American Revolution Causes

The Seven Years' War (or French and Indian War) left Great Britain with a significant war debt which they tried to pass on to the American colonies through taxes, leading to resentment and ultimately the American Revolution.

The Real Whigs believed in a limited government, arguing against powerful, centralized power structures like monarchies and standing armies, advocating for the rights of individuals and local communities.

The Stamp Act imposed a direct tax on various documents and printed materials in the American colonies, igniting widespread protests as colonists viewed it as an infringement on their right to self-governance and taxation without representation.

The Declaratory Act asserted that Parliament had the authority to make laws for the American colonies "in all cases whatsoever." This was intended to reinforce British power and jurisdiction over the colonies, further fueling colonial resistance.

The Townshend Duties were taxes levied on goods imported from Great Britain into the colonies, aiming to raise revenue for paying colonial officials. Unlike the Navigation Acts, which focused on regulating trade, the Townshend Duties directly targeted colonial consumption and contributed to colonial unrest.

The Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts) were a series of punitive acts imposed on Massachusetts by the British Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party. They closed Boston Harbor, expanded the governor's power, and allowed for trials of colonial officials in Britain.

The Continental Congress was a gathering of delegates from the 13 colonies, initiated in 1774. They faced challenges like defining grievances against Britain, strategizing resistance, preparing for potential conflict, and determining the future relationship with England.

The First Continental Congress drafted the Articles of Association, a plan for a colonial boycott of British goods, and also established the second Continental Congress, marking a significant step towards coordinated colonial action.

Thomas Paine's pamphlet "Common Sense" argued for the establishment of a republic, a government ruled by and for the people. This shifted public opinion towards declaring independence from Great Britain.

The colonists were more focused on the military situation in 1776 because a single defeat could have ended their entire bid for independence. Their survival depended on winning the war.

The British had well-trained troops, a vast empire, and superior logistics. However, their conventional tactics proved ineffective against the colonists, who were fiercely committed to independence.

The British initially believed they could easily quell the rebellion by using force. They expected overwhelming military superiority to quickly restore order.

France, observing the colonists' victory at Saratoga, recognized their strength and potential as an ally. Recognizing the opportunity to weaken their rival, England, France formally joined the colonists' struggle.

The Treaty of Paris officially recognized the United States as an independent nation, confirming the colonies' separation from Great Britain.

The American Revolution sparked westward expansion, leading to the concept of Manifest Destiny. It also expanded trade with countries like India and China, increasing global connections.

After the Revolution, the United States faced numerous challenges, including post-war inflation, unpaid soldiers, a lack of national unity, states printing their own money, and disputes over land ownership.

The Articles of Confederation granted Congress the power to declare war and make peace, negotiate treaties, settle disputes between states, borrow and print money, and request funds from states for defense and welfare.

The Articles of Confederation gave each state one vote in Congress, declared each state sovereign and independent, and stipulated that any powers not explicitly granted to Congress belonged to the states.

The Articles of Confederation lacked the power to impose taxes, making it difficult to fund the national government effectively. It also struggled to enforce its laws effectively due to limited authority over the states.

Shays' Rebellion, an uprising by farmers protesting taxes and debt, highlighted the weakness of the Articles of Confederation. It demonstrated the ineffectiveness of the national government to maintain order and raised concerns about the stability of the new nation.

The Virginia Plan proposed a bicameral legislature with representation based on population, the New Jersey Plan favored equal representation for each state, and the Great Compromise resulted in a bicameral legislature with the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate with equal representation for each state.

The U.S. government under the Constitution established a federal system with a separation of powers among three branches: the legislative branch (Congress), the executive branch (President), and the judicial branch (Supreme Court). This structure aimed to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful by creating checks and balances between them.

The Virginia Plan advocated for a strong national government with a system of checks and balances to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

The New Jersey Plan proposed a stronger national government with the power to levy taxes, but with a single-house legislature where each state had equal representation.