|Ch. 5| The Making of a Revolution

The French and Indian War (1754-1763) -The war changed the landscape of North America  - The struggle for the Ohio valley btw the French and English cumulated in a war that was fought on several continents.                 -Resulting in British dominance in North America as the French lost control of Canada and land east of the Mississippi River.                                -However, the debt incurred during this war would several countries, esp England, in deep and severe debt. Pontiac and Indian Response  - For Native Americans, the result of this French and Indian war proved to be devastating in that there was no longer a European rival to take advantage of each tribes' well being and security.                -1763 - Pontiac's rebellion                               -Pontiac and his followers attacked British forts across the region                               -In July 1766, Pontiac signed a treaty of Peace -Furthermore, struggles such as Pontiac's rebellion highlighted the conflict that continued btw Indians and white settlers.

The Proclamation Line of 1763 -In October 1763, the king of England issued the proclamation that there should be no British settlement west of the crest of the Appalachian Mountains and that Indian rights to western lands would be protected forever                 -This line infuriated land-hungry colonists.

The Paxton Boys and Rural White Responses -The Paxton boys decided to eliminate (all) Indians. -In December 1763, the Paxton boys attacked a Deleware village, killed 6 people, and burned the town. -Hatred of Indians would haunt inhabitants of North America for a long time to come.                -By the 1760s, the Indian race was seen to be eliminated.

Threats of New Taxes  -Victory in the war had virtually drained the kingdom's treasury. -In the 1760s. British authorities agreed that the colonies should pay their fair share of the cost of war against the French.                 -In 1764, George Grenville and the majority in parliament asked Britain's North American colonists to pay what the authorities in London thought was a fair share of the war's cost.                               -The colonies disagreed and didn't want to pay.

The Revolution was in the Minds of People -According to John Adams, "The revolution was in the minds of people, and this was effected from 1760-1775, 15 years btw a drop of blood was shed at Lexington." -The call for independence didn't happen overnight, because many colonists opposed the American Revolution and stayed loyal to England, and others had different conclusions as to what Independence would translate.                -The revolutionary change took place for many reasons.

Transitions from the "Rights of Man" to revolt  -Undoubtedly, John Locke and French philosophers influenced the minds of those seeking independence or engaging in rebellion against authorities such as England or royal governors.                 -Throughout the 1770s, Locke's ideas guided some of the Revolution's most articulate advocates such as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin.                               -Also believed in the need to overthrow unjust authorities. -Ultimately, the American Revolution led to other revolutions such as those in Europe and Latin America. -The spirit of the revolution even extended to religion as the Great Awakening resulted in a direct challenge to the leaders of the major protestant denominations.  -The open nature of the sea seemed to inspire the road to revolution as acts of rebellion occurred throughout the eastern seaboard.                -No doubt, the British practice of impressment drew fierce opposition from the colonists.  

The Accompanying Revolution in Religion -In 1740, Gilbert Tennant challenges the leaders of all protestant denominations to judge their ministers.                -It was not a great leap to challenge civil authority.

Seaport Radicalism- From the Stamp Act to the Boston Massacre a Boston Tea Party  -The 1760s brought a host of parliamentary acts that fueled colonial resistance, including The sugar act, the revenue acts, the Stamp Act, the Tea Act of 1773, and the intolerable acts. -The Stamp Act brought spirited resistance since it affected the cost of legal and commercial documents.                -The act also led to the formation of the Sons of Liberty which led a sense of unity amongst the colonists throughout the 13 colonies. -Following the repeal of the stamp act, in 1767 Parliament passed the Revenue Act that imposed a new round of taxes on various items.                 -In a display of force and to encourage obedience to this act, the British sent troops to cities such as New York and Boston.                               -The presence of British Red coats in Boston ultimately led to a fatal incident known as the Boston Massacre in 1770 that saw the killing of 5 colonists. -After the Boston Massacre, a committee of correspondence formed to encourage resistance to British rule in other colonies. -In 1773, after Parliament passed the unpopular Tea Act, poorly disguised Bostonians dumped British tea into the Boston Harbor leading the British to lose the Boston Harbor. -Women belonging to the Daughters of Liberty also played a role in resistance to the British by spinning their own cloth to lighten the effect of boycotting British goods.

