monarchs, nobles have wealth, power; at top of hierarchy

• Artisans, merchants have social mobility

• Majority are peasants, at bottom of hierarchy

The Family in Society• Life centers on nuclear family—parents and their children

• Men do field work, herd; women do child care, house work, field work

Religion

• Roman Catholic Church dominates; pope, bishops make decisions

• Parish priests interpret scriptures, administer sacraments

Crusading Christianity

• Crusades—Christian military expeditions to take Holy Land, 1096–1270

• Isabella, Ferdinand end reconquista or reconquest of Spain,1492

Decline in Church Authority

• Reformation—disputes over church practices, authority in the 1500s

• Europe divided between Catholicism and Protestantism

Changes Come to Europe

European Situation in 1400s• Recovery from natural disasters, plague, war; millions die

The Growth of Commerce

and Population• Italian city-states profit from trade with Asia, Middle East

• Population rebounds: stimulates commerce, growth of towns

• Urban middle class gains political power

The Rise of Nations• Monarchs collect new taxes, raise armies, maintain bureaucracies

• Merchants accept taxes in exchange for protection, expanded trade

• Major European powers emerge: Portugal, Spain, France, England

The Renaissance

• Renaissance starts in Italy—interest in world, human achievement

• Investigate physical world; study arts, classics

The European Social Order

The Social Hierarchy

• Communities are organized according to social hierarchy or rank

• Monarchs, nobles have wealth, power; at top of hierarchy

• Artisans, merchants have social mobility

• Majority are peasants, at bottom of hierarchy

The Family in Society

• Life centers on nuclear family—parents and their children

• Men do field work, herd; women do child care, house work, field work

Christianity Shapes the European Outlook

Religion

• Roman Catholic Church dominates; pope, bishops make decisions

• Parish priests interpret scriptures, administer sacraments

Crusading Christianity

• Crusades—Christian military expeditions to take Holy Land, 1096–1270

• Isabella, Ferdinand end reconquista or reconquest of Spain,1492

Decline in Church Authority

• Reformation—disputes over church practices, authority in the 1500s

• Europe divided between Catholicism and Protestantism

Changes Come to Europe

European Situation in 1400s

• Recovery from natural disasters, plague, war; millions die

The Growth of Commerce and Population

• Italian city-states profit from trade with Asia, Middle East

• Population rebounds: stimulates commerce, growth of towns

• Urban middle class gains political power

The Rise of Nations

• Monarchs collect new taxes, raise armies, maintain bureaucracies

• Merchants accept taxes in exchange for protection, expanded trade

• Major European powers emerge: Portugal, Spain, France, England

The Renaissance

•Renaissance starts in Italy—interest in world, human achievement

•Investigate physical world; study arts, classics

Europe Enters a New Age of Expansion

Overland Travel to Asia• Expense, danger of journeys lead to search for alternative route

Sailing Technology• Navigating instruments, new sailing technology promote exploration

Portugal Takes the Lead• Prince Henry of Portugal called “Henry the Navigator”

- founds sailing school

- sends Portuguese ships to explore west coast of Africa

• Traders sail around Africa via Indian Ocean; increase profit

Columbus Crosses the Atlantic

First Encounters• In 1492, Christopher Columbus attempts to reach Asia by sailing west

• Meets Taino—natives of Caribbean; renames their island San Salvador

Gold, Land, and Religion• Columbus searches for gold, claims lands for Spain, plants crosses

• Explores small islands and coastlines of Cuba, Hispaniola

Spanish Footholds• Columbus leads 3 more voyages; takes soldiers,

priests, colonists

• Spanish and others first occupy Caribbean island, then mainland

The Impact on

Native Americans

Methods of Colonization

• Colonization—establishing and controlling distant settlements

• Europeans force locals to work, dominate with sophisticated weapons

Resistance and Conquest

• In the 1490s, Spanish put down rebellions on different islands

Disease Ravages the Native Americans

• Native Americans have no natural immunity to European diseases

• Contagious diseases kill hundreds of thousands

The Slave Trade Begins

A New Slave Labor Force

• As natives die of disease, Africans brought to work in colonies

• Demand for workers grows, price of slaves rises

• Slave trade becomes profitable; more Europeans join slave trade

African Losses

• African societies devastated: millions of people taken from Africa

The Columbian Exchange

The Columbian Exchange• Thousands of Europeans voluntarily migrate to

America

• Columbian Exchange: transfer of plants, animals between hemispheres

National Rivalries• 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas divides Western

