Transcript Section 3 Enlightenment and Revolution

Enlightenment and Revolution
Section 3
The American Revolution
Main Idea
Enlightenment ideas led to revolution, independence, and a new
government for the United States.
Essential Questions
• What were some of the causes of change and crisis in the
American colonies?
• How was the struggle for independence affected by
Enlightenment concepts?
• How did American colonists form a new government?
Section 3
Enlightenment and Revolution
Change and Crisis
By the mid-1700s dramatic new Enlightenment ideas had spread to
North America, inspiring the British colonists to forge a new nation.
Forming a New Identity
• British colonies had expanded
rapidly along east
• Offered opportunities not
available in Great Britain
– Land plentiful, cheap
– Class system absent
– Good chance for
advancement through
intelligence, hard work
• Colonies had been
established nearly 150 years
• Allowed large measure of
independence, though still
British subjects
• Each had own government,
made own laws
• Began to identify less with
Britain
Enlightenment and Revolution
Section 3
Opposing British Policies
• Britain began to assert its right to impose laws on colonies
• Britain defeated France in French and Indian War
• France had to give up its North American colonies
• Britain decided to make colonies pay part of war costs in taxes
New Tax
• Stamp Act, 1765, required colonists to pay tax for official stamp on
all newspapers, legal documents, other public papers
• Colonial leaders outraged Parliament taxed them without
representatives there to plead case
• Called for boycott of English goods, act repealed 1766
Enlightenment and Revolution
Section 3
Opposing British Policies
Townshend Acts
• 1767, British imposed taxes on glass, paper, paints, tea
• Boston merchants called for another boycott
• British sent troops to keep order, Bostonians harassed troops
Boston Massacre
• 1770, British troops shot, killed 5 men
• Most of Townshend Acts partially repealed, tax on tea remained
Boston Tea Party
• 1773, Sons of Liberty boarded ships in Boston Harbor, dumped crates of tea
overboard, British closed port
• Parliament passed Intolerable Acts, regulations limiting freedom of colonists
Enlightenment and Revolution
Section 3
Opposing British Policies
First Continental Congress
• Philadelphia, 1774
• Colonists listed grievances against British
– Plan to reconcile differences with British presented
– Plan voted down
Section 3
Enlightenment and Revolution
Revolution Begins
Shot Heard ‘round the World
Common Sense
• Colonists hid weapons in
countryside and towns
• Not all colonists wanted
independence from Britain
• April 1775, British troops
marched out of Boston to
find weapons
• Thomas Paine argued in 1776
pamphlet, Common Sense,
that colonies no longer needed
British rule
• British troops confronted
colonial militiamen in
Lexington
• Said colonies deserved
independence
• Shots rang out; the American
Revolution began
• Paine’s pamphlet helped gain
popular support for cause
Enlightenment and Revolution
Section 3
Compare
What did the Stamp Act and the Townshend
Acts have in common?
Answer(s): Both imposed taxes on the colonies.
Enlightenment and Revolution
Section 3
Struggle for Independence
The American Revolution was the first war in which old ideas about
government were challenged by the ideas of the Enlightenment.
Declaring
Independence
• Second Continental
Congress, 1776
• Committee formed
to write document
declaring colonies’
independence
Committee
Declaration
• Members familiar
with Enlightenment
concepts
• expression of
Enlightenment
political philosophy
• Adams, Jefferson,
Franklin
• Drew ideas from
English Bill of
Rights, 1689
• Jefferson wrote
draft incorporating
ideas from Locke,
Rousseau
• Individual, society
rights, freedoms
Section 3
Enlightenment and Revolution
The Revolutionary War
The British won battles in upstate New York during the summer of
1777, but in October the Americans won the Battle of Saratoga. The
victory was crucial as Benjamin Franklin was in Paris seeking aid from
the French. This alliance became a turning point in the war.
Strategies in the South
Victories in the North
• American forces strengthened
over next two years
• British tried to divide colonies
• Americans made numerous
attacks on British in South
Carolina
• French and American armies
surrounded British, Yorktown
• Lord Cornwallis surrendered
after siege of several weeks
• American colonists won
independence, October 1781
British government formally recognized the independence of the United
States with the Treaty of Paris, in September of 1783.
Enlightenment and Revolution
Section 3
The Revolutionary War
The Treaty of Paris
• Set the geographic boundaries for the new
United States
– Gave Americans much greater territory than
original 13 colonies
– Americans gained all land east of Mississippi
River and north of 31st parallel
• Americans faced task of building new nation
Enlightenment and Revolution
Section 3
Sequence
What events led to the signing of the
Declaration of Independence?
Answer(s): Second Continental Congress
declares colonies' independence from Britain;
Washington assigned commander of army;
American forces strengthened; French and
American armies defeat British army; colonists win
independence
Section 3
Enlightenment and Revolution
Forming a New Government
The Articles of Confederation
•
•
•
•
Colonists had to learn to work together, form new government
First government established by Articles of Confederation, approved 1781
National government made deliberately weak to avoid abuses of power
Articles produced government too weak to govern effectively
The Constitution
Federal System
• Delegates met at Constitutional
Convention, 1787, to revise Articles
• Instead wrote Constitution
• George Washington presided over
convention
• James Madison negotiated main
points
• Constitution created federal
system of government
• Certain powers reserved to federal
government, others for states
• Three branches of government:
executive, judicial, legislative
• System of checks and balances
Enlightenment and Revolution
Section 3
Forming a New Government
• Influence of Enlightenment thought on Constitution
very powerful
– Founding principle, government exists for the people
– Reflected Locke’s and Rousseau’s idea of
government by consent of people
– Division of government into three branches reflected
Montesquieu’s idea of separation of powers
Enlightenment and Revolution
Section 3
The Bill of Rights
• Opponents to Constitution said it failed to protect citizen’s rights
• Wanted protection of individual’s rights added to Constitution
• Congress added Bill of Rights, first 10 amendments to Constitution
• Protected natural rights advocated by Voltaire, Locke, Rousseau
Impact of American Government
• News of successful American revolution impacted other
governments
• France experienced own revolution, 1789
Enlightenment and Revolution
Section 3
Find the Main Idea
How did the Constitution and the Bill of
Rights change the government and society
of the United States?
Answer(s): caused anger about taxation without
representation; colonial leaders supported
creation of new nation; committee formed at
Continental Congress; Jefferson wrote draft;
adopted by the Congress