Ch 4: Empire in Transition The Road to Revolution

What comes to mind when you think about

the American Revolution ?

John Adams in a letter to Thomas Jefferson in 1815…

“As to the history of the Revolution, my ideas may be peculiar, perhaps singular, but what do we mean by the Revolution? The war? That was no part of the Revolution. It was only an effect and consequence of it. The Revolution was in the minds of the people, and this was affected from 1760 to 1775 in the course of 15 years before a drop of blood was drawn at Lexington.”

Dr. Benjamin Rush on the Revolution in 1787

“There is nothing more common than to confound the terms of the American Revolution with those of the late American War. The American War is over, but this is far from being the case with the American Revolution. On the contrary, nothing but the first act on this great drama is closed”

How did the Founders view the Revolution?

They are referring a major shift in mindset from colonists who were loyal subjects of the British Crown to angry revolutionaries. (The war is part of the this shift) A change in colonial identity that claims the right to power at the local levelA transformation from a group of disconnected colonies to a united nation

Five Things to Keep in Mind When Studying the American Revolution

1. Try to think about the Revolution as much more than just a string of facts, dates, and events2. Think about the meaning of words. They often mean different things to the founders than they do to us today.

Example: “Democracy” and “equality”3. Remember the Founders were people

4. Remember the “Founders” are not the only people who count in the Revolution.5. Remember the importance of historical contingency: that anything could have happened during the Revolution. No one knew how it would turn out

Albany Congress and Albany Plan of Union

Met to prepare for war against the French and their Indian allies in the Ohio River Valley (plan for self defense) Leader: Ben Franklin Goals:

1. ***Keep Iroquois tribes loyal to Britain2. Create an American Congress to improve relations with

Native Americans, raise an army, control public lands, levy taxes on colonists

***The colonists refused to unite under the Albany Plan, but they laid the foundation for future colonial cooperation during the Revolutionary War

French and Indian War Ends 1763

1763 marks the end of the French and Indian War in North AmericaThe British and her colonies defeat the French (along with Indian allies on both sides) Peace of Paris =All French territory in North America is ceded to the BritishColonial moral is high at the end of the war. The colonists are very proud of being British citizens and part of the vast British Empire. **** Between 1763 and 1776 the relationship between the colonies and the mother country reaches a breaking point. What events led to colonial independence and war just 13 years after the French and Indian War ended?

Problems Facing the British Empire, 1763

***Massive war debt The challenge of managing and governing a global empire In order to deal with the budget crisis, King George and his minister, George Grenville, turn to the colonies as a source of income and resources.

Colonial Resistance to New Imperial Policies

Grenville and the End of Salutary Neglect

Proclamation Act, 1763 Sugar Act, 1764Quartering Act, 1765 Currency Act Stamp Act, 1765 (Stamp Act Congress, Virginia Resolves, Sons of Liberty) Declaratory Act, 1766Townshend Revenue Acts, 1767 (Boston Massacre, boycotts, Committees of Correspondence, Samuel Adams) Tea Act, 1773 (Boston Tea Party) Coercive Acts, ( also called the Intolerable Acts), 1774Prohibitory Act, 1775

Proclamation of 1763• Restricted colonists from moving westward into

the Ohio River Valley• Purpose: To limit conflicts with Indians, to

control trade, migration, and land speculation • The law was not easily enforced and colonists

continued to move into the Ohio River Valley

See your notes from the Yale Lecture, Joanne Freeman Sugar Act

Currency ActQuartering Act Stamp Act

(Handout)

Two Unintended Consequences of the

Stamp Act The impact of the direct tax on all paper documents impacted all the colonies and united them in resistance to the Crown

The Stamp Act angered those in the colonies who used paper and legal documents—the most literate, educated, vocal, and prestigious colonists. This group included lawyers, newspaper owners, journalists, printers, merchants, ship owners, property owners.

These people had the resources to protest in the loudest voices.

