French and Indian War through Confederation Period 1754-1789

Revolutionary Period

Ben Windle

North America, 1750

Ohio River Valley

Ohio River Valley

Albany Plan of Union, 1754

• Proposed by Ben Franklin- suggested 13 colonies unite

• Rejected by colonies because they felt it was too restrictive

French and Indian War 1754-1763

Consequences

1) British are deeply in debt 2. British are not impressed with colonials war effort 3. Colonists are not impressed with British war effort

Pontiac's Rebellion, 1763

• Resistance led by Pontiac in the Ohio Valley Region

• 18 months to to subdue

• Leads King George III to issue Proclamtion of 1763

Proclamation of 1763

End of Salutary Neglect

British Levy Taxes

• 1764- Sugar Act (indirect tax)

• 1765- Quartering Act

• 1765- Stamp Act (direct tax)

King George III

Colonial Reaction

• Stamp Act Congress calls for non-importation agreements (boycotts)

• "No taxation without representation"

• "Virtual Representation"

Daughters of Liberty- Spinning Bees Sons of Liberty

British Response

- British repeal Stamp Act but pass Declaratory Act

- Townshend Act- placed tax on tea

-Writs of Assistance

-Admiralty Courts

"Tar and Feathering"

Boston Massacre, 1770

• 5 civilians killed, 6 injured, in front of customs house

• Massacre is used as Propaganda to fuel Colonial anger

Paul Revere's Print

Gaspee Affair, 1772

• Ran aground off coast of Rhode Island

• Sons of Liberty- set fire to boat

Boston Tea Party, 1773

• Tea Act, 1773 forces colonists to purchase British East India Tea (cheaper than smuggled tea)

• Sons of Liberty destroy tea belonging to British East India Company

Coercive/Intolerable Acts• The Boston Port Act- closes Boston Harbor

• Quartering Act- colonists forced to provide housing to thousands of new Red Coats

• Town meetings disallowed

• General Gage named military-governor of Massachusetts

Fighting Begins, 1775

• Battles of Lexington and Concord- April 15

• Battle of Bunker Hill- June 17

Paul Revere's Midnight Ride- Alerts Minute-Men Militia

Second Continental Congress,1775

• New England colonies wanted to declare war while Middle and Southern wanted to negotiate

• Olive Branch Petition

• King George III considered colonies in a state of Rebellion- hired Hessian/Mercenaries

Loyalists were more numerous in Southern and Middle Colonies

Impact of Enlightenment

• 17th and 18th century thinkers had a profound impact on men like Washington, Adams and Jefferson

• Locke's theory of Natural Rights challenged divine rule of Kings and Queens

John Locke- suggested that the governed had a responsibility to rebel if the government failed to protect natural rights.

Common Sense, 1776

• Published and distributed throughout the colonies in January- Paine used Locke's Natural Rights Philosophy

• Common Sense impacted both Colonists and members of the Second Continental Congress

Thomas Paine

Common Sense, 1776

Europe is too thickly planted with Kingdoms to be long at peace, and whenever a war breaks out between England and any foreign

power, the trade of America goes to ruin, because of her connection with Britain....

There is something absurd, in supposing a Continent to be

perpetually governed by an island....

Where, say some, is the king of America? I'll tell you, Friend, he reigns above, and doth not make havoc of mankind like the royal

brute of Great Britain.... So far as we approve of monarchy...in America the law is king....

Colonists Declare Independence, 1776

• Declares Independence

• Asserts that "all men are created equal"

• List of grievances against the King

Thomas Jefferson

Declaration of Independence, 1776

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain

unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights,

Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the

Right of the People to alter or to abolish it...

- Declaration of Independence, 1776

I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not

put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If

particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies we are determined to foment a Rebellion, and will not hold

ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.

-Abigail Adams to John Adams, 1776

As to your extraordinary Code of Laws, I cannot but laugh. We have been told that our Struggle has loosened the bands of Government every where. That Children and Apprentices were disobedient--that

schools and colleges were grown turbulent--that Indians slighted their guardians and Negroes grew insolent to their masters. But your letter

was the first intimation that another tribe more numerous and powerful than all the rest were grown discontented....

Depend upon it, we know better than to repeal our masculine system.

Although they are in full force, you know they are little more than theory. We dare not exert our power in its full latitude. We are obliged to go fair,

and softly, and in practice you know we are the subject. We have only the name of masters, and rather than give up this, which would

completely subject us to the despotism of the petticoat, I hope General Washington, and all our braves heroes would fight.

-John Adams to Abigail Adams, 1776

Treaty of Alliance, 1778

• Articles of Confederation, 1777 (hastily constructed Constitution)

• Battle of Saratoga, 1777

Americans needed to prove that they were worthy of an Alliance

Treaty of Paris, 1783

• Battle of Yorktown, 1781- last major battle of Revolution

• Per the treaty- Americans agreed to repay debts to British and promise to not punish loyalists that stayed

Treaty of Paris- resulted in formal recognition of The United States as a country and a boundary that stretched to the Mississippi River

Confederation Period, 1781-1789

Weaknesses of AOC Strengths of AOC Unicameral legislature- unanimous vote

required to amend AOCHelped us gain French Alliance

No executive branch of government Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Intentionally weak central government

Central government could not tax citizens directly

Central government could only request states pay taxes

No single nationally currency

Problems with AOC

Financial War debts unpaid, congress had no taxing authority

ForeignEuropean nations had little respect for a nation that could not pay its

debts or take united action in a crisis

Domestic Rebellion: Shay's Rebellion

Northwest Ordinance, 1787

• For the territory between the Great Lakes and the Ohio River- set rules for creating new states

Slavery prohibited in these newly created states

Shay's Rebellion, 1786

• Daniel Shay's and western Massachusetts farmers attacked courthouses to prevent further foreclosure of farms

•

Rebellion made clear the inadequacy of the AOC- paved way for Constitutional Convention

Constitutional Convention, 1787

• Held in Philadelphia- run by 55 delegates

• James Madison becomes leading voice of convention and is considered "Father of Constitution"

The Great Compromise

Virginia Plan (Large State Plan)

New Jersey Plan (Small State Plan)

Congressional representation based on population

Congressional representation allocated per state

House of Repesentatives Senate

Bicameral Congress = House of Representatives and Senate

The Three-Fifths Compromise

• Stipulated that southern slaves would be counted as 3/5 of a person- when counting population- regarding the House of Representatives

• Ended the importation of slaves in 1808

Branches of Government

Executive Legislative Judicial

President Congress Supreme Court

Head of State Propose/Pass Laws Interpret Constitution

Separation of Powers = Checks and Balances

United States Constitution - Preamble

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,

establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of

Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the

United States of America.

Electoral Vote Allocation

Electoral College created to prevent "Mobocracy"

CNN Electoral Map

CNN projection- 9/16/12

Selling the Constitution to The PeopleFederalists Anti-Federalists

Constitution AOC

Strong Central Government State Government

Madison, Hamilton, Washington Patrick Henry

Federalist Papers- 85 essays circulated throughout states (considered the Common Sense of ratification period)

Bill of Rights promised to Anti-Federalists if they helped ratify Federal Constitution

Constitution Ratified, 1789

Washington elected president in 1789

Bill of Rights , 1791

• Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

James Madison

First Amendment

Tenth Amendment

• The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

States' Rights Amendment