Crash Course World History: The American Revolution

Introduction

• Host: John Green
• Focus: Why the American Revolution happened and the extent of its revolutionary nature.
• Not a detailed chronology or biographical focus.

Background & Causes

• 1763: End of 7 Years War, victory for the British. The war was expensive.
• 1765: British government implemented the Stamp Act to recoup war debts, causing unrest due to lack of colonial representation in Parliament.
• Colonists discontent with the presence of British troops post-war.
• Stamp Act repealed due to colonial protests.

Escalation

• Townshend Acts: More British taxes on colonists, leading to further protests and colonial organization.
• 1770: Boston Massacre with five casualties.
• 1773: Boston Tea Party, a significant colonial protest against British taxation by dumping tea into Boston Harbor.

Colonial Response

• Creation of Committees of Correspondence to enforce boycotts of British goods and disseminate information.
• These committees acted like proto-governments, facilitating organization against British policies.
• 1775: Fighting began; Continental Congress convened, leading to the Declaration of Independence.

Loyalist Perspective

• Around 20% of colonists remained loyal to Britain, including many in cities and enslaved individuals who were promised freedom by the British.
• Britain's earlier abolition of slavery suggests the Revolution might not have benefited certain groups as celebrated.

Revolutionary Nature of the War

• Colonists replaced a monarchy with a republic, a radical change at the time.
• Inspired by Enlightenment ideals, especially liberty (Thomas Paine's "Common Sense," Declaration of Independence).
• Actual outcomes showed limited social change: Property rights favored existing owners, and many were excluded from rights (slaves, women, non-property-owning men).

Influence of the Enlightenment

• Celebration of human reason and improvement.
• Leaders inspired by moderate Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke (life, liberty, property).

Impact of the Revolution

• No formal nobility established in the US.
• Recognized inheritance rights of women and widows.
• Americans began seeing each other as more equal, a radical shift.
• The Revolution's ideas on property, equality, and representation continue to shape political discourse.

Conclusion

• Revolutionary ideals can be challenging to uphold in practice.
• Emphasizes the need for inclusive and humanistic ideals due to human imperfections.

Production Notes

• Produced and directed by Stan Muller.
• Written by Raoul Meyer and John Green.
• Graphics by Thought Bubble.
• Interned by Meredith Danko.
• Viewers can guess or suggest future phrases in comments.