Unit OnePart One

The American Revolution

At the onset of the 18th century three Old World countries had a vested interest in North America: England (Great Britain), France, and Spain. Though there were many major conflicts over the course of the century, The French and Indian War (Seven Years’ War) would have the greatest impact on the colonists, as the aftermath planted the seeds for the American Revolution.

Big Picture

Latecomers to colonizationInternal Strife

St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre (1572)Edict of Nantes (1598)

Limited religious tolerationQuebec (1608)

Samuel de ChamplainGood relationship with Huron

Fought against Iroquois Stymied colonization in Ohio River Valley

Origins of New France

Royal ColonyRuled autocratically

No assemblyNo trial by juryPopulation

60,000 (1750)

Stats

Fur Traders—beaver Transients

Runners of riskDrinkersFree spirited

Trading posts widespreadCollaborated with nativesDamaged native culture and ecosystem

Jesuit MissionariesCatholic converters

Unsuccessful—mixed conversionsImportant explorers

Expansion of New France

Antoine CadillacDetroit: “The city of

straights” 1701Check the English

Robert de La SalleExplored the Mississippi

1682“Louisiana”—after Louis XIVBlock Spanish control of the

Gulf of MexicoNew Orleans 1718

Spheres of Influence

Early conflictsKing William’s War (1689-1697)Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713)

Occupying forcesNative recruitment

Treaty of Utrecht (1713)British gain territory

The War of Jenkins’s Ear (1739-1744)Some fighting in GA

King George’s War (1744-1748)New England invades New France

Capture of Louisbourg 1745 Returned 1748

Clash of Empires

Ohio River ValleyFuture interest

British—westward expansionFrench—links northern and southern possessions

Immediate interestBritish—land speculationFrench—fur trade

Fort Duquense cross waters

Allegheny Monongahela

Contested Space

Lieutenant Colonel George WashingtonSecure Virginian claims to the Ohio River Valley

150 militiamenSkirmish with French detachment

French flee Construction of Fort Necessity

French retaliate—10 hour siege Washington surrenders

Nova ScotiaBritish authorities deport 4,000 French

Acadians

Beginning of the F+I War (1754)

F+I War=Seven Years’ WarTwo years of undeclared war in N. America Full scale world war (1756)

Spanned seven seas—America, Caribbean, Philippines, Africa

Britain and Prussia v. France, Spain, Austria, and Russia

Frederick the GreatHolds off the French and allies in GermanySubsidized by Britain

Global War

The Albany Congress (1754)Intercolonial congress

7/13 show upWoo the Iroquois—delegation came bearing

giftsBolster defense against New France

The Albany PlanColonial home rule

Rejected!

Colonial Disunity

British ShortcomingsGeneral Braddock

Led 2,000 men to Fort Duquesne Redcoats and BuckskinsHeavy artillery Carving out roads

SkirmishSmall French and Indian detachmentBraddock attacks—French and Indian “disappear”

Guerrilla tacticsBraddock mortally wounded

Washington takes reins

The French, A Slippery Foe

Indians attack frontier settlements from PA to NC

Washington and 300 men attempt to defend frontier

CanadaFull scale invasion (1756)

Attack wilderness outposts Failure

…continued

The Organizer of Victory (1757)Focuses on CanadaAppoints young leadersTurning the tide

Siege of Louisbourg—1758First victory

QuebecJames Wolfe—1759

Breaches unguarded wall at night Defeats French

Montreal—1760French flags leave Canada

William Pitt—The Great Commoner

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Lessons of War20,000 “Americans” serve in F+I War

Officers and men alikeShatters myth of British invincibilityBritish arrogance displayedNot all colonists support cause

Trade with Spain and FranceSome colonies don’t send troopsPitt had to promise reimbursement

Restless Colonists

Distance between colonies

Geographical barriers

Conflicting religions

Varied nationalities

Colonial governments

Boundary disputes

Class differences

Sources of Disunity

NativesLeft to deal with only the BritishPontiac’s uprising (1763)

Remove British from Ohio frontierKilled 2,000 soldiers and settlers

Biological Warfare ends uprisingProclamation Line of 1763

Work out native problemsNo trespassing West of

Appalachians Hard to enforce

Great Britain’s debt doubles

Aftermath of War

Big PictureIn the aftermath of the French and Indian

War, the British had to bear the burden of empire. The economics of administering an empire was a burden that the colonists were not interested in bearing. The colonists, though mostly self-identifying Brits, fought tooth and nail in protest of the motherland’s economic policies, which ultimately created a rift that was irremediable.

Deep Roots of RevolutionRepublicanism—citizens subordinate private,

self interests to common good. Society and government depended on citizenryFocus on civic involvement:

Antithesis of aristocracy and monarchy“Radical Whigs”

Warned Britons of political corruptionCherished hard won liberties

Distance weakens authoritySalutary neglect/autonomy

MercantilismWealth=power

Power is measured by gold and silver in their coffersExports>Imports

Colonies are an extension of the mother countryWork with, rather than against mother country

Natural resourcesMarkets

Grievances with MercantilismNavigation Acts (1650-1660s)

Regulated trade:Mandated the use of British vessels in tradeAll European commerce had to pass through Britain

Tariffs and duties collectedCertain colonial products shipped exclusively to

BritainCurrency Shortage

Bought more from Britain than they sold—cash Gold and silver would leave the colonies

Paper money and lenient bankruptcy lawsVeto Power

Merits and Menace of Mercantilism Merits

Salutary NeglectLaws were seldom enforced

Lord WalpoleBenefits

Bounties paid for ship parts over competitorsTobacco monopoly in England for colonists

ProtectionRoyal Navy and Redcoats

MenaceStunted economic growth

British agents and creditors bankrolled the colonies

Repaying the War Debt & Paying for Empire70 million pounds of debt: F+I War

PM George GrenvilleStrict enforcement of Navigation ActsSugar Act (1764)—duty on sugar grown in West

IndiesFirst law to raise revenue in the colonies

Quartering Act (1765)—10,000 troops stationed in coloniesFood and quarters

THE STAMP ACT (1765)Bills of sale, legal, and commercial documents

Direct tax Taxes as trade regulation=okay Taxes as revenue=not okay