A.P. U.S. History Notes
Chapter 7: “The Road to Revolution”
~
1763 – 1775 ~
I.
The
Deep Roots of Revolution
1.
In
a broad sense, the American Revolution began when the first colonists set foot
on America.
2.
The
war may have lasted for eight years, but a sense of independence had already
begun to develop because London was over 3000 miles away.
a.
Sailing
across the Atlantic in a ship often took 6 to 8 weeks.
b.
Survivors
felt physically and spiritually separated from Europe.
c.
Colonists
in America, without influence from superiors, felt that they were fundamentally
different from England, and more independent.
d.
Many
began to think of themselves as Americans.
II.
The
Mercantile Theory
1.
Of
the 13 original colonies, only Georgia was formally planted by the British
government.
a.
The
rest were started by companies, religious groups, land speculators, etc…
2.
The
British embrace a theory that justified their control of the colonies:
mercantilism:
a.
A
country’s economic wealth could be measured by the amount of gold or silver in
its treasury.
b.
To
amass gold and silver, a country had to export more than it imported.
c.
Countries
with colonies were at an advantage, because the colonies could supply the
mother country with materials, wealth, supplies, etc…
d.
For
America, that meant giving Britain all the ships, ships’ stores, sailors, and
trade that they needed and wanted.
e.
Also,
they had to grow tobacco and sugar for England that Brits would otherwise have
to buy from other countries.
III.
Mercantilist
Trammels on Trade
1.
The
Navigation Laws were the most famous of the laws to enforce mercantilism.
a.
The
first of these was enacted in 1650, and was aimed at rival Dutch shippers who
were elbowing their way into the American carrying trade.
b.
The
Navigation Laws restricted commerce from the colonies to England (and back) to
only English ships, and none other.
c.
Other
laws stated that European goods consigned to America had to land first in
England, where custom duties could be collected.
d.
Also,
some products could only be shipped to England and not other nations.
2.
Settlers
were even restricted in what they could manufacture at home; they couldn’t make
woolen cloth and beaver hats to export (they could make them for themselves).
3.
Americans
had no currency, but they were constantly buying things from Britain, so that
gold and silver was constantly draining out of America, forcing some to even
trade and barter.
a.
Eventually,
the colonists were forced to print paper money, which depreciated.
4. Colonial laws could be voided by the Privy Council, though this privilege was used sparingly (469 times out of 8563 laws).
a.
Still,
colonists were inflamed by its use.
IV.
The
Merits of Mercantilism
1.
The
Navigation Laws were hated, but until 1763, they were not really enforced much,
resulting in widespread smuggling.
a.
In
fact, John Hancock amassed a fortune through smuggling.
2.
Tobacco
planters, though they couldn’t ship it to anywhere except Britain, still had a
monopoly within the British market.
3.
Americans
had unusual opportunities for self-government.
4.
Americans
also had the mightiest army in the world, and didn’t have to pay for it.
a.
After
independence, the U.S. had to pay for a tiny army and navy.
5.
Basically,
the Americans had it made: even repressive laws weren’t enforced much, and the
average American benefited much more than the average Englishman.
a.
The
mistakes that occurred didn’t occur out of malice, at least until the revolt.
b.
In
fact, France and Spain also embraced mercantilism, but enforced it heavily.
V.
The
Menace of Mercantilism
1.
However,
after Britain started to enforce mercantilism in 1763, the fuse for the
American Revolution was lit.
2.
Disadvantages:
a.
Americans
couldn’t buy, sell, ship, or manufacture under the most favorable conditions
for them.
b.
The
South, which produced crops that weren’t grown in England, was preferred over
the North.
c.
Virginia,
which grew just tobacco, were at the mercy of the British buyers, who often
paid very low and were responsible for putting many planters into debt.
d.
Many
colonists felt that Britain was just milking her colonies for all their worth.
e.
Theodore
Roosevelt said, “Revolution broke out because England failed to recognize an
emerging nation when it saw one.”
VI.
The
Stamp Tax Uproar
1.
After
the Seven Years’ War, Britain had a HUGE debt, and though it fairly had no
intention of making the Americans pay off all of it for Britain, it did feel
that they should pay off one-third of the cost, since Redcoats had been used
for the protection of the Americans.
2.
Prime
Minister George Grenville, an honest and able financier not noted for tact,
ordered that the Navigation Laws be enforced, arousing resentment of settlers.
a.
He
also secured the “Sugar Act” of 1764, which increased duty on foreign sugar
imported from the West Indies; after numerous protests from spoiled Americans,
the duties were reduced.
3.
