Mya Carranza

Unit 3: Revolutionary America (1754-1800)

*Vocab
*Significance
3.1 Imperial Wars and Colonial Protests 1754-1774
*Leading Up to the Revolution/Pre-Revolution

Seven Years’ War (the French and Indian War)

● 1754-1763
● The growing population of the 13 colonies began to expand and move westward
- Threatened the French-Indian trade networks
● Colonial rivalry between English and French
● Competition over the control of the Ohio River
● French & Indian allies against English colonies
● Effects of the war:
- Solidified Britain as a global power by expanding its territory
- Tension between natives and colonist settlers
- Left Britain heavily indebted, forcing them to impose new taxes on the American
colonies to raise revenue
- Led to the British ending their “salutary neglect”, the unofficial rule of British
policy where parliamentary laws and regulations were loose or not enforced
➔ British asserted more control and dominance over colonies, something
which they had never experienced before
The Albany Plan of Union
● Recognized that a unified government for the colonies was needed to coordinate colonial
defense and other relations
● Representatives from seven colonies met up in Albany in 1754 and adopted the Albany
Plan of Union
- Developed by Benjamin Franklin
- Provided intercolonial government and a system for recruiting troops and
collecting taxed
● This plan was not accepted as the colonies feared this plan would diminish their
autonomy
● However, this created a precedent for later revolutionary congresses

Pontiac’s Rebellion
● Indigenous uprising after the French and Indian War, led by an Ottowa chief named
Pontiac; Opposed British expansion into the western Ohio Valley and began destroying
British forts in the area
- Creation of the Proclamation Line of 1763 to stabilize the western frontier,
which declared that settlers could not move west of the Appalachian Mountains
 - Demonstrated power of Native Americans against British expansion and rule

British Actions and Colonial Reactions

● In the British’s eyes, these acts were justified as they tried to protect its colonial empire,
while in the colonists’ eyes, these policies threatened the self-autonomy and freedom they
had established after years
- Sugar Acts (1764): imposed taxes on foreign sugar and certain luxurious, strict
enforcement of tariffs, used to raise revenue to pay for war debt and end colonial
smuggling
- Quartering Act (1765): required colonists to provide accommodation and food for
stations British soldiers
- Stamp Act (1765): required a tax to be paid on printed paper in the colonies, and
that those documents receive a stamp to make them legal
➔ Colonists protested and argued that Parliament didn’t have the right to tax
them, as they were not being rightfully represented; “No taxation without
representation”
➔ Sparked widespread colonial anger and resistance to British authority
➔ Led to the formation of the Sons and Daughters of Liberty, an American
group of patriots who fought against British rule
➔ Boycotts against British imports were the most affection form of protest
- Declaratory Act (1766): asserted that parliament had the right to tax and make
laws for the colonies in all cases whatsoever
➔ Lead to even more conflict between the colonists and British government
- Townshend Acts: a series of acts to assert British authority
➔ Taxes on tea, paint, glass, and other objects
➔ Allowed for a search of private homes for smuggled goods with writs of
assistance, general license to search anywhere
➔ Colonists tried to argue against this act in the Massachusetts Circular
Letter, but British officials ordered the letter to be retracted
➔ Townshend Act was repealed in 1770
● Boston Massacre: confrontation between colonist rioters and British soldiers in Boston
- Fueled by colonists’ opposition to a series of acts passed by parliament
- Increased tensions contributing to the American Revolution
● Boston Tea Party: American political and mercantile protest where the Sons of Liberty
destroyed thousands of chests of tea in Boston Harbour in protest of the Tea Act (1773),
which gave the British East India Company a monopoly for selling tea
- Led to Parliament to respond with the Intolerable or Coercive Acts
- Intensified colonial support for the American Revolution
● Intolerable or Coercive Act (1774): series of laws passed by the British parliament to
punish colonists for the Boston Tea Party
 - Eliminated trade and commerce, colonists were misrepresented by their
government, allowed royal officials accused of crimes to be tried in Britain
instead of the colonies, and expanded the Quartering Act
- It was used to justify independence from Great Britain
Philosophical Foundation of the American Revolution
● Influence of the Enlightenment
- Questioned tradition of British authority
- Spread ideas of natural rights
➔ Life, liberty, property/pursuit of happiness
3.2 The American Revolution and Confederation 1774-1787
*During Revolution

