Essential Questions What were some of the causes of change and crisis in the American colonies?

Section 3Enlightenment and Revolution

Essential Questions

• What were some of the causes of change and crisis in the American colonies?

• How was the struggle for independence affected by Enlightenment concepts?

• How did American colonists form a new government?

Main Idea

Enlightenment ideas led to revolution, independence, and a new government for the United States.

The American Revolution


By the mid-1700s dramatic new Enlightenment ideas had spread to North America, inspiring the British colonists to forge a new nation.

• British colonies had expanded rapidly along east

• Offered opportunities not available in Great Britain

– Land plentiful, cheap– Class system absent– Good chance for

advancement through intelligence, hard work

Forming a New Identity

• Colonies had been established nearly 150 years

• Allowed large measure of independence, though still British subjects

• Each had own government, made own laws

• Began to identify less with Britain

Change and Crisis


New Tax

• Stamp Act, 1765, required colonists to pay tax for official stamp on all newspapers, legal documents, other public papers

• Colonial leaders outraged Parliament taxed them without representatives there to plead case

• Called for boycott of English goods, act repealed 1766

Opposing British Policies

• Britain began to assert its right to impose laws on colonies

• Britain defeated France in French and Indian War

• France had to give up its North American colonies

• Britain decided to make colonies pay part of war costs in taxes


Townshend Acts

• 1767, British imposed taxes on glass, paper, paints, tea• Boston merchants called for another boycott• British sent troops to keep order, Bostonians harassed troops

Boston Tea Party

• 1773, Sons of Liberty boarded ships in Boston Harbor, dumped crates of tea overboard, British closed port

• Parliament passed Intolerable Acts, regulations limiting freedom of colonists

Boston Massacre

• 1770, British troops shot, killed 5 men • Most of Townshend Acts partially repealed, tax on tea remained




First Continental Congress

• Philadelphia, 1774

• Colonists listed grievances against British

– Plan to reconcile differences with British presented

– Plan voted down


• Not all colonists wanted independence from Britain

• Thomas Paine argued in 1776 pamphlet, Common Sense, that colonies no longer needed British rule

• Said colonies deserved independence

• Paine’s pamphlet helped gain popular support for cause

Common Sense

• Colonists hid weapons in countryside and towns

• April 1775, British troops marched out of Boston to find weapons

• British troops confronted colonial militiamen in Lexington

• Shots rang out; the American Revolution began

Shot Heard ‘round the World

Revolution Begins


Compare

What did the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts have in common?

Answer(s): Both imposed taxes on the colonies.


The American Revolution was the first war in which old ideas about government were challenged by the ideas of the Enlightenment.

• Second Continental Congress, 1776

• Committee formed to write document declaring colonies’ independence

Declaring Independence • Members familiar

with Enlightenment concepts

• Adams, Jefferson, Franklin

• Jefferson wrote draft incorporating ideas from Locke, Rousseau

Committee• expression of

Enlightenment political philosophy

• Drew ideas from English Bill of Rights, 1689

• Individual, society rights, freedoms

Declaration

Struggle for Independence


British government formally recognized the independence of the United States with the Treaty of Paris, in September of 1783.

The British won battles in upstate New York during the summer of 1777, but in October the Americans won the Battle of Saratoga. The victory was crucial as Benjamin Franklin was in Paris seeking aid from the French. This alliance became a turning point in the war.

• American forces strengthened over next two years

• British tried to divide colonies • Americans made numerous

attacks on British in South Carolina

Strategies in the South

The Revolutionary War

• French and American armies surrounded British, Yorktown

• Lord Cornwallis surrendered after siege of several weeks

• American colonists won independence, October 1781

Victories in the North


The Revolutionary War

The Treaty of Paris

• Set the geographic boundaries for the new United States

– Gave Americans much greater territory than original 13 colonies

– Americans gained all land east of Mississippi River and north of 31st parallel

• Americans faced task of building new nation


Sequence

What events led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence?

Answer(s): Second Continental Congress declares colonies' independence from Britain; Washington assigned commander of army; American forces strengthened; French and American armies defeat British army; colonists win independence


The Articles of Confederation• Colonists had to learn to work together, form new government • First government established by Articles of Confederation, approved 1781• National government made deliberately weak to avoid abuses of power• Articles produced government too weak to govern effectively

• Delegates met at Constitutional Convention, 1787, to revise Articles

• Instead wrote Constitution

• George Washington presided over convention

• James Madison negotiated main points

The Constitution• Constitution created federal

system of government

• Certain powers reserved to federal government, others for states

• Three branches of government: executive, judicial, legislative

• System of checks and balances

Federal System

Forming a New Government


Forming a New Government

• Influence of Enlightenment thought on Constitution very powerful

– Founding principle, government exists for the people

– Reflected Locke’s and Rousseau’s idea of government by consent of people

– Division of government into three branches reflected Montesquieu’s idea of separation of powers


Impact of American Government

• News of successful American revolution impacted other governments

• France experienced own revolution, 1789

The Bill of Rights

• Opponents to Constitution said it failed to protect citizen’s rights

• Wanted protection of individual’s rights added to Constitution

• Congress added Bill of Rights, first 10 amendments to Constitution

• Protected natural rights advocated by Voltaire, Locke, Rousseau


Find the Main Idea

How did the Constitution and the Bill of Rights change the government and society

of the United States?

Answer(s): caused anger about taxation without representation; colonial leaders supported creation of new nation; committee formed at Continental Congress; Jefferson wrote draft; adopted by the Congress

Documents

Essential Questions What were some of the causes of change and crisis in the American colonies?