Transcript The Birth of Liberty

The War for Independence
Overview
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Home: Interactive Menu
Diagrams
– Causes of the Revolution
– Terms of the Treaty of Paris
Charts
– Strengths and Weaknesses: The Colonists
– Strengths and Weaknesses: The British
– Key Battles in Brief
Historical Connections
– Financing War
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– Veterans’ Benefits
*Click titles for further explanation
New Taxes
End of Salutary
Neglect
Enlightenment
Ideas
Proclamation
of 1763
The French and
Indian War
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Causes of
the
American
Revolution
Colonial
Publications/
Propaganda
Effects of the French and Indian War
British Point of View
Colonial Point of View
By the end of the French and Indian War,
Britain’s empire in America had doubled
in size, and so had their national debt!
After participating in the war, colonists
saw the British – and themselves – in a
whole new light:
With more territory to defend, the cost
of governing the empire would surely
increase that debt.
Colonists gained the military
experience needed to defend their
own interests in North America.
They desperately needed to find a way
to keep the peace AND raise cash!
They also gained confidence –
early defeats showed colonists that
the British were not invincible.
To achieve both of these goals, the
British government began enacting new
taxes and other laws intended to
tighten their control over the colonies.
Fighting together against a
common enemy helped foster a
sense of unity among the colonies.
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to
Causes
The Proclamation of 1763
• Britain adopted this
proclamation to secure
peace with angry American
Indians who were willing to
fight to keep their lands.
• It forbid colonists from
crossing the Appalachian
Mountains and settling the
Ohio River Valley.
• From the colonists’ point of view, access to that territory was
the reason they fought the French in the first place!
• Thousands of settlers simply ignored the proclamation, and
settled the Ohio Valley anyway.
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Causes
New Taxes
• Beginning with the Sugar
Act of 1764, the British
imposed a series of new
taxes.
• Many colonists believed
that these taxes were harsh,
punitive, and a threat to
their rights and liberties.
• Colonists resisted in various ways including written petitions,
economic boycotts, blatant defiance of the law, and crowd
actions such as the Boston Tea Party.
• The more the colonies resisted, the more the British government
tried to enforce the new laws.
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Check
Point
(?)
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From the British perspective, the French and
Indian War was fought to protect colonists and
colonial interests. In addition, colonists had
contributed very little tax revenue compared to
those living in England. For many in England, it
was about time the colonists began contributing
to their own protection and administration!
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Causes
End of Salutary Neglect
• Before 1760, Colonial
governments enjoyed a great
deal of local autonomy. So
when the British began to
assert their authority, colonists
resisted, pointing to a history
of self-rule.
• In addition, most colonists viewed themselves as loyal
British subjects; They believed, therefore, that they were
entitled to the rights listed in Magna Carta and the English
Bill of Rights and protected under English Common Law.
They argued that Britain’s new colonial policy infringed
upon those rights.
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to
Causes
Enlightenment Ideas
• By the 17th century, a new
political philosophy had
emerged in Europe.
• The ideas expressed during
this period, known as the
Enlightenment, soon spread
to the New World.
• The work of Enlightenment
thinkers was quoted, and/or
referenced in many
revolution-era documents
including the Declaration of
Independence.
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America’s Founding Fathers were
greatly influenced by the writings of
philosophers such as Algernon Sidney,
John Locke, and David Hume.
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Causes
John Locke
1632 – 1704 A.D.
• When drafting the Declaration
of Independence, Thomas
Jefferson found inspiration in
the words of John Locke, an
English physician and
philosopher.
• According to Locke, God
gave man:
– Rights to life, liberty, and
property (which he calls
Natural Rights)
– the Earth: to use to preserve life
– the ability to reason
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John Locke
1632 – 1704 A.D.
• In order to defend their “life,
health, liberty, or possessions,”
people entered into a social
contract, forming governments
that existed
– to protect individual rights and
– to help resolve conflicts between
citizens.
• If a government failed in its duties
to protect the natural rights of
life, liberty, and property, Locke
believed the people had a right
to overthrow it.
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John Locke
1632 – 1704 A.D.
• In this way, the power of the government does not come from
God, but from the consent of the governed.
• For Locke, all other political rights (free speech, free press,
freedom of religion) depended on a government that
guaranteed secure property rights.
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to
Causes
Colonial Publications & Propaganda
• Printed accounts of events such as the Boston Massacre
and persuasive pamphlets and essays played a major
role in rallying support for American independence.
• Examples include Paul Revere’s engraving of the Boston
Massacre and Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense.
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Causes
What is wrong with this picture?
The Bloody Massacre Perpetrated in King Street
Paul Revere (1770)
NEXT
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What is wrong with this picture?
This incident occurred on a cold
winter night. The crowd hurled ice
and snowballs at the soldiers. In this
engraving, however, there is no snow
or ice on the ground.
