American Revolution Overview

Overview

This chapter covers the growing tensions between Britain and its American colonies from 1763 to 1775, tracking the escalation from new British taxes and policies to the outbreak of the American Revolution.

British Policy and Colonial Resentment

• Britain emerged from the Seven Years’ War with more territory but a huge debt, leading to new taxes for the colonies.
• The British government sought to enforce mercantilist policies, viewing the colonies as sources of raw materials and markets.
• The Navigation Acts restricted colonial trade, creating resentment over limited economic freedom.
• Currency shortages in the colonies forced dependence on barter and British control over paper money.

Ideological Roots of Revolution

• Colonists adopted republicanism, valuing civic virtue and opposition to aristocracy.
• Radical Whig ideas warned of corruption and tyranny from centralized power.
• Colonial self-governance and broad property ownership fostered a sense of political independence.

Taxation Without Representation

• The Sugar Act (1764) and Quartering Act (1765) imposed new financial burdens on colonists.
• The Stamp Act (1765) taxed printed materials, provoking widespread protests.
• Colonists protested "no taxation without representation," rejecting Parliament’s right to tax them directly.
• The concept of "virtual representation" was dismissed by Americans.

Escalating Resistance and Unity

• The Stamp Act Congress (1765) united several colonies in protest and petition.
• Non-importation agreements (boycotts) mobilized colonial society, including women.
• Groups like Sons of Liberty enforced protests, sometimes violently.

British Countermeasures and Colonial Backlash

• Parliament repealed the Stamp Act but passed the Declaratory Act, asserting full authority.
• The Townshend Acts (1767) imposed duties on goods like tea, fueling further unrest, particularly in Massachusetts.
• British troops were stationed in Boston, leading to clashes like the Boston Massacre (1770).

Path to Revolution

• Samuel Adams organized Committees of Correspondence to promote colonial unity.
• The Tea Act (1773) granted the British East India Company a monopoly, prompting the Boston Tea Party.
• Parliament responded with the Intolerable Acts, closing Boston’s port and restricting colonial self-rule.
• The Quebec Act extended rights to French Canadians, alarming colonists.

First Continental Congress and Outbreak of War

• The First Continental Congress (1774) called for a boycott of British goods and asserted colonial rights.
• Armed conflict began at Lexington and Concord in 1775, marking the start of the Revolutionary War.

Advantages and Disadvantages in the War

• Britain had numerical, financial, and military advantages but suffered from distance, divided command, and lack of support at home.
• The colonies benefited from strong leadership, defensive strategy, and foreign aid, but suffered from poor organization, lack of resources, and weak central government.

Social Aspects of the Revolution

• Women managed households and supported the war effort; some even fought.
• Black Americans served on both sides, some earning freedom with the British.
• Profiteering and low morale hampered American efforts, but a dedicated minority pressed for independence.

Key Terms & Definitions

• Mercantilism — Economic theory that colonies exist to enrich the mother country.
• Republicanism — Political philosophy prioritizing civic virtue and opposition to monarchy.
• Radical Whigs — British commentators suspicious of government power and corruption.
• Navigation Acts — British laws restricting colonial trade to benefit Britain.
• Stamp Act — A tax on printed materials in the colonies.
• Non-importation agreements — Colonial consumer boycotts of British goods.
• Sons/Daughters of Liberty — Groups enforcing colonial resistance to British policies.
• Declaratory Act — Law affirming British authority over the colonies.
• Townshend Acts — Taxes on imports like tea, glass, and paper.
• Boston Massacre — 1770 shooting of colonists by British troops.
• Intolerable Acts — Punitive laws targeting Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party.
• First Continental Congress — Meeting of colonial representatives to coordinate resistance.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Review the causes and effects of each major British act (Sugar, Stamp, Townshend, Tea, Intolerable).
• Study the differences between mercantilism, republicanism, and radical Whig ideology.
• Prepare summaries of the key events leading to the start of the Revolutionary War for discussion or testing.