Hemisphere:

- lands west of imaginary line, most of Americas, belong to Spain

- lands east of line, including Brazil, belong to Portugal

• Treaty unenforceable; English, Dutch, French colonize Americas

A New Society is Born

Three Cultures Affect One Another• Columbus returns to Spain (1504), disappointed did

not find China

• People transformed as unfamiliar customs come together

• Impossible to impose European ways on others— blended society emerges

The Spanish Claim a New EmpireCortés Subdues the Aztec

• Conquistadors (conquerors)—Spanish explorers, seek gold, silver

• 1519 Hernándo Cortés leads army into Americas, claims land for Spain

• Aztec dominate region; Nahua people who resent Aztec join Cortés

• Montezuma thinks Cortés a god; gives him share of Aztec gold

• In 1520 Aztec rebel; in 1521 Spanish and their allies defeat Aztec

• Cortés founds Mexico City, New Spain colony on Tenochtitlán ruins

Spanish Pattern of Conquest• Spanish settlers mostly men, called peninsulares; marry native women

• Mestizo—person of mixed Spanish and Native American ancestry

• Landlords use encomienda—force natives to farm, ranch, mine

• Priests object, encomienda abolished; Africans brought as slaves

The Conquistadors Push North

Other Countries Explore North America

• England, France, Netherlands sponsor voyages in 1500s and 1600s

Exploring Florida

• Juan Ponce de León discovers and names La Florida (1513)

• Pedro Menéndez de Avilés expels French, founds St. Augustine (1565)

Settling the Southwest

• In 1540, Francisco Vásquez de Coronado leads expedition to Southwest

• Pedro de Peralta, governor of New Mexico, Spain’s northern holdings

• He helps found Santa Fe (1609–1610); several missions built in area

Resistance to the Spanish

Conflict in New Mexico

• Priests convert many Native Americans, try to suppress their culture

• In 1670s Spanish force natives to pay tribute, do labor for missions

Popé’s Rebellion

• Pueblo religious leader Popé heads uprising in New Mexico (1680)

• Pueblo destroy Spanish churches, execute priests, force Spanish out

• Spanish armies regain area 14 years later

English Settlers Struggle in North AmericaThe Business of Colonization

• Joint-stock companies—investors fund colony, get profits

• In 1607, Virginia Company sends 150 people to found Jamestown

A Disastrous Start

• Colonists seek gold, suffer from disease and hunger

• John Smith forces colonists to farm; gets help from Powhatan people

• (1609) 600 colonists arrive; Powhatan destroy farms; “starving time”

Jamestown Begins to Flourish

• New arrivals revive and expand colony; grow tobacco

“Brown Gold” & Indentured Servants

• Tobacco becomes profitable; export 1.5 million pounds by late 1620s

• Headright system—purchaser of passage gets 50 acres—lures settlers

• Plantation owners use indentured servants— work 4–7 years for passage

The First African Laborers

• First Africans arrive (1619); treated as indentured servants

•Late 1600s, owners begin importing costly slaves because

- indentured population decreases

- colony becomes wealthy

The English Pattern of Conquest

• English do not live or intermarry with Native Americans

The Settlers Battle Native Americans

• Continued hostilities between Powhatan and English after starving time

• 1614 marriage of Pocahontas and John Rolfe creates temporary peace

• Renewed fighting; king makes Virginia royal colony under his control

Hostilities Develop

• Former indentured people settle frontier, cannot vote, pay high taxes

• Frontier settlers battle natives; tension between frontier, wealthy

• Governor refuses to give money to help frontier fight local natives

Bacon’s Rebellion

• Nathaniel Bacon raises army to fight natives on frontier (1676)

• Governor calls Bacon’s army illegal; Bacon sets fire to Jamestown

Puritans and Pilgrims• Puritans, religious group, want to purify Church of England• Separatists, including Pilgrims, form independent congregations• In 1620, Pilgrims flee to escape persecution, found Plymouth ColonyThe Massachusetts Bay Company• In 1630, joint-stock company founds Massachusetts Bay Colony• John Winthrop is Puritan colony’s first governor“City Upon a Hill”• Puritan adult males vote for General Court; Court chooses governorChurch and State• Civic officials are church members, have duty to do God’s willImportance of the Family• Puritans generally migrate as families• Community makes sure family members behave in “God-fearing” way