The Bloody Massacre Perpetrated in King Street
Paul Revere (1770)
NEXT
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What is wrong with this picture?
According to testimony at the trial, no
one ordered the soldiers to shoot.
However, the commander shown here
appears to be giving that order.
The Bloody Massacre Perpetrated in King Street
Paul Revere (1770)
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NEXT
NEXT
What is wrong with this picture?
Links to
more
info
A black man named Crispus Attucks was one of
the five colonists killed that night. However, all
of the dead shown here are white.
Back to
Colonial
Publications
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Causes
Diagram
The Bloody Massacre Perpetrated in King Street
Paul Revere (1770)
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Common Sense
• Common Sense was written anonymously in January 1776.
• At a time when reconciliation was still considered a viable
option, Common Sense was the first work that openly called
for independence from Britain.
• Using language that most colonists could understand, it sold
nearly 500.000 copies and sparked debate in taverns and
on street corners throughout the colonies.
• This pamphlet demonstrates the enormous power of the
colonial press to influence public opinion.
• Later, George Washington would read Paine's stirring words
from The American Crisis --"these are the times that try men's
souls"--to rally his troops at Valley Forge.
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Publications
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Causes
The Colonists
Strengths
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Weaknesses
They believed they were
fighting for a moral cause and
that God was on their side.
They were outnumbered!
They were fighting a defensive
war on their own territory.
They had no navy.
They had great political and
military leadership (Franklin,
Adams, Jefferson, Greene,
Washington,).
They had no professional army;
only citizen-soldiers who often
left the army to take care of
their families and farms.
They received much needed
aid from Britain’s enemies in
Europe*.
Their weapons and
ammunition supplies were
limited.
The
British
The Enemy of My Enemy . . .
• The colonies received much needed
aid from Britain’s enemies:
– Holland sent money and supplies.
– Spain sent money and supplies and
fought Britain on the Mississippi.
• France, however, was probably the
colonies’ most important ally.
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The Enemy of My Enemy . . .
• France was the first
nation to send
money, supplies,
troops, and warships.
• The French fleet
played an important
role in the Patriot’s
victory at Yorktown.
Back to
strengths
and
weaknesses
Back to
Battles
Extra Credit Opportunity: Even before his nation was willing to commit, the Marquis
de Lafayette, a French noble, offered his assistance. You can research Lafayette
and write a one-page biography to earn up to 20 extra credit points!
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The Siege at Yorktown
Link to
Article
Link to
animated
Map
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last
slide
viewed
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The British
Strengths
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Weaknesses
They had about 50,000 well
trained, professional soldiers as
well as 30,000 German troops.
Poor Leadership*
They had the largest navy in
the world.
Divided, centralized colonies
meant there was no strategic
heart at which to strike.
The British population was
more than three times larger
than the colonial population.
Vast, unfamiliar terrain, poor
roads, and distance from
home created logistical
problems.
Despite the French and Indian
War, Britain had considerable
wealth.
Many at home did not support
the war effort.
Date
Battle
Location
4/19/1775
Lexington and
Concord
Mass.
5/10/1775
Fort Ticonderoga
N.Y.
6/17/1775
Bunker (Breed’s) Hill
Mass.
12/31/1775
Quebec
Canada
8/27/1776 to
11/16/1776
Long Island; Harlem;
White Plains; Fort
Washington
N.Y.
The British take Long Island; After an inconclusive battle at Harlem,
Patriots retreat to White Plains, also taken by the British; The British
then take Fort Washington; Patriots retreat to NJ.
12/26/1776
and
1/3/1777
Trenton and Princeton
N.J.
These American victories boosted morale and confidence in
Washington’s leadership.
9/11/1777
and
9/21/1777
Brandywine; Paoli
Massacre
Pa.
After these British victories, Howe occupies Philadelphia; Howe’s
absence, however, contributes to a Continental victory at Saratoga.
10/4/1777
Germantown
Pa.
Patriots wanted to punish the British for Paoli; British were able to hold
the Americans at bay; Americans pulled back to winter in Valley
Forge.
10/7/1777
Saratoga
N.Y.
This Continental victory convinces the French to enter the war
against Britain.
6/28/1778
Monmouth
N.J.
Although this battle is a draw, it is a moral victory for the Continental
Army.
* =Colonial
victory
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=British Victory
W*
Significance
First armed conflict of the war; British retreat to Boston; militia
surround the city, beginning the “Siege of Boston.”
This colonial victory provided weapons used in the Siege of Boston
and a staging ground for an invasion of Canada.
A costly British victory (more than 1,000 casualties); The first action of
the newly formed Continental Army.
The British defend Quebec; the Americans decide to end their
attempted invasion of Canada and retreat back to NY.
=Draw
=Major turning point for the colonies NEXT
*
Date
Battle
Location
W*
Significance
5/12/1780;
5/29/1780;
8/16/1780
Charleston; Waxhaw;
Camden
S.C.
