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John Locke's Social Contract
Enlightenment thinker John Locke maintained that people have natural rights to life, liberty, and property. Contended every society is based on social contract- people consent to choose and obey government as long as the government protects the people's rights. If government violates contract the people have the right to resist and overthrow government. -
French and Indian War
France and Great Britain owned land in North America. Ohio River Valley near Pennsylvania and Virginia was area of contention. 1754, French build Fort Duquesne in region despite Virginia granting 200,000 acres of land in Ohio to British Colonists. Virginia sends militia to evict French, causing the French and Indian War, Great Britain vs France for control over North America. Natives helped both sides in the war. Officially ended in 1763 with Treaty of Paris. -
French and Indian War
Great Britain claimed Canada and virtually all of North America east of the Mississippi River and Florida (from Spain). Spain kept land west of Mississippi and New Orleans (from France). France retained only a few islands and small colonies near Newfoundland, in the West Indies, and elsewhere. -
Writ of Assistance
Royal governor of Massachusetts authorized writs of assistance, a general search warrant that allowed British customs officials to search any colonial ship or building they believed to be holding smuggled goods. -
Treaty of Paris 1763
Ended the French and Indian War. Allowed Great Britain to claim Canada, and virtually everything east of the Mississippi River and Florida. Spain to keep possession of land west of Mississippi and New Orleans, and France to remain in control of a few islands and small colonies near Newfoundland, the West Indies, and elsewhere. -
Proclamation of 1763
To avoid further costs with Native Americans, the British government prohibited colonists from settling west of Appalachian Mountains. The Proclamation of 1763 established a Proclamation line along the Appalachians, which the colonists were not allowed to cross. -
Sugar Act and Colonists Response
Sugar Act: Halved the duty on foreign-made molasses in the hopes that colonists would pay a lower tax.Placed duties on certain imports that had not been taxed before.Colonists accused of violating the act would be tried in a vice-admiralty court rather than a colonial court. Each case would be decided by a single judge rather than a jury of sympathetic colonists.Colonial Merchants complained that Sugar Act would reduce their profits. Claimed Parliament had no right bc no elected rep to body -
Stamp Act and Colonists Response
Imposed tax on docs and printed items such as wills, newspapers, and playing cards. Stamp placed on items to prove tax was paid. First tax to directly affect colonists bc levied on goods and services. 1765, Colonists formed Sons of Liberty (secret resistance group to defy law). Colonists claimed they were not represented in Parliament so they could not impose tax. Merchants boycott British goods. 1766 Stamp act is repealed. -
Sons of Liberty is Formed and Samuel Adams
Boston shopkeepers, artisans, and laborers organized a secret resistance group to protest the law. Samuel Adams (one of the founders of Sons of Liberty) led colonists to boycott British goods. -
Declaratory Act
Asserted Parliament's full right to "bind the colonists and people of America in all cases whatsoever." -
Townshend Acts, Colonists Response, and Why they were Repealed
Taxed goods that were imported into the colony from Britain, such as lead, glass, paint, and paper. Imposed tax on tea. Colonists boycotted British goods. Repealed bc they realized that it was costing more to enforce the act than they would ever bring in. Acts repealed except for tax on tea. -
Boston Massacre
Mob gathered in front of British Customs House and taunted the British soldiers standing guard there. Shots were fired and 5 colonists were killed or mortally wounded. -
Tea Act
Tea Act devised to order to save the nearly bankrupt British East India Comp. Granted comp. the right to sell tea to the colonies free of the tax that colonial tea sellers had to pay. Cut colonial merchants out of tea trade established by enabling East India Comp. to sell tea directly to consumers for less. Hoped colonists would buy cheaper tea instead of protest. -
Boston Tea Party
Large group of Boston rebels disguised themselves as Native Americans and proceeded to take action against three British tea ships in the harbor. They dumped 18,000 pounds of the East India Comp.'s tea into the Boston harbor. -
First Continental Congress Meets
In response to Britain's actions, the committees of correspondence assembled the First Continental Congress. 56 delegates met in Philadelphia and drew up a declaration of colonial rights. Defended colonies' right to run their own affairs and stated that if Britain used force against the colonies, the colonies would fight back. -
Minutemen
Civilian soldiers who pledged to be ready to fight against the British soldiers on a minute's notice. -
Intolerable Act - All 3 Parts
Shut down Boston Harbor. Quartering Act- authorized British commanders to house soldiers in vacant private homes and other buildings. Placed Boston under martial law, or rule imposed by military forces. -
Midnight Riders: Revere, Dawes, and Prescott
Rode out to spread word that 700 British troops were headed for Concord. -
Battle of Lexington
Redcoats (King's troops) reached Lexington, Massachusetts and saw 70 minutemen drawn up in lines. Someone fired (shot heard around the world) and the British soldiers started firing the militia. 8 minutemen killed and 10 wounded, but only 1 British soldier was injured. First battle of Revolutionary War and lasted only 15 minutes. -
Battle of Concord
British marched on to Concord, empty arsenal. Brief skirmish with minutemen and as British soldiers marched back to Boston, they were ambushed by the colonists. Colonists had now become the enemies of Britain and now help Boston and its encampment of British troops under siege. -
Second Continental Congress
In Philadelphia.Debate next move. Some delegates wanted independence and some wanted reconciliation with Britain. Congress agreed to recognize colonial militia as Continental Army and appointed George Washington as commander. -
