American Revolution. Lecture Note HIS

American Revolution  Revolution wasn't simply overthrowing the government - Instead of George III, there was George Washington  Join or Die - Simple propaganda used for those in the backcountry  Tension between America's growing dependency on England and its  Political, economic, and social development - America's buying power was increasing - Tensions between independence and dependence in regards to  England  Praxis - How we transform thought into action  Periods of Colonial Convergence - Anglicization (1660—1745)  To make or become English in form/character  Period between the death of a king and the appointment of the  new one  Influx of Englishmen in the colonies  America passed under the vernacular threshold  r Vernacular threshold : The first generation of products  Created  Great Awakening  r Shift in the colonies in religious fervor with a religious  revival in the colonies  r Shift from Calvinism to evangelical Protestantism  America was becoming more and more English  The Imperial Wars - Attempt to rid the Western hemisphere of the French threat while  grabbing French land — French colony above the colonies, was the most important Atlantic  port  King George's War — 1744-1748— 1745: 4000 New Englanders finally took a French fort, Louisburg  Seven Year's War - 1756-1763 - Most damage was done to colonists --> Loss of property, etc. - French could do what the British couldn't, keep Indian alliances - British outrage because of financial loses  Led to more taxation in America

 Colonists felt betrayed/marginalized  "Salutory Neglect" (Period where Parliament's rules were  Ignored, gave the colonies autonomy)  King George's War/French—Indian war led to increased tensions between  colonists and British  Period of Convergence/Period of Taxation — 1764—1766 - Townshend Acts - Stamp Act - Sugar Act  Smugglers on trial were judged by Vice—Admiralty courts, instead  of local courts  Was against English rights  Universal Rights (Recognized by all, made vocal by revivals) - Life, Liberty, and Property  American Revolution - Led to a split in the colonies — Loyalists were chased out of colonies - French backed US — Hessians/Africans backed Britain  Blacks in the American Revolution — Slaves served in both British and American armies - All states except Georgia/North Carolina recruited slaves — July 1775, Washington issued order to stop recruitment of slaves — Royal governor of Virginia offered freedom to any slaves in exchange  for service in the British army - For soldiers, Whites tried to get out of service as quickly as possible,  Blacks the opposite ; pay was good and gave more freedom than  staying a free black/slave — "First" Emancipation Proclamation took place in the American  Revolution in the North — Quakers were the first to free slaves, most northern colonies followed  suit except for NY and NJ  Women in the American Revolution - Little to no rights advancement - "feme covert" (Coverture): Everything a woman brought to a marriage  now belonged to her husband — Republican mother : Mom had the most say in bringing up the children  and influence over political view  Indians in the American Revolution - 1763 : French were gone — Catawba : Group of Indians who joined the British - Systematically wiped out by 3 presidents ; Washington, Jefferson, +  Jackson

 Conclusions from the American Revolution - Localism - The identity of the US was not set, led to a split in the colonies that  would further lead to the outbreak of the Civil War  Period of Confederation & the Constitution - Government was supposed to embody the idea of total freedom - To allow for anyone to do what they wanted without interference  from a government — Goal of having the freedom to achieve liberty and property— After the revolution, radicals had to be kicked out - Founding fathers had to balance between virtue (the many) and  commerce (the few) --> Symmetry (18th century ideal) - Civic _: Obligation to participate in community - Americans held Calvinist views :  Politics in early America - Politics was supposed to be a beautiful thing  IdealPoHfics - Combined the many and the few - "Virtue" (The Many) and "Commerce" (The Few)  Articles of Confederation - Drawn up in 1776 and ratified in 1779 - Established unicameral chamber of congress  Each state had one representative - Was responsible for the nation's decision ; had no power to coerce - No courts, no police, no methods to impose on citizens - Led to states having to police themselves  Madison - Federalist  Avoid factions  War Debt - America was bankrupt because of revolution debt  Shay's Rebellion  Rebellion over courts and the foreclosures of farmsteads  Early Problems in American Confederacy - Everyone was fearful of the government