Revolts in the Back Country -In the Backcountry, Regulator's royal authorities, and conflicts with Indians were exacerbated by British policies that hindered expansion.  -Rural people on the frontier from New York to the Carolinas were also taking matters into their own hands, but for different reasons. -Throughout the colonies, the most contentious issue for inland communities was relationships with Indian tribes. 

Growing unity in the colonies - The First Continental Congress -Along with the rally cry of "No taxation without representation" the colonists complained that they had no voice in the passage of various acts such as the Quebec Act, Quartering Act, and Intolerable Acts. -In Philadelphia, the First Continental Congress formed in 1774 to unite against what they perceived to be British tyranny, and share their grievances against the crown.                -Although few in this congress were ready for Independence, the delegates agreed to meet again in relation to England did not approve.                                -All colonies, except Georgia sent more representatives.

Talk to Freedom for Slaves -The Somerset decision caused a considerable stir in the colonies and in Britain. -Whites on both sides of the Atlantic noted the absurdity of colonists protesting their own perceived enslavement by parliament while those same colonists enslaved Africans. As talks about rights and freedom from oppression stirred in the colonies, the issue of slavery brought talks of contradiction and hypocrisy to the forefront of the discussion.

From Lexington and Concord to Bunker Hill - Revolt becomes war -By 1775, the colonists engaged in warfare / the British army as the seeds of revolution had been planted.                -April 1775 - Battle of Lexington and Concord                 -June 1775 - Battle of Bunkerhil -Sensing the growing rebellion, British troops set out to Concord to seize militia arms but were met at Lexington at what became the first battle of the revolution. -The 2 battles (fought at Breed 's Hill) outside of Basto solidified the inevitable break with England.                -After that battle, however, the American forces became better organized and gained support from all 13 colonies.(Bunker Hill)

African Americans in the Armies of both sides -The fight between Britain and its rebelling colonists brought slaves to both sides of the conflict.                 -Many slaves joined the side of the British, and some even gained their freedom after the war, and some in the northern colonies fought for the Patriots as well.                               -Rumored that the British intended to "Come to help the poor negroes." -In winter 177-78, Washington finally embraced black volunteers.

Moving Towards Independence -In May 1775, the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, formed the continental army, and placed George Washington in command of this force, but it took the congress a year to decide if it wanted Independence or not.  -Thomas Paine's Common Sense became an influencing factor in 1776 that swayed many in the colonies to lean towards Independence. 

Declaring Independence -By the summer of 1776, Congress appointed a committee to draft a declaration of Independence of the colonies with Thomas Jefferson writing the first draft. -After the revisions, Congress adopted Jefferson's revised version of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.                -A year later, Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation as the nation's first national government.

George Washington and His Victorious Patchwork Army -Initially, the war seemed to be a clear mismatch btw Washington's continental army which appeared much weaker than the British Army.                -Yet Washington's effectiveness as a military commander proved to overcome many of the extreme obstacles that the Patriots faced.                -His knowledge of the British troops led him to lead his forces with an effective but non-traditional tactic of fighting that would eventually wear down the British army.                               -The goal was not a decisive victory, but avoiding a decisive loss. -Despite forcing the British to evacuate from Boston, Washington suffered a devastating defeat in New York and had eventually retreated to Philadelphia, but not without gaining an impressive victory at Trenton, New Jersey. -The Battle of Saratoga in New York proved to be a turning point in the war in that it brought the assistance of both France and Spain to the patriot cause.                -Despite suffering from hunger and the cold at the Valley Forge, Washington's troops received valuable training and eventually more supplies.  -By 1778, the English decided to attack the south to split it from the rest of the colonies. -No doubt assistance from France and Spain proved to be vital but these countries needed some convincing that the colonists were serious and capable of gaining independence.                 -Ultimately, both of these countries declared war on England and turned this event into a world war.  -During the course of this war, whereas the Iroquois sided with the British and clashed with Washington's forces, thousands of Loyalists fought for the British and faced the wrath of their patriot counterparts. -In providing assistance to Washington's troops, the ladies' associations sewed thousands of shirts for soldiers and other women helped to harvest farms of patriots who were off fighting.  -Towards the latter part of the war, the British made significant gains in the South until the patriots won an impressive battle at Cowpens, South Carolina.                -Thereafter, in 1781, Lord Cornwallis lost the decisive battle of Yorktown in Virginia which led any in England to believe the war would end in favor of the patriots. -2 years later, under the treaty of Paris, England recognized the independence of the U.S.