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American Revolution: The Birth of a Republic. Chapter 22 Section 4 p. 563-567. Britain and Its American Colonies. The colonies thrived on trade with the nations of Europe Colonists were British subjects but began to feel a sense of identity as Americans - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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American Revolution:The Birth of a Republic
Chapter 22 Section 4p. 563-567
Britain and Its American Colonies
The colonies thrived on trade with the nations of Europe
Colonists were British subjects but began to feel a sense of identity as Americans
The colonies had their own governments and were used to a large degree of independence
The Navigation Acts
Laws that prevented the colonists from selling their most valuable products to any country but Britain
Imposed high taxes on French and Dutch goods
Led to smuggling in order to avoid taxes
America Wins Independence
When George III becomes king in 1760, most Americans were happy to be loyal citizens of Britain
The king uses taxes on the colonies to help pay for the expenses of the French and Indian War
George III
The Stamp Act 1765
An official stamp was required on wills, deeds, newspapers, and other printed material
The colonists had no representatives in the British Parliament
This was taxation without representation, and illegal under British law.
Boycott
A refusal to buy based on political reasons.
The Stamp Act motivated colonists to boycott British goods.
The British repealed the Stamp Act in 1766.
Growing Hostility Leads to War
The British react harshly to colonial protests
Resentment towards British policies grows among the colonists
Samuel Adams
Organized the Boston Tea Party to protest a tax on tea.
The British navy closes the port of Boston
British troops occupy the city
First Continental Congress
Representatives from every colony but Georgia gather in Philadelphia in 1774
They protested the treatment of Boston
King George paid little attention
Second Continental Congress Formed to debate the colonist’s next move On April 19, 1775 British soldiers and
American militiamen exchanged gunfire at Lexington, Massachusetts
The battle spread to the nearby town of Concord
These are the first two battles of the American Revolution
The Congress names George Washington leader of the Continental army
Enlightenment Ideas Influence American Colonists
Many colonists want to remain loyal to Britain
A growing number favor independence They use Enlightenment ideas to justify
independence They said the king had broken the social
contract
July 4, 1776
The Second Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence
Written by Thomas Jefferson Based on ideas of John Locke
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.
A Break With the Crown
John Locke had said that people had a right to rebel against an unjust ruler
The Declaration included a long list of complaints and abuses by king George III
Success for the Colonists
Odds against the colonists were strong Great Britain was the most powerful
country in the world and had the world’s best army and navy
Colonists were highly motivated to fight for their homeland
A war 3000 miles from home was difficult and expensive for the British. Their generals made key errors.
An Alliance With France
King Louis XVI of France wanted to weaken British control in North America
He sent money and troops to help the Americans fight
Yorktown
In 1781, combined American and French forces trapped the British army commanded by Lord Cornwallis near Yorktown, Virginia
Cornwallis was forced to surrender Americans had won the war
Americans Create a Republic
After the victory, the colonies set up a new government
They wanted a republic but were worried about making the national government too powerful
They wanted states to keep most decision-making authority
The Articles Create a Weak National Government
The new government was a loose alliance of states, a confederacy
They deliberately made the national government weak and the states strong
The Articles of Confederation No national executive No judicial branch Only a Congress No power to collect taxes No power to raise a national army No power to regulate trade Each state gets one vote - regardless of
size 9 out of 13 states were needed to pass laws
Limits Create Problems
National government has no power to tax the states
Some states imposed tariffs on goods from other states
Many people are upset with poor economic conditions
Shay’s Rebellion
Daniel Shays led a revolt of angry farmers in Massachusetts
They were protesting taxes and wanted the state to issue paper money so they could repay their debts
The rebellion brought attention to the need for a stronger national army
A New Constitution
In 1787, Congress created the Constitutional Convention to revise the Articles of Confederation
The convention argued for months over important basic issues
How should a new government look?
Who should be represented? How many votes should each state have? Should larger states get more votes than
smaller ones? Should slaves be counted for the purpose
of representation?
The Federal System
Delegates distrusted a strong central government
They created a system with three separate branches
This allowed for a system of checks and balances
Checks and Balances
Each branch of the government has some way to limit the power of the other two branches The President can veto Congress The Congress can override a
presidential veto with a 2/3 vote The Supreme court can declare laws
and actions of the President unconstitutional
Federalism
The Constitution does not eliminate the powers of state governments
Federalism is the existence of a strong national with state governments at the same time
In our federal system, the national government is supreme to the governments of states
Federalists v. Anti-Federalists
Federalists -wanted a strong national government
Anti-Federalists – feared that the Constitution gave the national government too much power.
Ratification
The Federalists promised that a Bill of Rights would be added to the Constitution to protect against abuses by the national government
Anti-Federalists would not have voted to ratify the Constitution without this promise
The Constitution was ratified between 1787 and 1778
The Bill of Rights
Many states did not want to ratify the Constitution
They wanted the document to contain some guarantees of personal liberties
They insisted that a Bill of Right be added to the Constitution
1 Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.
2 Right to keep and bear arms in order to maintain a well regulated militia.
3 No quartering of soldiers. 4 Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. 5 Right to due process of law, freedom from self-
incrimination, double jeopardy. 6 Rights of accused persons, e.g., right to a speedy and
public trial. 7 Right of trial by jury in civil cases. 8 Freedom from excessive bail, cruel and unusual
punishments. 9 Other rights of the people. 10 Powers reserved to the states.
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