The Road To The American Revolution, 1750s - 1776

Deep Roots & Growing Divisions

I. “Salutary Neglect”II. Ideology and IndiansIII. Losing Control A. Identity and Colonial Nationalism B. Taxation and ResistanceIV. Protest to Revolution A. Self-governance and independence

Underneath “Salutary Neglect”

I. Glorious Revolution A. Reaction to absolutism of King James, 1680’s B. “Rights” and liberty C. Colonists gain confidenceII. “left colonists alone”

III. Divergent ideas of equality and representation

Social Differences

I. Weak Aristocracy A. Less hereditary power

II. More “open” land

A. Geographical mobility

Imperial Conflicts

I. French, Spanish and British Empires A. Power, land and wealth

B. Constant warfare 1. King William’s War, 1688-97 2. Queen Anne’s War, 1702-14 3. King George’s War, 1739-48 4. French and Indian War, 1754-60 (7 Year’s War)

C. Angered colonies and Indians D. Funded wars by increasing colonial taxes

Grand Settlement of 1701

Iroquois neutrality1701-1750sPlay off Fr vs. BrKeep tradeProtect Great Lakes to the Ohio Valley

Country Ideology “Whig”

Reaction to taxes and Br MilitaryFeared power of the stateThreat to liberty and propertyBlended with debates over taxation and representationElitist

French and Indian War, 1754-1760

French and Indian War

I. Colonists in Ohio Valley A. Fr & Indians attack west frontier B. Albany Congress, 1754 failed C. 1756 became “7 Years War”

II. Iroquois Confederacy A. Refused to give up land B. Neutral since 1701 C. Iroquois ally w/ Br in 1760

III. William Pitt, Sec. State A. Crushed French

Battle of Bushy Run, PA (1763)

Treaty of Paris, 1763

I. Ends War A. French eliminated B. Lost land east of Mississippi River C. Kept New OrleansII. Sp. gets land west of Miss. III. Br. gets Florida

Proclamation of 1763

I. Line down the Appalachians II. No growth III. British Troops V. Angered colonies

Significance of French and Indian War

I. French influence declinedII. British power expandedIII. Direct taxes for war debtIV. Br. increased military presenceV. Conflicts between Br. and colonists

Native Responses & Views

I. Excluded from TreatyII. Pan-Indian Response A. Neolin B. Pontiac (Ottowa) C. Pontiac’s Rebellion 1763-6 D. Attack from G.L. to VA E. Sir Jeffrey AmherstIII. Centralize Indian Policy

Growing Tensions

Colonists resent taxesWant to expandDislike “interference” from CrownEnd of “salutary neglect” Different political ideologies

Colonial “Nationalism”

I. NationalismA. Common experiencesB. Military

serviceC. Print mediaD. Political

beliefsE. Becoming “Americans”

Protest to Revolution

I. Quartering Act 1765

A. TroopsII. Sugar Act 1765

A. Raise revenueB. External, trade

III. Stamp Act 1765 A. Internal taxB. Direct taxC. Angered

colonists

Tar and Feathering a Tax Collector

Inching Towards Revolution

I. Taxation without representationII. Sons of Liberty, Sam AdamsIII. Crown increased colonial administrationIV. Townsend Revenue Acts 1767-- A. Non-Importation/boycotts B. Personal-political-nationalistic

Boston Massacre, 1770

I. Sons of LibertyII. British troopsIII. Public protestsIV. Shots erupt into “massacre”V. Exaggerated

Committees of Correspondence 1772-4

I. Local political organizationsII. Reaction to royal abusesIII. Patrick Henry and Thomas JeffersonIV. Inter-Colonial cooperation & communicationV. Leadership until Continental Congresses

Tea Tax 1773

Monopoly for British East Indian Tea CoTaxed tea purchasesBoston Sons of Liberty stopped shipsDecember 1773 dumped tea

Boston Tea Party 1773

First Continental Congress 1774

I. Growing Br. ControlA. Intolerable Acts, esp. Mass Charter

II. Philadelphia, 1774 A. Did not want war

B. Committed to Br. crownC. Boycotts & Unity

III. Committees of Observation and Safety

A. “Local governments”

Verge of Revolution, 1775

I. Lexington and Concord, MASSII. Second Congress, 1775 A. Colonial army B. General Washington

C. Olive Branch Petition to King George III

III. Thomas Paine, Common Sense A. Rational argument for rebellion and independence

IV. British seized American ships