The
Quartering Act of 1765 required certain colonies to provide food and quarters
for British troops.
4.
In
1765, he also imposed a stamp tax to raise money for the new military force.
a.
The
Stamp Act mandated the use of stamped paper of the affixing of stamps,
certifying payment of tax.
b.
Stamps
were required on bills of sale for about 50 trade items as well as on certain
types of commercial and legal documents.
c.
Both
the Stamp Act and the Sugar Act provided for offenders to be tried in the
admiralty courts, where defenders were guilty until proven innocent.
d.
Grenville
felt that these taxes were fair, as he was simply asking the colonists to pay
their share of the deal; plus, Englishmen paid a much heavier stamp tax.
5.
Americans
felt that they were unfairly taxed for an unnecessary army (hadn’t the French
army and Pontiac’s warriors been defeated?), and lashed back violently,
especially against the stamp tax.
a.
“No
taxation without representation!”
6.
Americans
took it upon themselves to enforce principle, reminding Brits of the principles
that England’s own Puritan Revolution had brought forth.
7.
Americans
denied the right of Parliament to tax Americans, since no Americans were seated
in Parliament.
8.
Grenville
replied that these statements were absurd, and pushed the idea of “virtual
representation,” in which every Parliament member represented ALL British
subjects.
9.
Americans
rejected “virtual representation,” and in truth didn’t really want
representation because that wouldn’t have done them good, and if they had
really had representation, there wouldn’t be a principle for which to rebel.
VII.
Parliament
Forced to Repeal the Stamp Act
1.
In
1765, representatives from nine colonies met in NYC to discuss the Stamp Tax.
a.
The
Stamp Act Congress was largely ignored in Britain, but was a step toward
intercolonial unity.
2.
Some
colonists agreed to boycott supplies, instead, making their own and refusing to
buy British goods.
3.
Sons
and Daughters of Liberty took law into their own hands, tarring and feathering
violators among people who had agreed to boycott the goods.
a.
They
also stormed the houses of important officials and took their money.
b.
Stunned,
demands appeared in Parliament for repeal of the stamp tax, though many wanted
to know why 7.5 million Brits had to pay heavy taxes to protect the colonies,
but 2 million colonials refused to pay only one-third of the cost of their own
defense.
c.
In
1766, Parliament repealed the Stamp Act but passed the Declaratory Act,
proclaiming that Parliament had the right “to bind” the colonies “in all cases
whatsoever.”
VIII.
The
Townshend Tea Tax and the Boston “Massacre”
1.
Charles
Townshend (a man who could deliver brilliant speeches in Parliament even while
drunk) persuaded Parliament to pass the Townshend Acts in 1767.
a.
They
put light taxes on white lead, paper, paint, and tea.
2.
In
1767, New York’s legislature was suspended for failure to comply with the
Quartering Act.
3.
Tea
became smuggled, though, and to enforce the law, Brits had to send troops to
America.
4.
On
the evening of March 5, 1770, a crowd of about 60 townspeople in Boston were
harassing some ten Redcoats.
a.
One
got hit in the head, another got hit by a club.
b.
Without
orders but heavily provoked, they opened fire, wounding or killing eleven
“innocent” citizens, including Crispus Attucks, the “leader” of the mob.
c.
Only
two Redcoats got prosecuted.
IX.
The
Seditious Committees of Correspondence
1.
King
George III was 32 years old, a good person, but a bad ruler who surrounded
himself with sycophants like Lord North.
2.
The
Townshend Taxes didn’t really do much, so they were repealed, except for the
tea tax.
3.
The
colonies, in order to spread propaganda and keep the rebellious moods, set up
committees of correspondence; the first was started by Samuel Adams.
X.
Tea
Parties at Boston and Elsewhere
1.
In
1773, the powerful British East India Company, overburdened with 17 million
pounds of unsold tea, was facing bankruptcy.
2.
The
British decided to sell it to the Americans, who were suspicious and felt that
it was a shabby attempt to trick the Americans with the bait of cheaper tea and
pay tax.
3.
On
December 16, 1773, some Whites disguised as Indians opened 342 chests and
dumped the tea into the ocean.
a.
People
in Annapolis did the same and burned the ships to the ground.
b.
Reaction
was varied, from approval to outrage to disapproval.
c.
Edmund
Burke declared, “To tax and to please, no more than to love and be wise, is not
given to men.”
XI.
Parliament
Passes the “Intolerable Acts”
1.
In
1774, by huge majorities, Parliament passed a series of “repressive acts” to
punish the colonies, namely Massachusetts.
2.
The
Boston Port Act
a.