Colonial Reaction to the Stamp Act

Riots and attacks on stamp agents and their property Patrick Henry spoke in the Virginia House of Burgesses and delivered his famous speech: “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!” The House of Burgesses adopted the Virginia Resolves

Stamp Act Congress convened to petition the king

What Were the Virginia Resolves?

Virginia’s House of Burgesses issued a response to the British Parliament’s Stamp Act of 1765. Patrick Henry was one of the primary supporters of this statement on the rights of colonists.

The statement said: 1. The colonists had come to Virginia with the same rights as all British subjects and they still retained them 2. That Virginians had the right to be governed by their own legislature 3. Only those who would be affected by taxes had the right to pass them

The statement is recognized as one of the first acts of open rebellion to a British law.

Virginia Resolves Circulated around the colonies and were published in a Rhode Island newspaper---along with TWO ADDITIONAL RESOLVES

(Read and annotate Virginia Resolves)

The resolves made Virginia look far more radical than it actually was (the real radicals were in Massachusetts)

Stamp Act Congress, 1765

Massachusetts sends a circular letter inviting delegates from the colonies to meet in New York to draft a petition to send to the King and the Parliament for relief ***It was the first organization (outside the colonial political system) to resist British policies –another step toward independence They argued (very respectfully)

1. They were loyal British citizens 2. They were entitled to all the rights of British citizens 3. As British citizens, they could not be taxed without their consent 4. They were entitled to trial by jury like all other British citizens The petition is respectful, but the Stamp Act Congress is a step toward colonial unity.

Sons of Liberty Rebel Against the Stamp

Act In Boston, Massachusetts, the Sons of Liberty organized acts of physical resistance to the Stamp Act They resorted to mob action

They attacked the stamp agent Andrew Oliver and destroy

stamps

They also destroy the home of Lt Governor Thomas

Hutchinson

Stamp agents and British officials begin to resign their posts

Parliament Repealed the Stamp Act, but…

Why did Parliament Repealed the Stamp Act? (March 1766) *Pressure from London merchants were losing money *Colonists boycotted British goods *Grenville lost political powero Parliament and the new Prime Minister repealed the

Stamp Act but immediately passed the Declaratory Act stating Parliament could pass laws for the colonies

“ in all cases whatsoever” (legal and economic control over the colonies)

Townshend Duties, 1767

Charles Townshend (new PM) and Parliament placed additional taxes on the colonies: on lead, paint, paper, glass, and tea In Boston, Samuel Adams reacted by sending out the Massachusetts Circular Letter urging colonists to resist all taxes. He will become one of the primary leaders of the American RevolutionColonists united together to boycott English goods under the nonimportation agreement

All the duties EXCEPT the tax on tea were repealed in 1770

Boston Becomes the Center of Colonial

ResistanceRadical leader Samuel Adams continues to promote resistance ---Committees of Correspondence Bostonians elect more vocal and radical leaders to the Massachusetts Assembly The Crown sends more troops to Boston as tensions increase

Samuel Adams encourages the new assembly to issue a statement that “no man can be justly taxed by or bound in conscience to obey, any law to which he has not given his consent in person or by his representation.”

Boston Massacre, 1770

John Adams, HBO video, defends soldiers

Tea Tax (1773) and the Boston Tea Party

Handout: Reading Assignment on Tea Party Lord North passed the Tea Tax to help save the East India Tea Company from bankruptcyInstead of embracing the LOWER cost of tea, colonists saw the Tea Act as an attack on free trade. They did not trust any action by Lord North or the Crown. In major ports ships carrying tea were turned away or the tea was simply stored in warehouses. In Boston, the colonists took more direct action—the “destruction of the tea.”

