Chapter 5: The American
Revolution — From Elite
Protest to Popular Revolt
Mr. Sinclair
Week of September 21, 2015
Structure of Colonial Society
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The 1760s were actually an optimistic, postwar period
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Population grew, and was very diverse
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Also young: 60% were under 21
America was prosperous
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High per capital wealth: £37.4
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Wealth inequality across regions
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South was wealthy — 90% of slaves were there
Breakdown of Political Trust
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Many factors led to the dissolution of trust between England and the colonies
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Incompetence of George III, misunderstanding of parliamentary
sovereignty, and new ideas about government
George III was not competent politically
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Dissolved relations with Whigs
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Selected Earl of Bute as chief minister
King selected and dismissed many ministers
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No clear long-range policy
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Very little focus on colonies
Breakdown of Political Trust — Parliament
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Many factors led to the dissolution of trust between England and the
colonies
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Incompetence of George III, misunderstanding of parliamentary
sovereignty, and new ideas about government
Parliament was not competent politically either
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Few Englishmen, much less MPs, had visited America
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Lags in news from colonies
Colonists did not accept parliamentary sovereignty
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Parliament must be supreme over the colonies
Breakdown of Political Trust — “No Taxation
without Representation”
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Many factors led to the dissolution of trust between England
and the colonies
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Incompetence of George III, misunderstanding of
parliamentary sovereignty, and new ideas about government
By 1763, colonists believed in power of their own political
assemblies
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Essentially worked like Parliament
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Britain understood a concept of virtual representation
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Colonies were “virtually” represented in Parliament
Breakdown of Political Trust — New Political Ideas
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Many factors led to the dissolution of trust between England and the colonies
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Incompetence of George III, misunderstanding of parliamentary sovereignty,
and new ideas about government
American political ideology at the time stemmed from John Locke
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Two Treatises of Government (1690)
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People possessed inalienable rights; government must protect them
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If not, people may rebel and replace government
Also: fear of power, love of virtue, and sacrifice of self-interest to public
good
Impact of literacy on revolution: pamphlets and newspapers spread information
across colonies
Eroding the Bonds of Empire
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Seven Years’ War left Britain with a mountain of debt and a
desperate need to find new ways to fund itself
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Worse, British army did not effectively protect colonists
Pontiac’s Rebellion (1763): native American revolt in Detroit,
western PA and VA
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British were unable to protect colonists
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British issued Proclamation of 1763
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Colonists were still determined to settle west of
Appalachians
Eroding the Bonds of Empire — British National
Debt
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Seven Years’ War left Britain with a mountain of debt and a desperate need to find new
ways to fund itself
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George Grenville introduced the Revenue Act of 1764, known as the Sugar Act
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Not actually intended to raise revenue directly
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Intent was to discourage smuggling to generate more money off Navigation Acts
Legislation deprived colonists of “right to tax themselves”
Next: Stamp Act (1765) — a tax on stamps and seals to validate legal documents
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Patrick Henry responded with Virginia Resolves in May, 1765
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October, 1765: Stamp Act Congress convened to protest
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“[N]o taxes should be imposed them, but with their own consent, given
personally, or by their representatives”
Eroding the Bonds of Empire — Stamp Act
Congress
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The Stamp Act created a mass political movement in the colonies, involving
people of all walks of life
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Royal governors lost support of ordinary men and women
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In Boston, the Sons of Liberty protested the tax
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Also encouraged a boycott
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Boycotts also mobilized colonial women
Parliament repealed Stamp Act in 1766
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Imposed Declaratory Act (1766), establishing Parliamentary supremacy
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Stamp Act crisis had eroded respect for the Crown’s officeholders
Eroding the Bonds of Empire — Charles
Townshend
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The next plan to raise revenue was a series of duties on glass,
paper, paint, lead, and tea, which would pay royal governors
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Charles Townshend’s Townshend Revenue Acts (June-July
1767)
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Also required NY’s assembly to quarter British troops
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Sons of Liberty organized boycotts in major ports
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Massachusetts governor dissolved legislature in response to
appeal for colonial unity
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Other governors followed suit
Eroding the Bonds of Empire — Boston Massacre
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The British transferred soldiers from outlying regions to
Boston, Massachusetts. Tensions between these troops
and Bostonians erupted in violence
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Americans feared troops were part of oppressive
conspiracy
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March 5, 1770: troops fired on and killed five Americans
— Boston Massacre
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Event led to outrage, largely fueled by propaganda
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Parliament repealed Townshend Acts in March, 1770
The Last Days of Imperial Rule
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Although the Townshend Acts had been repealed, customs commissioners
aggressively enforced the Navigation Acts
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Samuel Adams, however, continued to protest
