G10 History Period 3 (Part 1)

Welcome to Unit 3!

This unit explains why America fought Britain and how America won independence. This has a lot more names and dates to remember than our previous two units, so be prepared.

Part 1: Why Did the Revolution Happen?

The French and Indian War (1754-1763)

The French and Indian War was between Britain and France over land in America. Some people consider it the first world war. Colonists fought along with the British army.

Important results:

• Britain won and got the Ohio River Valley from France
• France gave land west of the Mississippi River to Spain (Spain was also involved in the war)
• The war cost Britain a lot of money

Proclamation Line of 1763 After the war, Britain made a new rule: Colonists could NOT move west past the Appalachian Mountains. Britain wanted to avoid expensive wars with Native Americans.

Pontiac’s Rebellion: Native Americans, led by Pontiac, attacked British forts because they were angry about colonists taking their land. This showed Britain that controlling the frontier would be difficult and costly.

Money Problems: Running the colonies now cost Britain five times more because the colonial population was growing fast.

Taxation Problems

Britain needed money. Prime Minister George Grenville made a plan.

Grenville’s Plan had 4 parts:

1. Enforce old trade laws: Britain had made trade rules before, but colonists ignored them. Now Britain would enforce them strictly.
2. Navigation Acts: Colonists could only trade with Britain, not other countries.
3. Keep wartime policies: The Quartering Act (forcing colonists to let British soldiers sleep in their houses and eat their food) continued after the war ended.
4. New taxes: Most famous was the Stamp Act - a tax on all paper goods.

“No Taxation Without Representation!” This became the colonists’ main complaint (memorize it). What does it mean?

• Colonial perspective: Colonists had their own local self-governments for many years. Now Britain was taxing them without asking their opinion. This felt unfair.
• Grenville’s response: Parliament represents ALL English subjects, including colonists. People in England don’t get special representation either, so why should colonists?

Key difference: Colonists believed representation must be local because they were used to self-government. Britain believed Parliament represented everyone everywhere.

Protests Against Taxes

Colonists fought back peacefully at first:

• Boycotts: They refused to buy British goods. This hurt British businesses and decreased Britain’s tax revenue.
• Committees of Correspondence: Groups that wrote letters to share news and organize protests between colonies.
• Sons of Liberty and Daughters of Liberty: Patriot (爱国者) groups led by merchants (贸易商), traders (商人), and artisans (工匠) who organized protests.

Stamp Act Congress (1765): Delegates from 9 colonies met and asked Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act. They said “taxation without representation” is tyranny (unfair rule).

Outcome:

• Stamp Act was repealed (removed)
• BUT - Parliament passed the ** Declaratory Act **, saying “Parliament has the right to make ANY laws for the colonies”

More Problems (1770-1774)

Boston Massacre (1770): British soldiers shot and killed five colonists during a protest. This made colonists very angry.

Boston Tea Party (1773): Colonists dumped British tea into the harbor to protest a tea tax.

Coercive Acts (1774) - Also called Intolerable Acts:

• Closed Boston Harbor until colonists paid for the tea
• Created a new Quartering Act with even more soldiers

Part 2: Revolutionary Ideas

Enlightenment and Religious Ideas

New ideas made colonists question British authority:

Enlightenment Ideas:

• Natural Rights: People are born with certain rights from God, not from the King. These rights include life, liberty, and property.
• Social Contract: People create government to protect their natural rights. If government becomes tyrannical (unfair), people have the right of revolution to overthrow it.

Religious Ideas:

• People have a direct relationship with God, not through the King
• Liberty is a gift from God

Overall trend: These ideas challenged traditional authority and made people think: “Why should we obey a king who doesn’t protect our rights?”

The Turning Point: From Protest to Revolution

Most colonists didn’t want independence at first. What changed?

Timeline:

1. First Continental Congress (1774): Delegates met to discuss problems with Britain. They still wanted to remain British.
2. Second Continental Congress (1775): Met after fighting began at Lexington and Concord. Still wanted to be British, but were preparing for war.
3. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense (1776): A pamphlet that convinced many colonists to support independence.
   • Used Enlightenment ideas (natural rights, social contract)
   • Used Bible arguments: Old Testament says monarchy (king rule) is a sin
4. Declaration of Independence (1776): Written by Thomas Jefferson.
   • Used Enlightenment ideas as its philosophy
   • Famous line: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”

Part 3: The War Itself (1775-1783)

Why America Should Have LOST

Britain was much stronger:

Military Power:

• Britain controlled one-third of the world
• British soldiers were well-trained professionals
• Britain had the world’s most powerful navy

Colonial Disadvantages:

• Loyalists: 20% of colonists supported Britain
• Independence supporters: Only 50% of colonists
• Neutral: 30% didn’t care either way
• No strong army: American soldiers were untrained farmers

Why America WON

Despite the problems, America succeeded for three reasons:

1. George Washington’s Leadership

Washington’s army had problems at first:

• Soldiers often ran away
• First six months: never won a single battle

Improvements:

• Battle of Trenton (1776): Surprise attack against Hessian (German) troops proved Americans could win
• Von Steuben’s Training: Washington hired Prussian officer Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben to train soldiers properly

2. French Alliance

• Franklin’s Diplomacy: Benjamin Franklin asked France for help starting in 1776
• France Said NO at First: France didn’t think America could win
• Turning Point - Battle of Saratoga (1777): American victory proved they could defeat Britain
• After Saratoga: France gave America aid, troops, ships, and supplies

3. Ideological Commitment

• British motivation: Only wanted to maintain economic control
• American motivation: Fighting for liberty and against tyranny. This strong belief kept them going even when losing.

Summary: The Big Picture

Causes of Revolution:

• French and Indian War → Britain needed money → New taxes → Colonial protests → Enlightenment ideas → Declaration of Independence

Why America Won:

• Strong leadership (Washington)
• Foreign help (France)
• Belief in the cause (liberty)

Key Theme: This was the first time colonists challenged the British Empire successfully, creating a new nation based on Enlightenment ideas about rights and government.