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The American

Revolutionary

War

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From the beginning, the British tried to

control colonial trade through

MERCANTILIST laws.

One of the first examples of this was the

NAVIGATION ACTS (1660-1696):

1. Colonial trade had to be shipped on British ships so

they could stop in a Br. port and be taxed before

reaching final destination.

2. Enumerated goods = colonial goods which Br.

needed and required to be sold only to her (tobacco,

sugar, indigo, cotton, lumber, naval stores).

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Although England attempted to control

colonial trade policy from the beginning,

she DID NOT ENFORCE TRADE LAWS

since she was busy with wars in Europe

and India.

American colonists had a great deal of

governmental freedom from the

beginning. Each colony elected its own

ASSEMBLY which made local laws and

decisions.

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American colonists were very

independent-minded.

They disregarded economically damaging

British trade laws and smuggled goods in

from the French West Indies.

The British were not aware of colonial

disregard for their laws for some time.

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The French and Indian War (1756-1763):

1. Called The Seven Years War in Europe

2. Conflict brought on by colonists

crossing over the Appalachians for cheap

land

3. War between FRENCH & ALGONQUIAN

INDIANS versus ENGLISH, COLONISTS,

AND IROQUOIS INDIANS

4. Struggle over control of the OHIO

RIVER VALLEY

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English wanted to

make more cheap land

available to the

colonists and to pursue

“Manifest Destiny.”

French wanted to

connect their northern

colony of New France

(Quebec) with their

southern colony of

Louisiana to cut off

further English

expansion to the west.

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The British sent 10,000

Redcoats to fight the

French & Indian War!

Once they got to the

colonies, they were

shocked at the degree to

which the colonists had

ignored British law!!

From 1760, Britain decided to maintain a standing army

of 10,000 troops in the colonies.

The British, colonists, and Iroquois Indians won the

French & Indian War. The Treaty of Paris of 1763

removed France from North America!

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English King George III

ruled from 1760-1820. He

inherited the throne at the

age of 22. Was

inexperienced, insecure,

and tried to rule alone. Did

not like Parliament and did

not work well with it. Had an

illness known as porphyria

which made him periodically

act insane. (caused dark

red urine too!!)

Since government at top levels

was confused and inconsistent,

the lower level bureaucracy

carried out colonial policy which they consistently implemented

without interference from higher government. As a result, colonial

taxes & laws were consistently enforced.

10King George III & Family (England)

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Results of the French & Indian War 1756-63:

1. France lost N. American lands

2. Cost of war doubled Britain’s national debt

3. **Britain began to strictly enforce colonial

laws and taxes!

4. In response to Pontiac’s Rebellion of 1763,

in which Ottawa Indians attacked and killed

more than 2000 colonists for encroaching

upon Indian land in the Ohio River Valley, the

British issue the Proclamation of 1763 which

prohibited colonists from settling west of the

Appalachian Mts.

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British Moves to Collect Colonial Taxes:

1. Strengthened Customs

A. Writs of Assistance (search warrant)

B. Admiralty Courts

2. 1764 Sugar Act

3. 1765 Quartering Act

4. **1765 Stamp Act (direct tax)

A. “virtual representation”

B. Sons of Liberty

1. Samuel Adams

2. John Hancock

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Samuel

Adams (left)

John

Hancock

(right)

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British Moves to Collect Colonial Taxes:

5. 1773 Tea Act

A. Br. East India Tea Company allowed to

sell directly from Br. Wholesaler to

American retailer (cut middleman).

B. Gave England a monopoly on tea sales in

colonies!

6. 1773 Boston Tea

Party

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Tarring and Feathering

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American Colonial Path to Independence:

1774 Continental Congress formed & met in

Philadelphia. Organized boycott of British goods &

ordered formation of colonial militias.

1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord - - Br. Troops

sent from Boston to arrest key colonial leaders (John

Hancock & Sam Adams) and to capture colonial supply

of munitions at Concord.

July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence - - followed

principles of English Enlightenment philosopher, John

Locke.

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The 1777 Battle of Saratoga (upstate New

York) was the turning point in the

Revolutionary War.

In 1787, the American Constitution was

ratified! It incorporated many of the ideas of

the Enlightenment. The USA became one of

the first tests of the governmental ideas of the

Enlightenment!!

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Signing the Constitution of the USA in Philadelphia, 1787

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