Dissent in the Puritan CommunityThe Founding of Providence

• Roger Williams—extreme Separatist minister with controversial views

• General Court orders his arrest; Williams flees

• In 1636 he founds colony of Providence

- negotiates for land with Narragansett tribe

- guarantees separation of church and state, religious freedom

Anne Hutchinson Banished

• Anne Hutchinson teaches church, ministers are unnecessary

• Hutchinson banished 1638; family, followers leave colony

Native Americans Resist Colonial Expansion

Disputes Over Land• Settlers spread to western Massachusetts,

New Hampshire, Connecticut

• Natives think land treaties temporary, Europeans think permanent

The Pequot War• Pequot War—Pequot takes stand against colonists,

nearly destroyed

King Philip’s War• Deprived of land, natives toil for English, must follow

Puritan laws

• Wampanoag chief Metacom organizes tribes to wipe out settlers (1675)

• King Philip’s War fierce; hunger, disease, casualties defeat tribes

The Dutch Found New NetherlandA Diverse Colony

• In 1621, the Dutch West India Company colonizes New Netherland

• Settlers from other European countries and Africa welcomed

• Dutch trade for furs with Native Americans

English Takeover• In 1664, duke of York becomes proprietor (owner) of New Netherland

- renames colony New York

- later gives part of land to friends, names it New Jersey

The Quakers Settle PennsylvaniaPenn’s “Holy Experiment”

• In 1681, William Penn founds Pennsylvania on Quaker principles

• Quakers ideas: equality, cooperation, religious toleration, pacifism

• Pennsylvania meant to be a “holy experiment”

- adult males get 50 acres, right to vote

- representative assembly

- freedom of religion

Native American Relations• Penn treats native people fairly; over 50 years

without conflict

A Thriving Colony• Penn recruits immigrants; thousands of Germans go to Pennsylvania

• Quakers become minority; slavery is introduced

Thirteen Colonies• Lord Baltimore, a Catholic, founds Maryland; has religious freedom

• James Ogelthorpe founds Georgia as haven for debtors

• By 1752, there are 13 British colonies in North America

England and Its Colonies Prosper

Mercantilism• English settlers export raw materials; import manufactured goods

• Mercantilism—countries must get gold, silver to be self-sufficient

• Favorable balance of trade means more gold coming in than going out

The Navigation Acts• Parliament—England’s legislative body

• England sees colonial sales to other countries as economic threat

• 1651 Parliament passes Navigation Acts: laws restrict colonial trade

Tensions Emerge

Crackdown in Massachusetts• Some colonists resent Navigation

Acts; still smuggle goods abroad

• In 1684 King Charles revokes corporate charter; creates royal colony

The Dominion of New England• In 1685, King James creates

Dominion of New England

- land from southern Maine to New Jersey united into one colony

- to make colony more obedient, Dominion placed under single ruler

• Governor Sir Edmund Andros antagonizes Puritans, merchants

Tensions EmergeThe Glorious Revolution

• King James unpopular in England: is Catholic, disrespects Parliament

• Glorious Revolution—Parliament asserts its power over monarch, 1689

• Parliament crowns Mary (James’s daughter) and William of Orange

• Massachusetts colonists arrest Governor Andros, royal councilors

• Parliament restores separate colonial charters

• 1691 Massachusetts charter has royal governor, religious toleration

England Loosens the ReinsSalutary Neglect

• Smuggling trials in admiralty courts with English judges, no juries

• Board of Trade has broad powers to monitor colonial trade

• England’s salutary neglect—does not enforce laws if economic loyalty

The Seeds of Self-Government• Governor: calls, disbands assembly; appoints judges; oversees trade

• Colonial assembly influences governor because they pay his salary

• Colonists still consider themselves British but want self-government

Life in Southern SocietyA Plantation Economy Arises

The Rural Southern Economy

• Fertile soil leads to growth of agriculture

• Farmers specialize in cash crops grown for sale, not personal use

• Long, deep rivers allow planters to ship goods directly to markets

• Plantations produce most of what farmers need on their property

• Few cities grow: warehouses, shops not needed

A Diverse and Prosperous People• In 1700s, many German, Scots, Scots-Irish immigrants settle in South

