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New Taxes Upset Colonists
French-Indian War expensive for G.B. so they levy more taxes on Colonists to pay for their empire Sugar, Quartering and Stamp Acts creates customs officers and courts to collect on duties and prosecute smugglers Stamp Act requires citizens to pay for printed materials=Direct Tax on Colonies Taxation Without Representation=colonist being taxed without representation in Parliament -
The Colonist’s Political Heritage
Colonist believe G.B. had best government on Earth Liberties like due process, jury system, freedom of press, common law Taxes only paid unless levied by their representatives BRITISH GOVERNMENT: Executive=Monarch Legislative: House of Commons/House of Lords COLONIAL GOVERNMENTS: two house system with a Governor appointed by King Colonist did not elect members to British Parliament -
Colonial Protests Intensify
Colonist protested in three ways: intellectual protest, economic protest, violent intimidation
Colonial protests grew out of Enlightenment Ideals= life, liberty and property
Patriot Leaders Emerge: Sons of Liberty- Sam Adams
Anger growing from Stamp Act
Leaders organize boycott of all British goods -
Violence in Boston (Boston Massacre)
In response to Townshend Acts, colonists revived protests, violence, and boycotts
Boston epicenter of riots
Colonist seized a British shipping vessel so in response….
The British instilled Marshall Law occupying Boston with 4,000 troops for over a year (Boston’s population was 16,000)
Troops fired at colonist killing 5 in a protests (Known as Boston Massacre)
Parliament backed down removing troops and dropping Townshend Acts but….
Left taxes on Tea -
Boston Tea Party
Bostonians boycott British Tea which hurt the British economy
British continued to ship in tea
On night, British colonist disguised as Native Americas stored a shipping vessel and dumped all tea into harbor
Known as Boston Tea Party
Symbol of Revolution -
Colonist Unite (Intolerable acts)
Boston’s actions outraged Parliament and the Crown so they passed Coercive Acts
Coercive Acts closed ports until they paid for tea
Intolerable Acts forbade trade from Colonies to French Colonies in Canada
These actions enraged colonists…….so….
They took action -
The Action (The First continental Congress)
All colonies saw actions of British as a threat to their freedom
Delegates from every colony met for FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
“Give me liberty, or give me death” echoed from meeting
Ideas of being American formed
Actions: Boycott British goods, new govts to bypass Parliament
Idea of America established by John Adams and they could unite to defeat the British -
Second Continental Congress
May 1775
Delegates assemble in Philadelphia
Congress assumed responsibility of the war and created lead by George Washington
Not yet ready to declare independence -
War Erupts (Battles of Lexington and Concorde)
1775 tensions are at a high point
Battles of Lexington and Concord- Paul Revere warning of the British mobilizing the militias
Colonial troops forced Red Coats into Boston and colonist controlled New England colonies -
British Mistakes & Colonists Strenghts (Battle of Bunker Hill)
BRITRISH MISTAKES:
Never took Patriots serious
Defeated at Lexington and Concord
Defeated at Bunker Hill- major psychological
victory for Patriots
British fought traditional war against what they
thought was traditional army but…
British lost hearts and minds of colonisTS
PATRIOTS ADVANTAGES:
George Washington
Kept Continental Army enact
Kept a solid resolve -
Loyalist vs. Patriots (common Sense)
Patriots wanted to start own country
Loyalists wanted to remain part of Great Britain
Loyalists want to remain loyal to King, but not pay taxes to Parliament
Loyalist fear disorder without the Crown, but….
In January 1775 Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense that laid out cause for Independence
Paine´s idea:
Independence from Britain
Republican State Governments
Union of States
Paine saw King and Parliament as evil
“The cause of America is in great measure the cause of all mankind” -
War Erupts in Middle States (Battle of Trentin)
Battles erupted all the way to South Carolina
War even moves to the frontier
Not going into exact battles
Native Americas are supporting British -
Declaration of Independence
Drafted by Thomas Jefferson
July 2 Congress voted that America was free
Enlightenment ideals
Natural Rights
Now the colonist had to achieve independence -
Articles of Confederation
Created by Continental Congress
Known as First Constitution
Loose confederation of 13 states
States Rights over a strong centralized government
Structure of National Govt (Federal): delegates from state legislatures convene to make decisions at National Congress
National Congressional Powers: War and foreign affairs -
Congress Create Plan for West
Most important accomplishment of National Congress was the creation of plans to settle in the Northwest Territory
Land Ordinance of 1785: system for distributing public lands
Sectioned off lands
Northwest Ordinance of 1787 divides up lands in a Jeffersonian manner -
The Constitutional Convention
Articles of Confederation flawed and need changed
Looking at 2 major changes:
1. Congress needs power to regulate interstate and international commerce
2. Congress needs power to tax -
Rival Plans (Hamilton and Madison)
Leading thinkers of the Convention
Hamilton disliked democracy and liked British model (Aristocracy and Monarchy)
Hamilton about strong central government
Madison wanted both strong central government and strong states Virginia Plan from Madison- three branches, strong President,
New Jersey Plan- similar to Articles of Confederation, one branch, executive committee instead of President -
The Great Compromise
Compromise between the two plans
Similar to Virginia Plan but….
Senate would have 2 delegates for each state
Helping out smaller states
Federalism enacted- both federal and state power divided -
New Principles (Constitution)
Constitution is symbol of freedom for entire world
Popular sovereignty
Limited government
Separation of Powers
Federalism
Checks and Balances
Representative Government
The Constitution endures, but should be take it at face value or word for word…you should decide -
Three Fifhts Compromise
North vs. South
Southern Delegates wanted to protect slavery
Three-Fifths Compromise- counted each slave as 3/5 of a person to be added to the states population allocated for House of Reps and Electoral College
Gave Southern states more powe -
The Struggle
9 out of 13 states must approve
Federalist vs Antifederalist
Federalist- Washington, Madison, Hamilton wanted for new Constitution
Antifederalist- disliked lack of Bill of Rights and distrusted the Union
Support for the Constitution by heroes like Franklin and Jefferson made Americans support this new document
Federalists wrote the Federalist Papers which were arguments that laid out their cause
These papers brought more people on their side -
Ratifying Conventions
Federalists gave in to a few Antifederalists demands to get Constitution ratified
One was creation of Vice President
Amendments allowed to change Constitution
Bill of Rights added
New Capitol is New York City after 11 states ratified