Boston
Harbor was closed until retribution was paid.
b.
Also,
enforcing officials who killed colonials could now be tried in England.
3.
Massachusetts
Government Act
a. The charter of Massachusetts was revoked.
4.
The
Quebec Act
a.
A
good law in bad company, it guaranteed Catholicism to the
French-Canadians, permitted them to
retain their old customs, and extended the old boundaries of Quebec all the way
to the Ohio River.
b.
Americans
saw their territory threatened and aroused anti-Catholics were shocked at the
enlargement that would make a Catholic area as large as the original 13
colonies.
XII.
The
Continental Congress and Bloodshed
A. The First Continental Congress
1.
In
Philadelphia, from September 5th to October 26th, 1774,
the First Continental Congress met to discuss problems.
2.
While
not wanting independence then, it did come up with a list of grievances, which
were ignored in Parliament.
3.
Only
Georgia didn’t have a representative there.
4.
Also,
they came up with a Declaration of Rights.
5.
They
agreed to meet again in 1775 (the next year) if nothing happened.
B. The “Shot Heard ‘Round the World”
1.
In
April 1775, the British commander in Boston sent a detachment of troops to
nearby Lexington and Concord to seize supplies and to capture Sam Adams and
John Hancock.
2.
Minutemen,
after having eight of their own killed at Lexington, fought back at Concord,
pushing the Redcoats back, sniping them from behind rocks and trees.
XIII.
Imperial
Strength and Weaknesses
1.
WAR!!! Britain had the heavy advantage: 7.5 million
people to America’s 2 million, superior naval power, great wealth.
2.
Some
30,000 Hessians (German mercenaries) were also hired by George III, in addition
to a professional army of about 50,000 men, plus about 50,000 American
loyalists and many Native Americans.
3.
However,
Britain still had Ireland (used up troops) and France was just waiting to stab
Britain in the back; plus, there was no William Pitt.
a.
Many
Brits had no desire to kill their American cousins, as shown by William Pitt’s
withdrawal of his son from the army.
b.
English
Whigs at first supported America, as opposed to Lord North’s Tory Whigs, and
they felt that if George III won, then his rule of England might become
tyrannical.
c.
Britain’s
generals were second-rate, and its men were brutally treated.
d.
Provisions
were often scarce, plus Britain was fighting a war some 3000 miles away from
home.
e.
America
was also expansive, and there was no single capital to capture and therefore
cripple the country.
XIV.
American
Pluses and Minuses
A. Advantages
1.
Americans
had great leaders like George Washington (giant general), and Ben Franklin
(smooth diplomat).
2.
They
also had French aid (indirect), as the French provided the Americans with guns,
supplies, gunpowder, etc…
3.
Marquis
de Lafayette, at age 19, was made a major general in the colonial army.
4.
The
colonials were fighting in a defensive way, and they were self-sustaining.
5.
They
were better marksmen.
a.
A
competent American rifleman could hit a man’s head at 200 yards.
6.
The
Americans enjoyed the moral advantage in fighting for a just cause, and the
historical odds weren’t unfavorable either.
B. Disadvantages
1.
Americans
were terribly lacking in unity, though.
2.
Jealousy
was prevalent, as colonies resented the Continental Congress’ attempt at
exercising power.
a.
Sectional
jealousy boiled up over the appointment of military leaders; some New
Englanders almost preferred British officers to Americans from other colonies.
3.
Inflation
also hit families of soldiers hard, and made many people poor.
XV.
A
Thin Line of Heroes
1.
The
American army was desperately in need of clothing, wool, wagons to ship food,
and other supplies.
2.
Many
soldiers had also only received rudimentary training.
3.
German
Baron von Steuben, who spoke no English, whipped the soldiers into shape.
4.
Blacks
also fought and died in service, though in the beginning, many colonies barred
them from service.
a.
By
war’s end, more than 5000 blacks had enlisted in the American armed forces.
5.
African-Americans
also served on the British side.
6.
In
November 1775, Lord Dunmore, royal governor of Virginia, issued a proclamation
declaring freedom for any enslaved black in Virginia who joined the British
Army.
a.
By
war’s end, at least 1400 Blacks were evacuated to Nova Scotia, Jamaica, and
England.
7.
Many
people also sold to the British because they paid in gold.
8.
Many
people just didn’t care, and therefore, raising a large number of troops was
difficult, if not impossible.
9.
Only
because a select few threw themselves into the cause with passion, did the
Americans win.
10.
Seldom
have so few done so much for so many.
NOTE: Read Varying
Viewpoints: “Whose Revolution?” on your own, please. Thanks.
