America

• The declaration of independence

  
  

  • Passed on the 2nd July 1776.
  • Public agreed after reading Thomas Paine's 'Common Sense' pamphlet in January 1776, selling 12,000 copies.
  • It argued that conforming was no longer possible and instead Americans should look to the future and the establishment of the new and fairer system of government.
• The Coercive Acts

  
  

  • Happened in 1774 as a result of the Boston Tea Party.
  • Closure of Boston Port from 1st June until all tea was paid for.
  • Governor now allowed to appoint and remove officials.
  • Murder trials were now sent to England in case of patriot juries.
  • more power to military oppression.
• The Boston Tea Party

  
  

  • 28th Nov - Dartmouth sails into Boston.
  • 2nd Dec - Eleanor sails in.
  • 15th Dec - Beaver sails in.
  • 16th Dec - 60 Sons of Liberty board 3 ships and throw £10,000 worth of tea into the sea.
  • Total of 342 chests.
• The Tea Act


  
  

  • Introduced in an attempt to avoid the EIC going bankrupt after a famine in Bengal in 1772.
  • Allowed EIC to trade directly to America rather than through British ports.
  • EIC now competed with smuggler's tea that the colonists loved, as the tea was exempt from duties.
  • Committee of Correspondence boycotted the EIC by sending their tea landing in New York and Philadelphia back.
• Townshend duties


  
  

  • Introduced in 1767.
  • Effected imports of glass, wine, china, lead paint, paper and tea.
  • Could argue the British listened to complaints about the Tea Act, as the duties were lighter and they only expected £40,000 annually.
  • 2000 British troops in Boston, making up 1/8 of the population by 1769
  • Increased military presence from 1768 to ensure boycotts weren't successful.
  • The colonist campaign culminated in the Boston Massacre in 1770.
• French and Spanish involvement

  
  

  • French motivated by their long-term rivalry with Britain and the possibility to regain lost territory from the 7 year war.
  • French join in June 1778.
  • Spanish join in June 1779.
  • Until 1778, 65% of British army was in North America, by 1780 it dropped to 20% to protect Britain from Spain and France.
  • French helped at Chesapeake Bay and Spain helped at Mississippi Valley.
• Burgoyne's defeat at Saratoga - 1777


  
  

  • He was overconfident, betted he'd be back home by Christmas.
  • was incumbered by 30 vehicles carrying clothes and drinks.
  • Didn't coordinate with Clinton and Howe, who were perusing other objectives.
  • Gambled that Clinton's army was ready to help him, he wrong and fully surrendered.
  • His 5,895 troops were forced to lay down their arms and march back to Boston and get back on British ships.
  • However they remained prisoners till 1785.
• Britain's limited military resources

  
  

  • struggled to supply and maintain troops in America as their hold on the colonies was maintained by holding the seaboards and ports.
  • generals suffered from lack of directions from London, they were tasked with chasing and destroyed the Continental Army, which risked their supply lines.
• The defeat of Cornwallis - 1789


  
  

  • British were defeated at Yorktown in 1781 by Washington's army of 16,000 Americans and French troops.
  • They sieged Britain for 3 weeks.
  • Cornwallis' reinforcements came 5 days late.
  • "Oh God, it is all over" - Lord North.
• Accepting the peace of Parris

  
  

  • Signed by USA, France, Spain, UK and Holland on 3rd September 1783.
  • Included:
  • Recognition of USA independence end their boundaries.
  • Division of imperial possessions, Spain got Florida and Minorca, Britain got the Bahamas, France got St Lucas and Holland got Trincomalee.
  • America did better than expected due to their strong negotiation team and because Britain wanted to gain an enemy against France in the future.
• Impact on defeat on Britain

  
  

  • Lord North resigns in 1782 and the coalition government forms.
  • By 1781 debt was at £232 million.
  • Long term showed economic resilience and social cohesion.
  • By 1785, trade with former colonies had reached its pre-war levels and value of exports doubled between 1783-92.
  • 1780, Britain charged the mercantilist system in Ireland so they could trade directly with British colonies.
  • 1782 Ireland gets legislative independence as the British repealed Declaratory Act of 1719.
• Articles of confederation

  
  

  • Were a way of creating a national government which was like the British parliamentary system as the patriots could make it.
  • Stated that congress had no right to enforce taxes or regulate trade.
  • All states had to agree to any amendment of the constitution.
  • Congress could, however, declare war and borrow/issue money.
  • Wasn't approved till November 1777 as they were at war and wasn't ratified by every state until 1781.
• Results of the Seven Year war, 1756-63


  
  

  • Britain won all of Canada, French land east of Mississippi and most of French Canada
  • Britain believed they would need a standing army of 10,000 to protect new territories from French retaliation and Native American attacks
• The stamp act, 1765


  
  

  • Act required stamps to be fixed to all formal documents as a form of tax
  • Led to huge opposition as petitions, protests and inter-colonial congress was called against the broad tax
  • The act was repealed but with a statement of British authority in 1766
• Boston massacre, 1770

  
  

  • In response to Townshend duties, 5th March riot at the Customs House
  • Colonists throwing rocks, snowballs, and sticks
  • Called the British ‘lobsterbacks’ because of their red coats
  • Hugh Montgomery was the British soldier who fired the first shot
  • Crispus Attucks was the first person shot and Edward Garrick was hit in the face with the butt of a British musket
  • 5 Bostonians dead
  • Boston Gazette blamed the British
• Continental congress, 1774


  
  

  • Colonial Assemblies met together for the first time in September and called upon Massachusetts to arm for defence and proclaimed the right of each colony to determine its own need for troops
  • Britain declared Massachusetts to be in a state of rebellion and a proposal to remove all duties from the Americas and recognize the power of the Continental Congress as the America Parliament was rejected 2:1
• Lexington and Concord, 1775


  
  

  • General Gage attempted to seize a military store of weapons at Concord
  • They were met by volunteers at Lexington where the first shots of the war were fired
  • The British were able to destroy the stores but on their march back to Boston came under heavy fire
  • Total casualties were 273 with 73 dead
• Consequences of Lexington and Concord, 1775


  
  

  • Following the first skirmish of the war, 20,000 militia surrounded Boston
  • Britain reinforcements arrived and they were able to claim a small victory at Bunker Hill but the British situation quickly deteriorated as they were forced by Washington to evacuate to Nova Scotia
  • George III issued a proclamation declaring all colonies in Open Rebellion
• Articles of confederation, 1781


  
  

  • A set of laws describing how the American government should be run
  • Meant congress had no right to enforce taxes or regulate trade
  • Meant all states having to agree to amend the constitution
  • Meant each state had one vote and one congressman regardless of size
  • Was an attempt by the colonies to illustrate to Britain how a fair democracy should be run
• Social factors that caused the war

  • Enlightenment ideas of classical liberalism dominated American colonial society
  • Boston had 20,000 inhabitants, was at the forefront of British oppression
  • 20% of the population were loyalists, compared to 40-50% patriots