Chapter 19 Section 3

The American Revolution

Main Idea: Enlightenment ideas led to a revolution, independence, and a new government for the United States

Change and Crisis

            -By mid-1700s, Enlightenment ideas spread to the Americas

            -British colonies growing

                        -About 2,000,000 colonists by the Revolution

                        -Lots of cheap land

                        -Ability to move up in society

                        -Given more independence than normal British subjects

                                    -Own gov’t, made most of its own laws, etc

            -Opposing Britain

                        -Britain went into debt fighting French and Indian War

                                    -Wanted colonists to help pay their share

                        -Stamp Act (1765)

                                    -Tax on all paper

                                    -Colonists: “No taxation w/o representation”

                                                -Repealed law in 1766

                        -More new taxes (glass, tea, etc)àTownshend Acts

                                    -Colonists boycott

                                                -British sent troops to keep order

                                                            -Boston Massacre (1770)

                        -1773àBoston Tea Party

                                    -Sons of Liberty (Sam Adams, Paul Revere)

                                    -Intolerable Acts

                        -1774àFirst Continental Congress

                                    -Meeting of colonies

                                    -Listed grievances

            -Beginning of the Revolution

                        -Sons of Liberty hid weapons in countryside

                                    -April 1775àBritish go looking for them

                                                -Lexington and Concord

                                                            -Shots rang outàWAR

                                                                        -Patriots vs. Loyalists

                        -January 1776àThomas Paine writes “Common Sense”

                                    -Colonists deserve independence

Fight for Independence

            -Second Continental Congress (1776)

                        -Committee formed to write independence document

                                    -John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin

                                    -Jefferson wrote the draft

                                                -Congress reworked some of it

                        -July 4, 1776àadopt Declaration of Independence

                                    -Enlightenment ideas

                                    -English Bill of Rights

            -The War

                        -Washington appointed commander of continental army

                        -Colonial army not doing to well

                                    -Rag tag group

                                    -Losing battles to British

                        -Battle of Trenton (Dec. 1776)

                                    -Washington crossing the Delaware

                        -Valley Forge (1777-1778)

                                    -Troops brutally beaten by British

                                                -Lost NJ, Philadelphia

                                    -Extremely cold, bad time

                        -Battle of Saratoga (October 1777)

                                    -Colonists win surprising victory  

                                    -Ben Franklin convinces France to help colonies

                        -British try to divide colonies

                                    -Had a “southern plan”

                        -Colonial army slowly growing better, stronger

                        -Battle of Yorktown (September 1781)

                                    -Cornwallis surrenders after being surrounded

                                                -British didn’t send reinforcements in time

                                    -Last real battle of the war

            -Treaty of Paris (Fall 1783)

                        -Britain recognizes colonies as independent

A New Government

            -Articles of Confederation (1781-1789)

                        -First government

                        -Federal Government very weak (avoid abuse)

                                    -No power to tax

                        -Too weak to do any good

            -Constitution

                        -1787àDelegates met to “revise Articles of Confederation”

                                    -Ended up writing whole new document

                                    -Washington presided

                                    -James Madison did the main points

                        -Federal system of government

                                    -Power shared between states and federal government

                                    -3 branches of government, checks and balances

                        -Enlightenment ideas

                                    -Gov’t exists for the people (“We the people…”)

                                    -Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu

                        -Bill of Rights

                                    -Not original to constitution

                                    -Wanted to protect rights of citizens

                                    -Came up with 12 amendments

                                                -10 ratifiedàBill of Rights

            -American events spurred other eventsàFrench Revolution

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