• Southern population mostly small farmers

• Planters are minority but control economy

• By mid-1700s, growth in export trade makes colonies prosperous

The Role of Women• Women have few legal or social rights, little formal schooling

• Most women cook, clean, garden, do farm chores

• Rich and poor women must submit to husbands’ will

Indentured Servants• In 1600s, male indentured servants are 1/2 to 2/3 of immigrants

• In 1700s, reports of hardship keep European laborers away

Slavery Becomes Entrenched

The Evolution of Slavery

• Slaves—people who are considered the property

of others

• English colonists increasingly unable to enslave Native Americans

• Indentured servant price rises; slaves work for life, are better buy

• Most white colonists think Africans’ dark skin justifies slavery

The European Slave Trade

• 3-way triangular trade network ties colonies, Africa, West Indies:

- New England exports rum to Africa

- Africa exports slaves to West Indies- West Indies export sugar, molasses to New

England

The Middle Passage

• Middle passage—middle leg of transatlantic trade, transports slaves

• 20% or more of Africans on ship die from disease, abuse, suicide

Slavery in the South

• 80–90% of slaves work in fields; 10–20% work in house or as artisans

• Slaves work full-time from age 12 until death

• Owners beat, whip slaves considered disobedient, disrespectful

Africans Cope in Their New World

Culture and Family• Africans in North America have different cultures, languages

• Slaves preserve cultural heritage: crafts, music, stories, dance

• Merchants, owners split families; slaves raise children left behind

Resistance and Revolt• Slaves resist subservient position, try to escape

• 1739 Stono Rebellion—planter families killed, militia defeats slaves

• Colonists tighten slave laws, but slave rebellions continue

Commerce Grows in the North

A Diversified Economy• Cold winters, rocky soil restrict New Englanders to small farms

• Middle colonies raise livestock, crops; export surplus

• Diverse commercial economy develops in New England, middle colonies

• By mid-1700s, merchants are powerful group in North

Urban Life• Growth in trade leads to large port cities like New York, Boston

• Philadelphia second largest city in British empire; has urban plan

Northern Society Is DiverseInflux of Immigrants

• 1700s, large influx of immigrants: Germans, Scots-Irish, Dutch, Jews

• Immigrants encounter prejudice, clash with frontier Native Americans

Slavery in the North• Less slavery in North than in South; prejudice still exists

• Slaves have some legal rights, but highly restricted

Women in Northern Society• Women have extensive work responsibilities but few legal rights

• Only single women, widows can own businesses

• Wives must submit to husbands

Witchcraft Trials in Salem• In 1692, false accusations of witchcraft lead to trials, hysteria

• Many accusers poor, brought charges against rich

• Several victims were women considered too independent

New Ideas Influence the ColonistsThe Enlightenment

• For centuries philosophers used reason, science to explain world

• Enlightenment—movement in 1700s emphasizing reason, observation

• Enlightenment ideas spread quickly through books, pamphlets

• Benjamin Franklin embraces Enlightenment ideas

• Other colonial leaders also adopt Enlightenment views

The Great Awakening• Puritans lose grip on Massachusetts society, membership declines

• Jonathan Edwards preaches people are sinful, must seek God’s mercy

• Great Awakening—religious revival of the 1730s and 1740s

• Native Americans, African Americans, colonists join new churches

• Interest in learning increases; Protestants found colleges

• Both movements question authority, stress individual’s importance

Rivals for an Empire

Britain and France Compete• In 1750s, Britain, France build empires; both want Ohio River Valley

France’s North American Empire• France claims St. Lawrence River region, Mississippi Valley

• By 1754, French colony of New France has small population

• French colonists mostly fur traders, missionary priests

• French have good relations, military alliances with natives

Britain Defeats an Old Enemy

The War Begins• France and Britain fight two inconclusive wars in early 1700s

• French build Fort Duquesne in Ohio Valley, land claimed by Virginia

• In 1754, George Washington is sent to evict French; is defeated

• French and Indian War begins—fourth war between Britain and France

Early French Victories• General Edward Braddock’s army ambushed near Fort Duquesne