Continental Army
Colonial militia. George Washington was commander. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
British general, Thomas Gage, tried to strike militiamen. Sent soldiers up hill. Colonists held fire until last min., and then began to mow down the redcoats before finally retreating. Deadliest battle of was with colonists losing 450 men and British suffering over 1,000 casualties. -
Olive Branch Petition
Second Continental Congress was still hoping for peace. Most colonists and delegates still felt loyalty to King George III and blamed bloodshed on king's ministers. Congress sent king Olive Branch Petition urging a return to "former harmony" between colonies and Britain. King refused. -
Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson. Declared "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" were unalienable rights. Asserted that Government's legitimate power only comes from the consent of the governed and if gov denies unalienable rights the people have the right to abolish that government. Listed grievances with King George and that America declared independence from Britain. All men created equal-free citizens were political equals. Did not claim all people had same ability or wealth. Adopted July 4th, 1776. -
Redcoats push Washington's Army across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania
British attempted to seize New York City- sailed into New York harbor with a force of about 32,000 soldiers. They included thousands of German mercenaries, or hired soldiers (Hessians). The Continental Army attempted to defend New York but were untrained and poorly equipped. The British had pushed Washington’s army across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. Washington led 2,400 men in small rowboats across Delaware River. Marched to Trenton, New Jersey and launched surprise attack. -
Washington's Christmas Night Surprise Attack
Desperate for an early victory, Washington risked everything on one bold stroke set for Christmas night, 1776. In the face of a fierce storm, he led 2,400 men in small rowboats across the ice-choked Delaware River. They then marched to their objective—Trenton, New Jersey—and defeated a garrison of Hessians in a surprise attack. -
Publication of Common Sense
Thomas Paine attacked King George and monarchy, claiming King George III to be a tyrant. Declared independence would allow America to trade more freely and chance to create better society with equal social and economic opportunities for all. Sold nearly 500,000 copies in 1776. -
Loyalists and Patriots
Loyalists- those that opposed independence and remained loyal to the British King - included governors and judges, and people of more modest means. Thought British would win and wanted to avoid punishment and some thought the Crown would protect their rights more effectively than the colonies.
Patriots- supporters of independence- people who saw political and economic opportunity in independent America. -
Saratoga
General John Burgoyne planned to lead an army to Albany, where he would meet British troops as they arrived from New York City. The two regiments would join forces to isolate New England from the rest of the colonies. American troops surrounded Burgoyne at Saratoga, where he surrendered on October 17, 1777. The Saratoga victory bolstered France’s belief that the Americans could win the war and signed an alliance with the Americans in February 1778 and openly joined them in their fight. -
French-American Alliance
Although the French had secretly aided the Patriots since early 1776, the Saratoga victory bolstered France’s belief that the Americans could win the war. As a result, the French signed an alliance with the Americans in February 1778 and openly joined them in their fight. -
Valley Forge
While this hopeful turn of events took place in Paris, Washington and his Continental Army—desperately low on food and supplies—fought to stay alive at winter camp in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. More than 2,000 soldiers died, yet the survivors didn’t desert. Their endurance and suffering filled Washington’s letters to the Congress and his friends. -
Friedrich von Steuben and Marquis de Lafayette
Friedrich von Steuben, a Prussian captain and talented drillmaster, helped to train the Continental Army. Other foreign military leaders, such as the Marquis de Lafayette also arrived to offer their help. Lafayette lobbied France for French reinforcements in 1779, and led a command in Virginia in the last years of the war. With the help of such European military leaders, the raw Continental Army became an effective fighting force. -
British Victories in the South
1778 British expedition took Savannah, Georgia. In greatest victory of the war, the British under Generals Henry Clinton and Charles Cornwallis captured Charles Town, South Carolina, in May 1780. In early 1781, colonists battled Cornwallis can't take the Carolinas. British general chose to move the fight to Virginia. Led army of 7,500 onto the peninsula between James and York rivers and camped at Yorktown. Cornwallis planned to fortify Yorktown, take Virginia, and move to join Clinton’s forces. -
British Surrender at Yorktown
After learning of Corwallis’s actions, armies of Lafayette and Washington moved south toward Yorktown. Meanwhile, French naval force defeated a British fleet and blocked the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay, thereby obstructing British sea routes to the bay. Late September, 17,000 French and American troops surrounded the British on the Yorktown peninsula and bombarded them day and night. Less than a month later, on October 19, 1781, Cornwallis surrendered. The Americans had defeated the British. -
Treaty of Paris
Peace talks began in Paris in 1782. The American negotiating team included John Adams, John Jay of New York, and Benjamin Franklin. In September 1783, the delegates signed the Treaty of Paris, which confirmed U.S. independence and set the boundaries of the new nation. The United States now stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River and from Canada to the Florida border.
