THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

OBJECTIVES
Describe Americas colonies in the 1700s

List events that lead to the American
Revolution

Explain how Enlightenment ideas
influenced American Government
BRITAIN AND ITS AMERICAN COLONIES
Over a 70 year span, the colonies increase in population 9 fold
250,000 2,150,000
Colonies forge their own identity
150 years
Own governments
Citizen of their colonies, not of England
Navigation Act
Trade only with Britain
High taxes on non-British imports
AMERICANS WIN INDEPENDENCE
French-Indian War
English win
Huge debt
Stamp Act
1
st
taxes paid directly to
English Government
Taxation without
representation
AMERICANS WIN INDEPENDENCE
Growing Hostility Leads to War
King George III
closes Boston
harbor
Boston
Tea Party
shot heard
around the world
Lexington-
Concord
Influence of the Enlightenment
Declaration of
Independence
Based on the ideas of
Locke and other
philosophes
Written by Thomas
Jefferson
AMERICANS WIN INDEPENDENCE
Reasons
for
Success
Motivation
Home Field
Advantage
Overconfidence
of British
Generals
Expense of War
to England
France Enters
the war in 1778
AMERICANS CREATE A REPUBLIC
Articles of Confederation 1781
Weak national government
Loose confederation
Articles do not have
Executive branch
National judiciary
One vote each in congress
Passing law extremely difficult
A New Constitution
Constitutional Convention 1787
Based on political theories of
Montesquieu
Locke Rousseau
AMERICANS CREATE A REPUBLIC
The Federal System
Executive
Judicial Legislative
Senate
House of
Representatives
Supreme
Court
The
Presidency
AMERICANS CREATE A REPUBLIC
The Bill of Rights
Federalist Papers
Federalist vs. Anti-Federalist
Protected Basic Rights
Speech
Press
Assembly
Religion
Petition