** Tea Act Boston Tea Party Intolerable Acts (closing of Boston Harbor, etc.) First Continental Congress
Lexington & Concord Second Continental Congress “Common Sense” Declaration of Independence
The First Continental Congress
● A reaction to these Intolerable Acts was a convention among the delegates from 12
colonies
● The purpose was to respond to the British’s alarming threat to the colonists’ liberty
- Intended to change British policy without offending moderate and conservative
colonists
- Still not willing to become independent but rather change current policy
- Called for immediate repeal of the Intolerable Acts and restore colonial rights
Lexington and Concord
● First military engagement of the Revolutionary War
● Fight between the colonial militia known as “minutemen” and the British redcoats
● Led to the organization of Continental Army under George Washington's leadership
● Convinced Thomas Pain to write Common Sense
The Second Continental Congress
● Soon after the Lexington and Concord battles, the delegates reunited again
- Some delegates were for independence while others wanted to reconcile their
relationship with Britain
● Olive Branch Petition: the document sent by colonial delegates to King George III as a
final attempt to avoid war and reconcile their relationship with Britain
- King George completely dismissed their claims and declared the colonies in a
state of rebellion
- Last straw for the colonies
Thomas Paine’s Argument for Independence
● Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called Common Sense argued that there is not other
choice but to become independent from Great Britain as it was nonsense to pledge
allegiance to a corrupt government whose laws were unreasonable
- Helped sway 13 colonies toward independence
 - Unites colonists and political leaders
The Declaration of Independence
● Announced the separation of the 13 colonies from Great Britain
- Explained why the colonists had the right to revolution and separation from
Britain
- List of Grievances against King George and his Monarchy
- Basic principles that justified the revolution, were influenced by Enlightenment
ideas, specifically Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
The Revolutionary War
● Those involved:
- Patriots: supported independence but many disagreed on how to approach it
- Loyalists (Tories): loyal to the British; agreed about repealing certain policies but
again separation
- African Americans: both the British and the Americans promised freedom if they
fought
- Native Americans: mostly sided with the British as they promised they wouldn’t
expand to their territory
● Initially, the Americans had many losses and hardships but this changed when they
received support from the French
- Turning point for the American Revolution was the victory at Battle of Saratoga,
which persuaded France (Britain’s enemy) to ally with the Americans
- Americans were strongly supported by French naval and military forces
● Treaty of Paris (1783): peace treaty signed by Great Britain and American colonists that
recognized the US as an independent nation
- Britain would recognize the US as an independent
- Americans would pay debts owed to the British
American Advantages British Advantages

● Guerilla tactics ● Powerful navy and army

● Home field advantage ● Experienced army
● Alliance with the French and other ● Support from loyalists, natives, and
enemies of Britain slaves

American Disadvantages British Disadvantages

● No well-trained army of officers ● War debt + fatigue from past wars

● Insufficient funds and supplies (Seven Years’ War)
● Small support song population ● Unpopular home support
● Lack of support
● Spread too thin globally
Organization of New Governments
● Each state government had its own constitution, some stressed law and order while
others were more concerned about protecting individual rights
- List of Rights: listing basic rights and freedoms
- Separation of Powers: intended to safeguard against tyranny, especially too
powerful executive power
- Voting: all white males who owned some property had the right to vote
- Office-Holding: elected office had higher property qualifications than voters
Articles of Confederation
● First constitution of the US established the country’s national government after the
American Revolution
● Articles gave Congress the power to wage war, make treaties, send diplomatic
representatives, and borrow money; but did not give Congress the power to regulate
commerce or collect taxes
● Pros of the Articles of Confederation
- Land of Ordinance (1785): established a system of selling and surveying land
west of the Appalachian Mountains
- Northwest Ordinance (1787): congress passed an ordinance lw that set the rules
for creating new states
➔ Organized the land north of the Ohio River into new states
➔ Westward expansion while also prohibiting slavery in those new territories
● Cons of the Articles of Confederation
- Individual states and the federal government issue worthless paper, and Congress
also had no power to tax
- A weak central government gave the state too much power
- Led to Shays’ Rebellion, an uprising against high taxes, imprisonment for debt,
and lack of paper money
➔ Under the Articles of Confederation, the government lacked the power to
raise an army or directly impose taxes
➔ Proved the Articles of Confederation were too weak, and led to the
Constitutional Congress
Social Change
● Abolished aristocratic titles: no legislature could grant titles of nobility
● Separation of church and state: refusing to financially support any religious group
● Impact on Women:
- During the war, they depended on the active support of women
- Maintained the colonial economy. While the men were fighting, the women ran
family businesses and provided food and supplies for the war effort
- Had more opportunities to become politically involved
 ➔ Ex. Daughters of Liberty
- Republican Motherhood: term used to describe the belief that women were
responsible for raising children to uphold the ideals of republicanism
➔ Played a major role in the development of gender relations in the early
republic
➔ Movement led to more women’s schools and curriculum
➔ Influenced by John Locke’s idea of women being equal to men in
preserving society through their domestic roles
- Despite their contributions, women remained oppressed by the patriarchal system
● Impact on African Americans:
- Continental Congress abolished the importation of enslaved people
- Most northern states abolished slavery, while in the South slavery continued to
run the economy
- The growing abolitionist movement was influenced by the Revolutionary ideals
- Yet, was still oppressed by the government and society
● Impact on Native Americans:
- Left out of treaties
- Lost more land due to America’s westward expansion