Parliament Reacts to the Boston Tea Party,

1774Lord North was shocked at the colonial reaction to the Tea Tax Parliament adopted the Coercive/ Intolerable Acts

Parliament wanted to punish Boston and cut the city off from the other colonies. Instead, the colonies banded together to support Boston leading to increased unification among the colonies

(Students were given a handout on these 5 laws)

First Continental Congress, 1774

Met in Philadelphia in September, 1774 in response to the Intolerable/ Coercive Acts

Most delegates were still trying to repair the relationship with Parliament the Crown, but a few believed there was no possible way to mend the relationship. 5 actions taken at 1st Continental Congress:

1. The colonies rejected a proposal to unite under British authority2.Drew up a statement of grievances and demanded Parliament repeal the oppressive regulations it had placed on the colonies. They also drafted a statement on colonial rights.

3. Recommended the colonists arm themselves for defense against British troops (local militia units= Minute Men) 4.Recommended a boycott of British goods and formed Associations to enforce the boycott5.They adjourned and agreed to meet again the following spring

Lexington and Concord,1775

“Shots Heard Round the World”The first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired at

Lexington and Concord before the Second Continental Congress met again in the spring of 1775.General Gage sent British troops to seize gunpowder and weapons and to arrest Samuel Adams and John HancockPaul Revere and William Dawes rode out to warn the colonists British troops and colonial minutemen exchanged fire in Lexington and Concord. Colonists picked off the British soldiers as they retreated to Boston. The British suffered 3x as many casualties as the colonists.

Lexington and Concord, April,1775

The British Are Coming!! Fiat Commercial

Second Continental Congress , 1775

Just three weeks after Lexington and Concord, delegates met in Philadelphia and, again, they were a divided group—some hoped for a reconciliation with the Crown and others supported military action.They also adopted the “Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms” which called for

1. Organization of an American army under George Washington

2. The organization of an American Navy

3. Sent forces under Benedict Arnold to take Canada from the

British

Battle of Bunker Hill, 1775

Americans occupied two areas overlooking Boston: Breed’s Hill and Bunker Hill

British troops attacked losing over 1,000 men. The colonists lost about 400 men and probably lost the battle because they began to run out of supplies.****Bunker Hill was technically a victory for the British, but the Americans had stood against the most powerful military power in the world and held their own.

Olive Branch Petition—A Last Ditch Effort

at ReconciliationOne month after the Battle of Bunker Hill, the colonists reached out once again to King George with the “Olive Branch Petition”

The King George III rejected the petitionParliament issued the Prohibitory Act declaring all colonies in open rebellion and suspending trade with the colonies

The King made plans to send 20,000 troops to the colonies, including Prussian mercenaries

Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, 1776

Many colonists were still not thinking about a complete break with England Paine has only been in America 14 month when he wrote the 47 page pamphlet that became a bestseller In the pamphlet ….1. He attacked the whole idea of monarchy2. He refuted the legitimacy of the English constitution 3. He argued the only solution was INDEPENDENCE—the problem could not the “fixed.” He shifted the focus away from the English Constitution and the King to independence.

Thomas Paine“ We have every opportunity and every encouragement before us, to form the noblest purest constitution on the face of the earth. We have it in our power to begin the world over again…. The birthday of a new world is at hand.”

John Adams did not like Common Sense

He called it a “poor, ignorant, malicious, shortsighted, crapulous mass.

Thomas Paine http://www.history.com/videos/global-impact-of-the-american-revolution - thomas-paine

Declaration of Independence, 1776

(Read, annotate, and answer the questions on the Declaration of Independence) Identify the three parts of the Declaration and the Purpose of eachMake a list of colonial grievances Who are the colonists speaking to? Who is the intended audience of the Declaration?

When Asked about the Declaration, Jefferson replied:Jefferson said that the Declaration was, quote,

"neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing. It was intended to be an expression of the American mind."

The Importance of George Washington

People trusted him with power. Why was this the case?• He had good self-presentation. He managed his public

image well. He was self disciplined, maintained self control and kept his temper in check most of the time

• He used good judgment, thoughtful and deliberate decision maker

• He was intimidating in his manner and physical presentation• He was imposing but also MODEST. He did not SEEK POWER. • He serves upon APPOINTMENT and without pay •

• HE publishes a letter stating he will return to private life after the war is over

• His most famous act was his resignation when the war is over. He walks away from power and returns home to Mount Vernon. This is the ultimate example of giving up power.

