The American Revolution

Chapter 5: The American Revolution

Section 1: Introduction

• Benjamin Rush's emotional connection to the British throne
• Strong emotional ties between colonists and British monarchy/constitution
• Colonists had helped win a world war and felt proud to be British
• Within a decade, colonists declared independence + broke from British Empire
• Revolution created institutions, codified language/ideals defining American identity
• Justified new nation with radical ideals, sparking a global age of revolution
• Paradoxical revolution: fought for liberty but allowed slavery, resisted central authority but united colonists under new govts.
• Founding Fathers aimed for independence, not democracy, requiring common colonists' support

Section 2: The Origins of the American Revolution

• Long-term origins and short-term causes
• Britain failed to define colony relationships/impose coherent reform due to:
  1. War
  2. Competing visions of empire among British officials
• Whigs (authoritarian empire) vs. Patriot Whigs (trade/manufacturing-based empire)
• Colonists saw themselves as entitled to British subjects' rights
• Economic and demographic growth in colonies successful under Britain's hands-off approach
• Local political institutions developed (colonial assemblies)
• Different political culture due to greater land availability + participation in politics
• Republicanism: vigilance against conspiracies + centralized control
• Enlightenment + Great Awakening influenced challenges to authority
• Philosophers like John Locke and preachers like George Whitefield empowered questioning of authority
• Anglicization: cultural similarity with Britons due to economic growth
• Tensions arose in wake of Britain’s post-Seven Years War imperial reforms

Section 3: The Causes of the American Revolution

• Immediate cause: British imperial reforms post-Seven Years War
• British Empire doubled national debt, necessitating taxation + control
• Reforms included the Royal Proclamation of 1763, Sugar Act, and Currency Act
• 1765 Stamp Act catalyzed resistance:
  • Legislative (elite)
  • Economic (merchants)
  • Popular protest (common colonists)
• Stamp Act Congress and Virginia Resolves common responses
• British response: Declaratory Act after repealing Stamp Act
• Townsend Acts of 1767 reignited resistance: customs duties, increased British governmental enforcement
• Resistance evolved: non-importation agreements, local committees, inclusive participation including women
• Events like Boston Massacre (1770) escalated tensions; repeal of Townsend Acts (except tea)

Section 4: Independence

• Tensions eased briefly post-Boston Massacre
• 1773: Tea Act and subsequent Boston Tea Party
• Coercive/Intolerable Acts (1774) provoked collective colonial response, Continental Congress convened
• Rising radicalism amid varied colonial perspectives
• April 1775: Battles of Lexington + Concord marked war’s start
• Continental Army formed; Washington appointed commander-in-chief
• Attempts at reconciliation faltered; King George III’s suppressive stance
• 1776: Independence debates intensified, Common Sense by Thomas Paine influential
• July 4, 1776: Declaration of Independence approved

Section 5: The War for Independence

• Initial setbacks (New York) + surprise success (Trenton)
• Major turning point: Battle of Saratoga + French alliance (1778)
• Strategies: British traditional military tactics vs. Washington’s periodic skirmishes
• 1781: Southern campaigns and Siege of Yorktown leading to British surrender
• Treaty of Paris (1783) ended the war
• War hardships: Valley Forge, homefront struggles, women’s roles + contributions

Section 6: The Consequences of the American Revolution

• Immediate consequence: creation of state constitutions (1776-77)
• Broader transformations: political participation, institutionalized religious toleration, population growth
• Decline of mercantilism; new trade/manufacturing opportunities
• Weakness of Articles of Confederation led to Constitution (1787-88)
• Social/hierarchical changes: meritocracy, end of aristocracy, economic openings
• Limited social equality: women remained marginal, loyalist dispossession
• Black Americans + slavery tension; failed long-term reconciliation
• Native American displacement continued

Section 7: Conclusion

• First blow in the “Age of Democratic Revolutions”
• Created new nation-state: the United States of America
• Influenced global revolutionary movements
• Legacy debates: conservative vs. radical revolution
• Rhetoric of equality influenced future movements (abolition, civil rights, women, gay rights)