Can you smell a Revolution

Can you smell a Revolution

• We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.

• Benjamin Franklin

The Price of War

• FIW is expensive• Struggle to convince

colonists to shoulder the cost.

• At the time, most colonialists are reluctant revolutionaries, want to secure rights as Englishmen

Roots of Revolution

• Old world- people rarely move

• Stagnant lifestyle encourages people to conform to social norms.

Roots of Revolution • 1. Republicanism- from

Greek and Romans• Citizens willingly

subordinated their private, selfish interest to the common good.

• Social stability and government authority relies on citizenship

• Fundamentally opposed to aristocracy and monarchy

Roots of Revolution

• 2. Comes from British Radical Whigs

• Fear of monarch (and representatives) posing threats to liberty

• Be on guard against corruption

Roots of Revolution

• Geography matters!• No dukes or princes in

colonies• But colonies have

property ownership and self government.

• Distance = barrier to enforce control

Mercantilism and the Colonies

• Georgia- only colony formally planted by Brit. Government.

• Others- trading companies, religious groups, land speculators.

Mercantilism • Wealth = power• Wealth is measure by

amount of gold and silver in treasury

• To amass gold, countries need to export more than they export

• Colonies- supply raw materials to mother country ( reducing need for foreign imports) and provide guaranteed market for exports.

Mercantilism and the Colonies

• Brits view of the colonies• Seen as tenants• Furnish goods to England• Buy imported

manufactured goods only made in England.

• Don’t become self sufficient, don’t even think about self government.

Mercantilism and the Colonies • How to regulate

Mercantilism system?• Navigation Law of 1650• All goods must be in

British ships• Any goods to America,

must first be brought to Britain

• Certain “enumerated” products (tobacco) must exclusively go to Britain, despite getting better offers from other

Mercantilism and the Colonies

• Causes money shortage in colonies

• Colonists forced to use butter nails, pitch, for exchange

• Colonists issue paper money, which kills value of British Currency

• British outlaw colonists from creating currency

Mercantilism, the Good

• Prior to 1763 Navigation laws aren’t enforced (salutary neglect) colonial smuggling rises

• Colonial ship makers chosen over local companies

• Tobacco monopoly • Protection by world’s

greatest navy

Mercantilism, the Bad

• Kills economic initiative and makes colonists dependent on Brit. Creditors and agents

• Colonists feel as being kept in perpetual state of economic adolescence.

• We have an old mother that peevish is grown

• She snubs us like children that scare walk alone.

• She forgets we’re grown up and have a sense of our own.BF

Trampling our Rights

• British debt after FIW- 140 million pounds

• Prime Minister- George Grenville– Start enforcing Nav. Acts

– Sugar Act- 1764- eventually lowered

– Quartering Act- 1765- colonists must give food and shelter to troops

Trampling our Rights

• 1765- Stamp Act- first direct tax imposed on the people.– The British had far

larger stamp tax on people for 20 years.

Trampling our Rights

• Sugar and Stamp acts set up Admiralty courts

• No juries • Guilty until proven

innocent • Judges salaries determined

by fines imposed• Location: Nova Scotia

Trampling our Rights

• Radical Whig influence apparent

• “No taxation without representation”

• Ironic- Coastal colonists have denied back country colonists representation

• Do the colonists want representation in Parliament?

View of the colonists

• Difference between legislation and taxation

• Parliament can legislate matters that affected the whole empire (regulation of trade)

• Parliament cannot tax colonists cause no representative.

• Only colonial legislatures have the right to tax the colonists

View of Grenville

• Virtual Representation- every member of parliament represents its subjects, even those in Americans that haven’t voted.

• Parliament cannot be divided like the colonists wished.

• This forces the colonists to deny authority of parliament, and start to consider their own political independence

Stamp Act Congress 1765

• 27 delegates of nine colonies

• Send statements of rights and grievances to King and Parliament

• Very little effect• But seeds of colonial

unity are forming

Nonimportation Agreements

• Stop importing British goods

• Woolen garments are encouraged, stop eating lamb chops

• More colonial unity• Now those who didn’t

take a side, are joining consumer boycotts

• Sons of Liberty and Daughters of Liberty

• “Liberty, Property, No Stamps”

• Sometimes violent• Non Imp works- British

merchants and manufactures hit hard, convince parliament to repeal stamp act.

Declaratory Act

• 1766- stamp act repealed, Declaratory act passed

• England has absolute and unqualified sovereignty over its North American colonies.

1767 Townshend Acts

• Charles Townshend

• Light import duties on glass, white lead, paper, paint, tea.

• Indirect customs duty payable at American ports.

• Money generated- goes to royal governors and judges.

• Why is this problematic?

• 1767- NY legislature shut down for failure to comply with Quartering act.

• Non importation agreements restart- but less effective mainly because tax is light and indirect.

• Smuggling in Massachusetts really takes off as colonists enjoy cheaper prices.