• He is self-sacrificing, virtuous, and devoted to his country

• Washington was from Virginia and the delegates thought he was the leader who could unite the colonies

• He was the right person with the right talents at the right place at the right time. Americans feared power, tyrants, and monarchs. Washington proved he could be trusted with power.

Washington’s Legacy http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/videos - washingtons-legacyhttp://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/videos

How Did the American Colonists Win The War?

British Disadvantages

The British faced major logistical problems in waging war in America: 1. Supplies – the challenge of getting men, weapons,

supplies to the front over 3000 miles away 2. The vast size of the battle field– included territory from

Florida to Canada. There was no national capital and no center of government to capture. It was hard to define strategic targets to defeat the Americans.

3. It was hard to recruit men into the British Army—many were reluctant to join in a war so far away against fellow British citizens. The British hire Hessian mercenaries to increase their ranks which enrages the colonists

4. Price of British victory was high—in order to win, the British had to crush a rebellion over a vast expanse of land; the Americans just had to fight long enough to exhaust British supplies and energy.5. French Aid to Americans—the long-time enemy of the British throw their support behind the Americans after the Battle of Saratoga6. British were fighting a citizen army—British could not predict what the Americans were going to do. Colonists rose up to defend their own homes and own property for a cause they were committed to. For the colonists—the war was PERSONAL. This was a very different type of war than one waged against trained forces and and organized army.

The British Made Three Bad

Assumptions About the War 1. They underestimated the abilities and

commitment of the colonists 2. They overestimated the amount of Loyalist

support they had in the colonies 3. They assumed the powerful British Navy

would win the war and underestimated the problems of a vast land campaign

Four Phases of the Revolutionary War The Military Phase of the Revolutionary War

Phase 1: British Believe a Little Show of Force Will Lead to a Quick Victory,

1775-Summer 1776Lexington and Concord—American minutemen inflict heavy losses on British troops Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York Americans won a quick victory and seized cannons that were hauled back to Boston Bunker Hill near Boston was a British victory but the Americans inflicted heavy losses before retreating Cannons from Ft. Ticonderoga are placed on the bluffs over Boston and the British evacuate the city Americans fail to take CanadaBritish and Americans move to New York where the British try to negotiate a peace agreement. End of Phase 1—Americans had not been defeated.

Video: Story of US Revolution: New York, Summer of 1776 –Declaration of Independence was followed by military engagements in and around New York POW Warships were docked in New York harbor

REVOLUTION: 6:30—15:00

Phase 2: The British Try to Seize a Major City (New York) and Isolate New

England, Summer of 1776-The British seized New York and defeat George Washington at Brooklyn Heights but decided to wait until the next day to finish off the Continental Army. Washington moved his troops under cover of darkness from Brooklyn Heights to New York.Washington continued wage small battles and crossed the Delaware into New Jersey. The British followed.1776, Trenton, New Jersey, the Continental Army was demoralized and winter set in. Thomas Paine published The Crisis, and Washington had some of his essays read to the troops.

Paine’s The Crisis“These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

Phase 2 Continued….On Christmas Eve of 1776, Washington and his troops attacked Hessian troops at Trenton and retreated again under the cover of darkness (leaving campfires burning) to Princeton, New Jersey, where he gained another victory.Trenton and Princeton were vital to American military and civilian moral.End of Phase 2: By January, 1777, the British had scored major victories, but they had not defeated the colonists and had not isolated the New England colonies from the other colonies.

