Ch12: American Revolution

• Factors making colonies in America unhappy about British Rule:

  • Age of Enlightenment - emerging in Europe, this was a movement of thinkers/philosophers who valued science over authority
  • Trade Restrictions - Britain passed the Navigation Acts, forcing colonies to sell to Britain only which led to clashes
  • No Taxation Without Representation - Britain introduced the Stamp Act of 1765, and the Quartering Act of 1765, both forcing taxes to be paid toward Britain. This caused a lot of resentment and anti-British protests ensued
• Road to War

  1. Boston Tea Party: in 1773, Britain passed the Tea Act, exempting the East India Company from paying the tea tax. In Dec 1773, the Sons of Liberty dumped 342 crates of E.I.C.'s tea in the harbour

  2. Britain imposed intolerable acts to punish Boston, closing the port and placing Massachusetts under military rule

  3. First Continental Congress: Each colonial representative came together and formed the Continental Congress, in Sep. 1774, opposing all British taxes and getting rid of British goods + troops

  4. Second Continental Congress: Thomas Paine's Common Sense argued that Britain were oppressing the Americans. When the Congress met in 1776, George Washington was chosen as commander in chief

  5. On 4th July 1776, Congress issued the Declaration of Independence, separating colonies from British rule
• Results of the American Revolution:

  • Growth - the USA grew to 50 states in the next 200 years. This caused the Native American race to nearly become extinct
  • Influence onto Ireland and France: these countries had systems the public were against and were influenced heavily by the successful American Revolution