3.3 The Constitution and the New Republic 1787-1800

*Post-Revolution

The US Under the Articles, 1781-1787

● Relations between the US and European powers as the States failed to adhere to the
Treaty of Paris when it came to restoring property and paying back their debt
● Reduced foreign trade and limited credit because states had not fully repaid war debts
● The Annapolis Convention: political meeting that proposed to revise the Articles of
Confederation

Drafting the Constitution at Philadelphia

● 55 delegates
- George Washington appointed chairmen
- Benjamin Franklin’s influencing ideas
- James Madison worked on the revision of specific articles
- Alexander Hamilton
- John Dickinson
● Key Issues
- Disagreed if they should just revise the articles or completely draft a new
document
➔ New system based on checks and balances
 - Some believed larger states should have proportionally more representatives in
Congress than smaller states
➔ Virginia plan favored larger states
➔ New Jersey plan state favored smaller states
➔ Led to the Great Compromise, an agreement reached in the
Constitutional Convention that established the structure of the US
Congress and how the states would be represented; and ensured
representation in Congress with proportional and equal representation
- Argued whether enslaved people should be counted in the state population
➔ Delegates agreed to the Three-Fifth Compromise, which counted each
enslaved individual as three-fifths of a person to determine the state’s level
of taxation and representation
- Commercial Compromise allowed Congress to regulate interstate and foreign
trade, including placing tariffs on imports but prohibiting taxes on exports
- Delegated debated over term of presidency and election of such president
➔ Instituted the electoral college system to prevent mob rule
Federalists & Anti-Federalists
● Federalists supported the Consitution and a stronger central government
● Anti-Federalists opposed the ratification of the Constitution and wanted to protect
individual rights
● This debate led to the Bill of Rights
Bill of Rights
● Anti-federalists argued that a Bill of Rights should be added to the beginning of the
Constitution to protect the possibility of tyrannical government overruling their rights
● The first ten amendments protected against abuses of power by the central government
Washington’s Presidency
● Appointed Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State and Alexander Hamilton as Secretary
of Treasury
● Judiciary Act: established federal court systems
● Hamilton’s economic plan:
- Pay off the debt of the states
- Protect the nation’s developing industries and raise revenue through tariffs and
taxes
- Create a national bank for depositing government funds and manage revenue,
currency, and debt
➔ Jefferson argued the Consitution did not give Congress the power to create
a bank but Hamilton argued it was necessary to carry out its enumerated
powers
● Foreign Affairs
 - Most Americans supported the French Revolution but were horrified by the
violent nature of it
- Washington believed that the nation was not strong enough to engage in European
war and declared the US had a state of neutrality in the conflict
- Jay Treaty (1794): Namd after its negotiator John Jay, who tried talking the
British out of its offensive practice of seizing and searching American ships and
Impressing, capturing ships and sailors and forcing them onto their navy
➔ Conflict with British: forts maintained on US soil, still trading with natives
➔ Terms of the treaty greatly favored the Britsh rather than the Americans as
they refused to stop impressment and selling arms to natives
- Pinckney Treat (1795): negotiated treaty in which Spain agreed to open the
lower Mississippi and New Orleans to American trade
● Domestic Concerns
- Concerned as the British were supplying Natives with arms and encouraging them
to attack “intruding” Americans
- Whiskey Rebellion (1791-174): violent protest by farmers in Western
Pennsylvania against a federal tax on whiskey; couldn’t afford to pay tax on
whiskey they distilled from surplus corn
➔ Federal troops put down the rebellion, which wasn’t an option under the
Articles of Confederation (Different from Shays’ rebellion as the federal
government had no power to put down revolt)
➔ Jefferson argued it was an overuse of national military
Political Parties
**Federalists who support the Constitution and Federalist political party are two different things
● Federalist Party
- Alexander Hamilton
- Believed in a strong central government
- Strongest in Northeastern states specifically urban areas
- Supported by elitist groups
- Pro-British: wanted to have a strong diplomatic relationship with them
● Democratic-Republican Party
- Thomas Jefferson
- Believed strong state government
- Strongest in the South specifically rural areas
- Supported by small farmers and plantation owners
- Feared tyranny and monarchism
- Anti-British
Washington’s Farewell Address
● Advised and warned Americans
- Not to get involved in European affairs
 - Not to form political parties
- Not to make “permanent alliances” in foreign relations
John Adams’ Presidency
● Ran against Thomas Jefferson (Democratic-Republican Party)
● John Adams was part of the Federalist party
● XYZ Affair
- Adams sent representatives to negotiate an agreement with France over
diplomatic tensions
- French diplomats known as “X, Y, Z” demanded a bribe to start obligations
● Alienation & Sedition Acts (1798)
- Alienation Act: made it more difficult to become a citizen and allowed for
deportation or arrest of immigrants considered dangerous
- Sedition Act: made it illegal to criticize the government
● The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions: argued that the Alien and Sedition Acts
violated guaranteed rights by the 1st amendment; and argued a state could nullify
unconstitutional federal laws
Election of 1800
● Thomas Jefferson is elected which causes a shift and transfer of power from the
Federalist Party to the Democratic-Republican party