Causes of the American Revolution PDF

Causes of the American Revolution Glossary TERM DEFINITION enlightenment a movement in Europe during the eighteenth century that stressed the importance of reason and science in philosophy and the study of human society militia...

Causes of the American Revolution Glossary TERM DEFINITION enlightenment a movement in Europe during the eighteenth century that stressed the importance of reason and science in philosophy and the study of human society militia a local volunteer army composed of farmers, tradesmen, and laborers who formed to protect their towns from foreign invasion and war George Washington served in the Virginia militia during the French and Indian War and also in the Virginia Legislature mercenary a soldier serving in a foreign army for pay popular sovereignty the idea that the authority of a government comes from the consent of the governed people patriot a person who supported independence from Britain, sometimes called a Rebel, a Whig, or a Colonial Loyalist a person who remained loyal to the British during the American Revolution; sometimes called a Tory Objective In this lesson, you will analyze the events that contributed to the start of the American Revolution. Britain and the American Colonies Until 1763 the British paid little attention to the American colonies, which were about 3000 miles from Britain. The colonists became increasingly self-governing but remained loyal to British subjects. Immigrants (and colonists) enjoyed the feeling of being connected to a powerful country such as Britain and believed the connection kept them safe from threats from other countries. Britain protected colonial ships from pirates and was viewed as a trustworthy trade partner. As Britain tightened its control, many colonists began to resent the British government. The Causes of the American Revolution The colonists remained dutiful British citizens from 1607 to 1776. In the latter part of this period, the colonists’ loyalty toward the British king decreased as enlightenment ideas spread through the colonies. The cost of the French and Indian War caused economic and political conflicts between the colonists and the British government to increase. French and Indian War Debt The French and Indian War increased Britain’s debt. British citizens were paying one-third of their salaries in taxes to help finance the British military and run the empire. King George III decided that the American colonists should share in the cost of war and help finance the British military that protected the colonies. To reduce the cost of defending the western frontier, King George issued the Proclamation of 1763, which forbade colonial settlement of western lands belonging to American Indians. Taxation Without Representation In 1764, Parliament passed the American Revenue Act, known as the Sugar Act. The law’s goal was to stop the smuggling of sugar and molasses into the colonies. In 1765, Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which taxed most types of printed material in the colonies. Its purpose was to raise funds for Britain’s war debt. Parliament reversed the Stamp Act in 1766. Parliament passed the four Townshend Acts in 1767. This act sparked the formation of colonial groups such as the Sons of Liberty, which protested the British taxes. The leader of the Sons of Liberty was a man named Samuel Adams. After years of continued taxation, revolts, and violence, the Sons of Liberty arranged a protest in December 1773. This protest was called the Boston Tea Party. The Intolerable Acts British Troops in the Colonies In 1774, Parliament passed the Coercive Acts to As resentment grew over paying taxes, King George punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party. sent more troops to the colonies. Two of the The colonists called these laws the Intolerable Townshend Acts called for an increased military Acts. Parliament had the power to elect presence. The Quartering Act required colonists to Massachusetts government officials and provide food and shelter to those British soldiers. On restrict town gatherings in the colony. British March 5, 1770, a British soldier was guarding the officials accused of crimes were allowed to Customs House in Boston. Events escalated quickly, return to Britain for trial, and even more British the crowd grew, and the British soldiers fired on the troops were stationed throughout Boston. crowd. This incident became known as the Boston In the fall of 1774, representatives from the Massacre. The massacre inspired Samuel Adams to colonies gathered at the First Continental organize The Committees of Correspondence, which Congress in Philadelphia. sought independence.  Enlightenment Ideas Spread Across the Atlantic During the 1600s, European intellectuals began a social, political, and philosophical movement known as the Enlightenment. Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Thomas Hobbes challenged this “divine right of kings.” Their ideas spread across the colonies through newspapers and books. ❖ John Locke developed the idea of popular sovereignty, which meant that people elected government officials to act in the people’s best interests. He also developed the concept of natural rights, which stated that all men are born with the right to life, liberty, and property. ❖ Locke, Rousseau, and Hobbes also developed the idea of a social contract. People create governments to protect their personal freedoms. The Colonists Ready for War The colonists took several measures to achieve independence from British rule. The First Continental Congress The First Continental Congress met from September 5 to October 26, 1774. Delegates from every colony except Georgia were represented. The Congress included important leaders such as John Adams, George Washington, and Patrick Henry. They selected Peyton Randolph as president of the Congress. Congressional delegates discussed the relationship between the colonies and Britain. Two major actions: 1. sent a letter to King George declaring their loyalty and at the same time condemning Parliament and its actions 2. decided to boycott trade with Britain if the king didn’t grant their rights and formed militias to prepare for potential conflicts with Britain The Shot Heard Round the World The first two battles of the American Revolution were fought in the Massachusetts towns of Concord and Lexington. The British troops ran into militia members in Lexington on their way to Concord. A shot was fired, starting a battle. The Second Continental Congress The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in 1775 following the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Delegates appointed George Washington commander of the colonial forces, called the Continental Army. Congress authorized printing of money to pay soldiers and purchase supplies, but raising money to fund the war remained difficult. Congress also organized a committee to establish and maintain relations with foreign nations, in case assistance from other countries was needed in the future. The Radicals appeal directly to King George III, expressing their pushed for the establishment of the Continental loyalty and asking him to help with their problems Army supported George Washington as with Parliament commander in chief of the army The Moderates hoped for peaceful reconciliation thought the best way to achieve peace was to The Congress accepted the moderates’ position and sent the Second Petition, or Olive Branch Petition, to King George III. George rejected the Congress’s petition. Instead, he declared the colonies to be in a state of rebellion. The king’s actions strengthened the radical delegates’ desire for independence. They quickly started to move toward issuing a formal declaration of independence. The Declaration of Independence The colonists listed their grievances against Britain and declared their intention to be an independent nation. They also indicated how they intended to govern themselves. Drafting the Declaration The Continental Congress appointed a committee of five men to draft the declaration, including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Locke’s Second Treatise on Government clearly influenced the declaration. Jefferson included Locke’s concepts of popular sovereignty and natural rights in the declaration. Locke also proposed that governments and people must obey a “social contract.” Jefferson said that because the British hadn’t protected the colonists’ natural rights, they hadn’t honored their part of the contract. Therefore, the colonists had every right to revolt. In January 1776, Thomas Paine published the pamphlet Common Sense, in which he used simple language to explain why the colonies should become independent. Paine made no distinction between the British king and Parliament. He believed both were corrupt. Declaring Independence Thomas Jefferson submitted a draft of the Declaration of Independence on June 28. Congress adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence on July 2. The Congress announced the official adoption of the declaration on July 4. After the Continental Congress declared independence, the colonists had a choice. ⮡ They could either become patriots by supporting independence or remain loyal to the British. Historians refer to the latter group of colonists as loyalists.