Washington Crossing the Delaware,

December of 1776

Phase 3: British Try to Seize Another Major City (Philadelphia) and Divide

the Colonies (1777) The British decided to try to capture Philadelphia, a major city and the seat of government—the Continental Congress. They are were also trying to take control of the middle colonies. The Continental Congress fled from Philadelphia and the British won several victories as marched toward the city. The British took control of Philadelphia. (British victory) British General Cornwallis believed the only way to defeat the Americans was to capture Washington. “(Bag the Fox”)

Turning Point: Saratoga, 1777

Fall of 1777, American troops under Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold defeat British troops under General Burgoyne at Saratoga, NYThis was a stunning victory for the Americans (Both sides are shocked) 6,000 British soldiers surrendered to the Americans

*****Global impact: When news of the American victory reaches Europe, France joins the war on the side of the Americans.

Saratoga, 1777

French AidFrench recognize American IndependenceFrench join the war on the side of the Americans French send supplies, troops, and—most importantly– their NAVY Marquis de Lafayette helps train American soldiersThe Spanish and the Dutch support the French Britain and France are pitted against each other and the American Revolution becomes a global war.

Turning Point: Saratoga

http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/videos - turning-point-of-the-revolution

The Story of US Revolution: 15:00-28Sharp shooters Saratoga Valley Forge

British Reaction to Saratoga

Parliament sends a delegation to negotiate with the Continental CongressThey try to bribe high ranking American officials—including George Washington and Ben Franklin

Valley Forge,1777

Lesson Learned: The weak government under the Continental Congress and the Articles of Confederation was not effective. The Americans would need a stronger central government after the war was over.

Valley Forge http://www.history.com/topics/battles-of-trenton-and-princeton/videos - george-washingtons-life-changing-battle

Phase 4: British Move to the Southern Colonies

Hoping for an Easy Victory (1779-1781)The British targeted port cities in the South

(Charleston) They also moved troops South to be closer the the West Indies (Sugar Islands) The British assume it will be easy to take the Southern coloniesThe British assume they will have a great deal of loyalist support in the South (they offend loyalists and actually turn them into patriots) The British dominate in Georgia and South Carolina as the Americans are defeated in battle after battle. They move north to Virginia where they attack Mount Vernon.The British move on to set up a new base at YORKTOWN, VA

Phase 4: Yorktown, 1781

Under General Cornwallis, the British set up a base at Yorktown

In August, the French fleet arrives off the coast of VirginiaThe British are trapped between the American troops and the French fleet (7,000 British—15,000 American and French troops) Fighting continues, but Yorktown is the last major engagement of the war.The British begin peace negotiations (Paris)

Surrender of Cornwallis,

Yorktown, 1781

Yorktown http://www.history.com/topics/george-washington/videos - yorktownhttp://www.history.com/topics/george-washington/videos

Phase 4: The American South

(1779-1781) Segment from the movie, The Patriothttp://www.cleanvideosearch.com/media/action/yt/watc

h?videoId=Te9PsiATrkE

Treaty of Paris, 1783 Peace negotiations take place in France American delegates include Ben Franklin, John Adams, and John JayThe British hope for terms that will keep America within the British Empire, but John Jay make it clear that INDEPENDENCE is the only option. Terms: British recognize American Independence, boundaries of the US are at Canada (Great Lakes) in the north, Florida in the South, and Mississippi River in the west.US maintains fishing rights off Newfoundland and agrees to pay loyalists for property losses during the war.US agrees to allow the British to collect debts owed to them by Americans

Global Impact of the American Revolution http://www.history.com/videos/global-impact-of-the-american-revolution

TEXTBOOK: Read pages

Summary: Lessons of the American Revolution http://www.history.com/videos/global-impa

ct-of-the-american-revolution - lessons-of-the-revolution

The Revolution’s Legacy http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/videos - revolutions-lasting-legacy

Sources American History, Alan BrinkleyYale Open Courses, “The American Revolution,” Joanne Freeman http://oyc.yale.edu/history/hist-1161776, David McCulloughPrimary Source Documents of the Revolutionary PeriodWashington: A Life, Ron Chernow