american revolution

• american colonists broke up with the British empire in 1776
• in 1607 the British set up their first permanent colony in North America, Jamestown (Virginia)
• since it was difficult to micromanage across an ocean, the British implemented a policy called salutary neglect
• salutary neglect


  relaxed trade and other imperial laws in exchange for loyalty
• salutary neglect consequences


  lower chance for riots, crime rates might go up, the colonists developed a sense of values and culture and disagreements might lead to war
• colonists' need for additional land brought them into conflict with the French, who also had establishments in North America
• in 1784, war broke about between the British and the French over land in the Ohio River Valley.The French were defeated.
• taxation without representation


  raised taxes for ridiculous reasons, the people did not have a voice
• Proclamation of 1763


  colonists were not allowed to go into the Appalachian mountains to prevent further clashes with Native Americans
• stamp act


  The British looked to the colonists to help pay for the war's cost, so they made the stamp act. This policy taxed everything made with paper. Many colonists opposed the stamp act because it was passed by the Parliament without any colonial representation
• Townshend Duties


  Another policy for tax designed to pay for the costs of the French and Indian war. Stuff that was imported such as tea and paint had a tax placed on them. Although the British worked hard to enforce this law, many colonists evaded it. This contributed to rising tensions between the colonists and British
• Boston Massacre


  In 1770, tensions were running high, sometimes resulting in violence. Many colonists rebelled by boycotting, ignoring laws and physically harassing officers. The British retaliated by sending more soldiers out. One day, a group of seven soldiers were cornered by 50-60 colonists. A soldier fired into the crowd and killed 5 people.
• Boston Tea Party


  The British listened and removed some policies. But they kept the tax on tea and yall know how much they love tea. So the colonists boycotted tea from the British East India Company and smuggled tea from other sources. The British East India Company faced bankruptcy and a surplus of tea. The Parliament passed the tea act, which allowed them to sell duty free tea to the colonies at a lower cost while still taxing. Despite the lower cost, the colonists were still angry because they did not have representation. They then threw 342 chests of tea into the water.
• Intolerable Acts


  Britain closed Boston Harbour, replaced the governing board and increased the powers of the military government. Boston was placed under military rule(martial law). The Quartering Act gave the colonial government the right to requisition unoccupied buildings to house British troops. Boston became the centre of colonial resistance.
• the declaration of independence


  the most important document in America's history. This made Americans Americans and not colonists.
• consequences of the American revolution

  • declaration of independence
  • power and authority of the government derived from the people
  • political participation grew as more people could vote
  • more common citizens played increasing important roles in local and state governance
  • opened the western territories for invasion and settlement which created new domestic markets
  • they began to create their own manufactures