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Tax on tea was still in force (part of Townshend Acts not repealed)
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He organized committees of correspondence, tightening communication
throughout Massachusetts
May, 1773: Parliament passed Tea Act in the interest of saving East India Company
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Lowered the price of tea; tea from India could be sold directly to colonists
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Colonists objected to effects of East India tea being sold in colonies
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Boston Tea Party, 1773: colonists dressed as Mohawks boarded ships and
dumped tea into harbour
Coercive, or “Intolerable” Acts
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Parliament’s response to the Boston Tea Party was a series of punitive
acts of legislation, collectively known as the Coercive Acts
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Coercive Acts, or, in America: Intolerable Acts
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Passed March-June, 1774
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Closed port of Boston
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Transformed Massachusetts legislature, restricted town meetings
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Authorized transfer of arrested British officials and quartering of
troops
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Significant effect: colonists realized that the British treatment of
Boston had implications for the rest of the colonies
Steps Toward Independence
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Committees of Correspondence called for a meeting of
delegates
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First Continental Congress, September 5, 1774
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Delegates decided to halt commerce with Britain until
Parliament repealed Intolerable Acts
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“Association” authorized local committees to enforce
nonimportation
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George III: “New England governments are in a state of
Rebellion, blows must decide whether they are to be
subject to this country or independent
Issues Behind the Revolution — Lexington and
Concord
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April, 1775: British troops under General Gage moved from Boston to
Concord (NH) to seize guns, ammunition
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Paul Revere and others arrived in Lexington to alert others
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April 19, Lexington: shots fired between British army and colonial militia
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British marched to Concord, destroyed supplies
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On return to Boston, British troops were attacked by colonial
Patriots — Battles of Lexington and Concord
British march to Boston — Battle of Bunker Hill — June 1775
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British realized Colonists would be tougher to defeat
The Second Continental Congress
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Delegates again gathered in Philadelphia (May, 1775) and slowly took control
of the war effort
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Second Continental Congress purchased supplies, issued paper money,
appointed George Washington as commander
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Parliament passed Prohibitory Act — blockade of ports and seizure of ships
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Did not, however, declare independence
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense persuaded a complete break with Britain
July 2, 1776 — Congress voted for independence
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Thomas Jefferson drafted Declaration of Independence signed on July 4
Fighting for Independence
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Who had an advantage heading into the war? Who won the war? What
about the advantages?
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British had obvious advantages, BUT:
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Logistical challenge of America being far away
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Size of America precluded easy conquest
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Americans were deeply committed to their political ideology
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George Washington organized army, and insisted on training
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African-Americans: who did they fight for? More fought for British
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Why??
Fighting for Independence
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British concentrated war on Loyalist-heavy Middle Colonies
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George III replaces Gen. Gage with Gen. Howe
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Howe did well; drove Continental Army from NY into NJ
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October 1776: British captured NY, drove Patriots near
collapse
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Battle of Trenton: Washington crossed Delaware River
and surprised British in Trenton, Princeton
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Victories in 1776 and early 1777 boosted morale
Fighting for Independence
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July, 1777: Gen. Burgoyne descended from Canada to join Howe, cut off New
England
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Howe won battles at Philadelphia, Brandywine, Germantown
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Another British Army moved from Canada and recaptured Fort Ticonderoga
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September: Gen. Gates attacked, won Battle of Saratoga
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This victory was the biggest, and drew foreign powers to the war
February 6, 1778: France signed treaties of alliance with US
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Spain, Netherlands, other Europeans followed
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Brought much-needed supplies and money
Winning Independence
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Gen. Henry Clinton replaced Gen. Howe
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Britain concentrated war effort in Southern Colonies
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Clinton and Cornwallis captured Charles Town and Camden
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British won battles in South and North Carolina, moved
north to Virginia
Battle of Yorktown: British General Lord Cornwallis was
blockaded
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Surrendered October 17, 1781
Treaty of Paris, Impact of Revolution
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Treaty of Paris (1783) ended Revolutionary War
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US is independent
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Borders: Northern border set, Mississippi River is western border
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Florida returned to Spain
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Congress pledged rights, property of Loyalists be restored
Revolution’s impact
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Women: no immediate gain in political power
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African Americans: slavery abolished in many northern states, made more restrictive
in South
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Native Americans: Iroquois League destroyed, attacks on natives continued
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Foreigners: idea of liberty and unalienable rights spread across the globe