Transcript “You say you want a ` revolution….”

“You say you want
a revolution….”
The Road to Independence
or
How the United States
came about in a dramatic
fashion.
How and why
did the relationship
between the English monarchy
and its American colonies
grow from a period of
subtle cooperation
to a condition of
sustained confrontation?
What was the
commotion all
about?
• There were many issues that came
to a head and created the divide
separated by the spacious ocean.
• Was it inevitable that the colonies
would choose to go their own way?
• Was everyone destined to be happy?
Moving from mercantilism to madness… How the
economic relationship affected the parent country of Great
Britain and the colonies along the eastern seaboard of
North America.
• The Navigation Acts of the 1660s
imposed certain restrictions:
-- all goods must be transported on English
ships
-- all goods must pass through England
first
-- certain duties/taxes were imposed on
items leaving the colonies destined for
England
-- could goods be taxed from one colony to
the next?
-- people in New England started to
manufacture goods on their own
-- certain colonies suffered more than
others under the Navigation Acts
-- the acts encouraged smuggling
(subsequently lawbreaking) in the
colonies
-- all in all, the Navigation Acts did benefit
Great Britain for a certain period of
time, up until the 1760s.
Recall the various sorts of colonies that existed
within the English system of empire in the early
years of development along the eastern seaboard
of North America?
• Royal (or crown)…
• Charter (or joint stock,
•
•
•
•
corporate)…
Proprietary, where a certain
amount of self-determination was
allowed to be exhibited…
Certain tensions existing within
economic, religious, and political
life brought about a divide
between the colonies and the
parent country.
By 1750 all of the colonies were
under greater control of the
monarch.
Formerly calm seas began to
broil…
How things got out of balance in the relationship
between the colonies and Great Britain





The Albany Congress/Plan (supported by Ben Franklin) was an
attempt to bring the colonies together, but it didn’t accomplish its
original expectation.
The French & Indian War (the last of the four wars for empire
between England and France) was supported by the English
colonists but there were consequences. The English forces end up
being triumphant, but…
George III comes to the throne in 1760 at the age of 23.
The Treaty of Paris (1763) worked in favor of England, but the
Proclamation of 1763 turned out to be a thorn in the side of the
parties involved in the arrangement.
Britain imposes a new imperial policy intended to maintain control
over the colonies along the eastern seaboard.
“You tell me that
it’s evolution…”



All that antagonizing legislation arising from the English Parliament
(and the King) that led to growing turmoil…
the first Quartering Act (1763), Currency Act (1764), Sugar Act
(1764), Stamp Act (1765), Declaratory Act (1766), Townshend
Act (1767), …
Internal politics within England’s ministries (Grenville, Pitt, & North)
From discord to disunion…
the Boston Massacre (1770), the Boston Tea Party (1773),
the Coercive Acts [Intolerable Acts] (1774), the First
Continental Congress (September 1774), the Suffolk Resolves
and the Declaration of Rights and Grievances (1774)…
Tell me about
the American Revolution (1763-1791)
as compared to
the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783).
One was a transformation of ideas.
The latter was a conflagration of military
exchanges.
“But when you talk
about destruction…”
The battles of the
American Revolutionary War were
diverse, many,
and rather ugly.
They carried on
from Lexington
and Concord to
Yorktown. (You’ll
get a worksheet to fill
out on these).
True, George
Washington
didn’t win all the
battles he was
in, but he won
the most
important ones!

Thank
goodness the
French were
also willing
to be in an
alliance with
us! Merci!
There were altercations
both on land and sea.
The war lasted from 1775-1783.
Again, let us say to the French…
“Merci!”
“You say you got
a real solution…”
The Declaration of
Independence was
adopted on July 2,
1776 and sent to
the printer July 4th.
It was the formal
announcement of a
divorce, but it
didn’t set up an
official government
for the newly
founded United
States of America.
The Second Continental Congress
remained in session from May of 1775
until 1781.
It was following the announcement of the
Declaration of Independence that work
began on the Articles of Confederation.
These weren’t completed until 1777 and
weren’t put into effect until 1781. As it
turned out they didn’t work out! 
“You say you’ll change
the constitution…”
The Articles of Confederation didn’t work
out and so a new
constitution was
drawn together in
Philadelphia in the
summer of 1787.
Thanks be to the
Original Dads for all
of their efforts
expended!
It’s pretty amazing
what they came up
with! Hear ye, hear
ye!!!!
Okay, so maybe the new
U.S. Constitution (of 1787)
wasn’t completely perfect…
The U.S. Constitution went into effect in 1789.
George Washington was the first President of
the U.S. to serve under this new constitution.
By 1791 there were the first 10 Amendments
(The Bill of Rights) added to it. Since then,
there have been 17 other Amendments
included. This process demonstrates the
ability of the document to accommodate
change, if necessary. For all the alleged
shortcomings our government may have, it
still has the potential to correct itself. Didn’t
Winston Churchill have something to say
about that?
“Don’t you know
it’s gonna be
all right…”