Boston Massacre • To cut down on

smuggling and restore order British send two regiment to Boston.

• March 5, 1770• Citizens throwing

rocks and snowballs• British- shots fired• 11 dead or wounded

• Both sides are at fault• John Adams, one of

leaders of Son’s of liberty, defends soldiers

King George III

• Wants to restore royal power

• Gives jobs to “yes men”• Prime Minister= Lord

North • Townshend acts- don’t

raise money, plus nonimporation agreements force England to repeal all aspects of Act but tax on tea

• Kept tea tax to show parliament still has the right to tax colonies

Samuel Adams

• Poor, not impressive physical stature, but loved politics, especially infractions on colonial rights.

• Helps form Committees of Correspondence

Committees of Correspondence

• Purpose- keep opposition to British alive through letters and conferences

• Soon became intercolonial committees

• Soon each colony has a CofC

Tea Time

• 1773- nonimporation weakening, colonists are buying tea.

• England bails out British India Tea Co.- gives them monopoly to colonies.

• Tea is even cheaper, colonists feel like Brits are tricking them to accept the detested tax.

Tea Time

• NYC, Philly- mass protests force ships back

• Annapolis- burnt ship and cargo, banner – “Liberty and Independence or death in the pursuit of it”

• Charleston, confiscates tea- later sells tea to raise money for revolution

• Boston– Mass Gov= Thomas

Hutchinson

– Orders ships to stay until cargo is unloaded

– Enemies publish private letter which Hutchinson said violating some English Rights are necessary to preserve colonies.

Tea Time• Dec 16 1773• Boston Tea Party• Dumped tea dressed as

Indians • Colonists have mixed

reactions– Half applaud it, called tea a

“badge of slavery”– Conservatives- broke laws,

can lead to anarchy and break down in society

• Hutchinson- retreats to England

England Strikes back

• Intolerable acts• Meant to punish Boston• Closes Boston port, until

damages are paid• No more town meetings• Brits who kill colonists,

now face trial in London• Even stronger quartering

act- now soldiers can be placed in private homes.

England Strikes Back

• 1774 Quebec Acts• Not apart of

Intolerable acts• French can retain

cultural aspects of life (Catholics)

• Old Quebec boundaries extended to Ohio River Valley

The Quebec Act

• Intolerable mainly hurt Boston, QA hits larger audience

• French Canada- no trial by jury or representative government

• Land speculators- good lands are gone

• Anti Catholics- angry that Roman Catholics are nearing on lands destined for Protestantism.

Response to IA

• Colonists rally to Boston’s aid

• Flags at half mass, ships bring in food

Response to IA

• 1774- 1st continental congress

• Georgia, not there• 55 delegates• Not a legislative body,

but consultative body• Send declaration of

Rights to King

• The Association- takes nonimportation agreements step further, complete boycott of all British goods.

• Not asking for independence

Shot heard around the world

• British want to round up and control all ammunition posts.

• Lexington and Concord 1775

• Colonists massacred at Lexington, but forced British retreat in Concord

American Revolution Fight Card• England• Pros • 7.5 million• Wealthiest nation• Most powerful navy• Professionally trained

army• 30,000 Hessian

Mercenaries • 50,000 American

Loyalists• Native American

assistance

• Cons• Ireland is in turmoil,

British troops must go there

• Government- inept, no strong leadership

• Logistical issues• Distance• Geography- America is

vast, no true urban centers, thus British have to attack and make every city submit

American Revolution Fight Card• Colonies

• Pros

• Great leadership– General= Washington

– Diplomat= BF

• Many Europeans reset England and join cause– Marquis De LaFayette

• Defensive War- do not have to win

• Moral Advantage- everybody beliefs in the cause

• Agriculture - Colonies are self sustaining

• Cons• No national government

– Disorganized, not truly united

• States are sovereign and don’t take congress serious

• Sectional Differences over General selections

• Colonial Currency= “not worth a Continental”, States eventually make their own money as well

Where are the Guns?

• Towns have some weapons- but widespread militias create shortages

• Desperate need for guns and Ammo (France)

Colonial Soldiers

• No established uniform

• Most are lucky to have clothing

• No shoes • Rhode Island Unit-

“Ragged, Lousy, Naked Regiment”

• Food• Valley Forge- 3

straight days with no food

Colonial Soldiers

• Very unreliable • 7 to 8 thousand

regulars at the end of war– German Baron Von

Stuebon

• African Americans eventually fight in the war, most are Freed Blacks of the North

British and African Americans

• Vir. Governor Lord Dunmore- offers freedom to slaves to who join British

• “Lord Dunmore’s Ethiopian Unit”

• British stayed somewhat true to their word, Black Loyalists sent to Nova Scotia, Jamaica

American at the Eve of War

• Profiteers get rich- sell anything and everything to the British because the British actually have money (gold and silver)

• Small minority only truly dedicated to the cause of Independence

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