THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONChapter 22

Section 4

KEY TERMS

Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson Checks and Balances Federal system Bill of Rights

BRITAIN AND ITS AMERICAN COLONIES First settlement 1600 Colonies expanded rapidly 1770 population 2 million

people Land was plentiful and

cheap English class system largely

absent 1651 passed Navigation

Act-colonies had to sell most of their products to Britain

BRITAIN AND ITS AMERICAN COLONIES Individuals could advance

through hard work and intelligence

Mid 1770’s colonies established for 150 years

British subjects but allowed independence

Each colony had its own government

Began to identify with the colony and not Britain

AMERICA WINS INDEPENDENCE

1760’s conflict between Britain and the colonies

1763 Britain wins the French and Indian War

War was expensive Since removal of French

benefited colonists Britain wanted colonies

to pay part of the costs

GROWING HOSTILITY LEADS TO WAR

1765 Parliament passed the Stamp Act

Official stamp must be on all documents

Newspapers Legal documents Other public papers

Colonial leaders were outraged

Taxes passed without representation

GROWING HOSTILITY LEADS TO WAR

Boycotted English goods Stamp Act repealed 1766 1767 British imposed

new taxes Glass Paper Paints Teas

GROWING HOSTILITY LEADS TO WAR

Boston, Massachusetts one of the largest colonial cities called for another boycott

British sent troops to keep order in the city

Bostonians harassed troops on the street

GROWING HOSTILITY LEADS TO WAR

1770 British discipline snapped

Troops killed five men Known as the Boston

Massacre Most of Townshend Acts

repealed Tax on tea remained

GROWING HOSTILITY LEADS TO WAR

1773 group of Bostonians called the Sons of Liberty dumped hundreds of crates of tea overboard

Boston Tea party Britain closed Boston’s

port Passed the intolerable

acts Limited freedom in the

colonies

THE INFLUENCES OF ENLIGHTENMENT Colonists called the First

Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1774

Gave list of grievances to British government

Plan to reconcile differences with British was presented and voted down

REVOLUTION BEGINS

Sons of Liberty expected a war

Hid weapons in the countryside of Boston

April 1775 British troops marched out of Boston

Lexington and Concord too find the weapons

REVOLUTION BEGINS

April 19 British troops confront 75 colonial militiamen in Lexington

Shots rang out Revolution begins

Not all colonists were patriots

Many colonists remained loyal to England

THE INFLUENCES OF ENLIGHTENMENT

Common Sense written by Thomas Paine

Argued the colonies had grown and no longer need Great Britain

They deserved independence

Helped patriots gain support for the cause of independence

THE INFLUENCES OF ENLIGHTENMENT First war in which old

ideas of government were challenged

Patriots created a nation built on the ideas of the Enlightenment

DECLARING INDEPENDENCE

Second Continental Congress 1776

Committee to write a declaration of independence

John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin were the leaders

DECLARING INDEPENDENCE

Jefferson used ideas from Locke and Rousseau

July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence adopted by Continental Congress

Drew ideas from the English Bill of Rights

Right to trial Right to elect members of

parliament Right to independent

judicial system

SUCCESS FOR THE COLONISTS

George Washington assigned commanding general of the army

Americans had little money

Advantage of fighting on own land

British were over confident

Began well for the Americans

SUCCESS FOR THE COLONISTS

Began poorly for the British Americans positioned

cannons overlooking Boston British troops evacuated

British troops defeat Washington at the Battle of Long Island

Britain was three thousand miles away

War would be expensive for tax weary Britains

SUCCESS FOR COLONISTS

Continental Army driven into New Jersey

Crossed the Delaware and defeated British troops at Trenton

1777 British defeat Washington in New Jersey

Washington moves to Pennsylvania

SUCCESS FOR COLONISTS

Philadelphia fell to the British

Washington’s army spent the winter at Valley Forge

British winning in upstate New York

Battle of Saratoga British surrendered

SUCCESS FOR COLONISTS

Benjamin Franklin was seeking a Treaty with France

Victory at Saratoga convinced the French to help colonists

Next two years Americans strengthened their forces

SUCCESS FOR COLONISTS

British strategy to divide the colonies in two

British captured Savanna, Georgia in 1778

Charleston, South Carolina 1778

American made numerous attacks on the British

SUCCESS FOR COLONISTS

September 1781 French and American armies surrounded the British

After weeks of siege Lord Cornwallis and his troops surrendered at Yorktown

October 19, 1781 American colonists won their independence

AMERICA CREATES A REPUBLIC

September 1783 British signed the Treaty of Paris

Recognized America’s independence

Set up geographic boundaries for the United States

Received greater territory than the 13 colonies

Americans had to build a nation

A WEAK NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

Articles of Confederation Approved 1781 Made national government

weak (avoid abuses) Government had no power

to tax Could not negotiate foreign

treaties Government was weak and

ineffective

A NEW CONSTITUTION

1787 delegates met in Philadelphia

Constitutional Convention George Washington

presided James Madison played a

leading role Delegates met for four

months

THE CONSTITUTION

1787 signed the Constitution

1789 Constitution ratified Constitution created a

federal system of government

Federal system-certain powers are held by the federal government other powers reserved for the State government

THE CONSTITUTION

National government divided into three branches

Executive branch- the president power to carry out laws

Judicial branch-interprets the laws

Congress the legislative branch- makes the laws

THE CONSTITUTION

Congress has two branches

Lower house- House of Representatives

Upper house- the Senate

System of checks and balances so one branch does not become too powerful

THE CONSTITUTION

Influenced by the Enlightenment

Founding principle the government exists for the people

Reflects Locke and Rousseau

Idea of government by the consent of the people

THE BILL OF RIGHTS

Wanted protection for the rights of citizens

Bill of Rights- first ten amendments to the Constitution

Protect natural rights by Voltaire, Locke, and Rousseau

Freedom of speech and religion

Guarantees due process of law

IMPACT OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

America’s revolution had an impact on other countries

Turning point of people’s ideas about government

Expressed optimism that reason and reform could prevail

Monarchies and privileged classes didn’t give up power or position easily

IMPACT OF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

Struggle to attain principles led to a revolution in France

French Revolution 1789 Inspired by the American

people