As the French enter the war, the British shift their focus to the South;
With these victories, Britain solidifies its control over the region;
Patriots suffer considerable casualties.
10/7/1780
King’s Mountain
S.C.
This battle is as much civil war as revolution, pitting Patriots against
Loyalists; It is the first major victory for the Patriots in the south;
Cornwallis forced to abandon his invasion of NC.
1/17/1781
Cowpens
S.C.
Patriots capture hundreds of British soldiers; Cornwallis chases Patriot
forces to the Virginia border; the chase weakens Cornwallis’ army.
3/15/1781
Guilford Courthouse
N.C.
Cornwallis takes the field, but his army sustains crippling losses;
Patriots and British move in different directions (Patriots go to South
Carolina; Cornwallis ultimately ends up at Yorktown, VA.)
9/28/1781 to
10/19/1781
Yorktown
Va.
Washington’s army and the French fleet surround the main British
army in the south. Cornwallis is forced to surrender. This is the key
event that leads the British to seek a settlement.
=Colonial victory
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=British Victory
=Draw
=Major turning point for the colonies
Back
to Early
Battles
Terms of the Treaty of Paris
What Did America
Gain?
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What Did America
Agree to Do?
Independence from
Britain
Return property to
Loyalists
Expanded borders*
Pay any pre-war
debts it owed Britain
Fishing rights off the
Atlantic coast of
Canada
Resume trade with
Britain
Financing War
American Revolution
World War II
• When Congress ran out of gold
and silver, it sold bonds to
American investors and foreign
governments.
• Although America did not enter
WWII until late 1941, it supplied
the allies with arms through the
Lend Lease program.
• It also printed paper money
called Continentals.
• By 1940, defense spending
skyrocketed and factories that
produced military supplies
began hiring at a feverish pace.
(1775 – 1783)
• With each Continental printed,
the value plunged and prices
rose (a situation known as
inflation).
• At the same time, arms and
other supplies were scarce.
(1939 – 1945)
• After the US officially entered
the war, the nation’s automobile
plants were retooled to produce
tanks, planes, and boats.
NEXT
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Financing War
American Revolution
World War II
• Some government officials and
corrupt merchants took
advantage of the situation
through profiteering.
• To fight inflation, the
government set price controls,
raised income taxes, and urged
Americans to use any extra cash
they had to buy war bonds.
(1775 – 1783)
• In 1781, a rich Philadelphia
merchant named Robert Morris
was appointed superintendent
of finance.
• Morris and his associate, Haym
Salomon, were able to raise
funds to pay soldiers.
• However, by the time the war
ended, the new nation owed
$80 million in war debts.
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(1939 – 1945)
• The government also set up a
system for rationing to conserve
goods deemed essential for the
military.
• By the end of the war, the US
had not only come out of an
economic depression, it had
entered an economic boom.
Veterans’ Benefits
Post Revolution
Land Grants (1770)
G.I. Bill
(1944)
• In the late 1700s, there were vast
tracts of “unclaimed” land in the
United States.
• Under this bill, veterans returning
from World War II were eligible
to receive:
• To recruit more soldiers, the
Continental Congress promised
to award land to those who
fought for the revolution.
• Veterans would be able to
claim their land after the war,
provided that the British had
been defeated.
• Many enlisted in the American
military, lured by the prospect of
landownership.
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– paid compensation for one year
after they were discharged;
– a tuition-free education from a
college, university, or trade
school;
– low-interest loans to start a
business or to buy a home.
• The benefits had to be used
within ten years of the soldier’s
military discharge or his removal
from active duty.
NEXT
Veterans’ Benefits
Post Revolution
Land Grants (1770)
• Thousands of land grants were
distributed to veterans, but few
were redeemed.
• One problem was that some of
the land granted to soldiers was
inhabited by American Indians
who refused to simply hand over
their homelands.
• After repeated delays in
claiming the land grants, many
former soldiers sold their claims
to speculators for a far lower
price than the land’s true value.
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G.I. Bill
(1944)
• For most of America, the G.I. Bill
was very effective:
– 51% of World War II veterans chose
to pursue higher education;
– Over 2 million took advantage of
the no-money down, low interest
home loans;
– The bill helped America avoid the
economic downturn that had
occurred after World War I.
• Sadly, racial attitudes during this
time prevented many African
American veterans from taking
full advantage of the benefits
available to them.
Glossary
• Autonomy – n. the power or right of a group to
govern itself.
• English Common Law – n. the laws that developed
from English court decisions and customs and that
form the basis of laws in the U.S.
• Profiteering – v. selling scarce or defective goods for
a profit.
• Propaganda – n. ideas or statements that are often
exaggerated or false and that are spread in order to
help a cause, a political leader, a government, etc.
• Salutary Neglect - n. an English policy of relaxing the
enforcement of regulations in its colonies in return for
the colonies’ continued economic loyalty.
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