• 1755–1756, British lose repeated battles to French, native allies

Pitt and the Iroquois Turn the Tide• William Pitt helps British win battles; Iroquois join British

• In 1759, British capture of Quebec leads to victory in war

• Treaty of Paris ends war (1763); land divided between Britain, Spain

Victory Brings New Problems• Ottawa leader Pontiac fears loss of land; captures British forts

• British use smallpox as weapon; Native Americans greatly weakened

• Proclamation of 1763—colonists cannot settle west of Appalachians

The Colonies and Britain Grow Apart

British Policies Anger Colonists• Halt to western expansion upsets colonists

• Tensions in Massachusetts increase over crackdown on smuggling

• Writs of assistance allow searches of ships, businesses, homes

Problems Resulting from the War• Colonists feel threatened by British troops stationed in colonies

• Prime Minister George Grenville sets policies to pay war debt

• Parliament passes Sugar Act (1764):

- duty on foreign molasses halved

- new duties placed on other imports

- smuggling cases go to vice-admiralty court

The Colonies Organize to Resist Britain

The Stamp Act• Stamp Act (1765)—requires stamped paper for documents, printed items

Stamp Act Protests• Samuel Adams helps found Sons of Liberty, secret resistance group: - harass customs workers, stamp agents, royal governors• Stamp Act Congress—colonies can’t be taxed without representation • Colonial merchants boycott British goods until Stamp Act repealed• Parliament repeals Stamp Act; passes Declaratory Act same day (1766)

The Townshend Acts• Townshend Acts (1767) levy duties on imported materials, tea• Colonists enraged; Samuel Adams organizes boycott• Women stop buying British luxuries; join spinning bees; boycott tea • Customs agents seize John Hancock’s ship Liberty for unpaid taxes• Colonists riot; 2,000 British soldiers stationed in Boston

Tension Mounts in MassachusettsThe Boston Massacre

• Soldiers compete with colonists for shipyard jobs

• Boston Massacre (1770)—mob throws stones, British fire, kill five

• 1772, colonists burn customs ship; suspects to be tried in Britain

• Committees of correspondence discuss threat to freedom, form network

The Boston Tea Party• 1773 Tea Act lets East India Company avoid tax, undersell colonists

• Boston Tea Party—disguised colonists dump 18,000 lbs. tea in harbor

The Intolerable Acts• King George III, British king, is angered by destruction of tea

• 1774, Parliament passes Intolerable Acts as response to Tea Party

• Acts close Boston Harbor, quarter soldiers in empty homes, buildings

• General Thomas Gage puts Boston under martial law—rule by military

• First Continental Congress claims colonial rights, supports protests

Fighting Erupts at Lexington and Concord

To Concord, By the Lexington Road• Civilian militia or minutemen begin to stockpile firearms, 1775

• Resistance leaders John Hancock, Samuel Adams hide in Lexington

“The Regulars Are Coming!”• 700 redcoats sent to capture leaders, destroy munitions, April 1775

• Paul Revere, William Dawes, Samuel Prescott warn leaders, townspeople

“A Glorious Day for America”• British shoot minutemen in Lexington; kill eight

• 3,000–4,000 minutemen ambush British in Concord, kill dozens

The Colonies Hover Between Peace and War

The Second Continental Congress

• Second Continental Congress meets May–June 1775 in Philadelphia:

- debate independence

- recognize militiamen as Continental Army

- appoint George Washington commander

- print paper money to pay troops

The Battle of Bunker Hill

• British troops attack militia north of Boston, June 1775

• Costly British win: 450 colonist and over 1,000 British casualties

The Olive Branch Petition

• July, Congress sends Olive Branch Petition to restore “harmony”

• George III rejects petition, orders naval blockade

The Patriots Declare IndependenceCommon Sense

• Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense attacks king

• Argues independence will allow free trade and foreign aid

• Independence can give equal social, economic opportunities to all

• Almost 500,000 copies of pamphlet sold; convinces many colonists

Declaring Independence

• Congress urges each colony to form own government

• Congress appoints committee to prepare formal declaration

• Virginia lawyer Thomas Jefferson chosen to write it

• Declaration of Independence—formal statement of separation

Declaring Independence

• Declaration, based on John Locke’s ideas, lists complaints, rights:

- people have natural rights to life, liberty, property

- people consent to obey a government that protects rights

- people can resist or overthrow government

• “All men are created equal” means free citizens are political equals

• July 4, 1776 delegates adopt declaration

Americans Choose Sides

Loyalists and Patriots

• Loyalists—oppose independence, loyal to Crown for different reasons:

- work in government, unaware of events, trust crown to protect rights

• Patriots, almost half of population, support independence:- think independence will mean economic opportunity

Taking Sides

• Groups divided: Quakers, African Americans on both sides

• Native Americans support British; colonists threaten their lands

The War Moves to the Middle StatesDefeat in New York

• British decide to stop rebellion by isolating New England• 32,000 British soldiers and Hessians take New York, summer 1776• Many of Washington’s recruits killed; retreat to Pennsylvania

The Battle of Trenton• Christmas 1776, Washington crosses Delaware River into New Jersey• Washington surprises Hessian garrison, wins Battle of Trenton • Eight days later, Americans win Battle of Princeton against British

The Fight for Philadelphia• Gen. William Howe beats Washington at Brandywine, PA, summer 1777• Howe takes U.S. capital, Philadelphia; Continental Congress flees

Victory at Saratoga• Gen. John Burgoyne leads British, allies south from Canada

• Burgoyne loses repeatedly to Continental Army, militia

• Surrounded at Saratoga, Burgoyne surrenders to Gen. Horatio Gates

A Turning Point• Since 1776, French secretly send weapons to Americans

• French recognize American independence, sign treaty, February 1778

• France agrees no peace until Britain recognizes U.S. independence

Winter at Valley Forge• Valley Forge—site of Continental Army’s winter camp (1777–1778)

• Of 10,000 soldiers, more than 2,000 die of cold and hunger

Colonial Life During the Revolution

Financing the War• To get money, Congress sells bonds to investors, foreign governments• Prints paper money (Continentals), causes inflation (rising prices)• Few U.S. munitions factories; must run arms through naval blockade • Some officials engage in profiteering, sell scarce goods for profit • Robert Morris, Haym Salomon use own credit to raise money, pay army

Civilians at War• While husbands fight, women manage homes, businesses

• Many women go with troops to wash, cook, mend; some fight

• Thousands of African-American slaves escape to cities, frontier

• About 5,000 African Americans serve in Continental Army

• Most Native Americans stay out of the conflict

European Allies Shift the Balance

Training the Continental Army• 1778, Prussian captain Friedrich von Steuben goes to Valley Forge

• Trains colonists in fighting skills, field maneuvers of regular army

Lafayette and the French• Marquis de Lafayette—aristocrat, joins Washington at Valley Forge

• Lobbies for French troops, 1779; leads command in last years of war

The British Move South

Early British Success in the South• 1778, British take Savannah; royal governor reinstated in Georgia• British armies capture Charles Town, 1780—greatest victory of war • British commander Charles Cornwallis smashes through South

Carolina• African Americans escape Patriot owners, join British to win

freedom

British Losses in 1781• 1781, Cornwallis fights Daniel Morgan, Nathaniel Greene in

Carolinas • Weakened Cornwallis gets reinforcements, camps at Yorktown

The British Surrender at YorktownVictory at Yorktown

• French army lands in Newport, Rhode Island in 1780

• Lafayette’s plan: French, Americans attack British at Yorktown

• French navy defeats British, blockades Chesapeake Bay

• American, French siege Yorktown, shell British for three weeks

• Cornwallis surrenders October 1781

Seeking Peace• 1782 peace talks include United States, Britain, France, Spain

• American negotiators: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay

• Treaty of Paris signed September 1783:

- confirms U.S. independence

- sets boundaries of new nation

- ignores Native American rights

- promises repayment of debts

- no date set for British evacuation of forts in U.S.

The War Becomes a Symbol of Liberty

The Impact on American Society• War stimulates egalitarianism—belief in equality of all people• Equality for white men; women do not gain legal or political

rights • African Americans still enslaved; those free face discrimination • Planters in upper South debate morality of slavery; some free

slaves • Native Americans continue to be forced off their lands by

settlers

The Challenge of Creating a Government• U.S. attempts to create government by the people, not by a

king