Chapter 2

France vs Britain and the lead-up to the American

Revolution

2 parts, Canada and LouisianaFriendly relations with Native AmericansSparsely populated: only 60,000 French

settlers in mid 1700’sAutocratic: no representative government, no

trial by jury, no religious toleration

New France 1608-1763 (Review)

4 colonial wars fought during this timeAll pitted France (and Indian allies) and

sometimes the Spanish vs the British (and Indian allies)King William’s War 1689-1697Queen Anne’s War 1702-1713King George’s War 1744-1748French and Indian War 1754-1763

France vs. Britain 1689-1763

First time a war started in North America and spread to Europe

Involved large amounts of European resources (money, soldiers)

Fought over control of the Ohio River Valley (modern pay western PA, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan)

Began when George Washington encountered French soldiers near Fort Duquesne (modern-day Pittsburgh)

French and Indian War 1754-1763

French Side British Side

Soldiers from France Soldiers from Britain

French Colonists from Canada American Colonists from the 13 colonies

Indian Allies: Huron, Ottawa, Abenaki

Indian Allies: Iroquois League

Spanish (Mostly colonists in Florida)

Who Fought in the French and Indian War?

North America in 1754

Went badly for the British/Americans at first1757 New British Prime Minister (William

Pitt) new strategyPay the Americans to fight (cheaper than

sending all the soldiers over from Britain)Don’t attack the French everywhere, just

attack them in CanadaBritish successful war ends in 1763:

British/Americans Win

The French and Indian War

Ended the warEffects:

French gave all of Canada and Eastern half of Louisiana to the British

Spanish gave Florida to the BritishTo repay the Spanish for the loss of Florida the

French gave the western half of Louisiana to the Spanish

No more French in North America

Peace of Paris: 1763

Albany Conference and the Albany Plan: 17547 of the 13 colonies met in Albany to convince

the Iroquois to join the warAgreed to one commander of colonial forces

(British General)Benjamin Franklin proposed a plan (Albany

Plan) to unite the colonies together under British rule (early version of the United States but still British)—never adopted

First step of the colonies working together, starting to become one country???

Significant Aspects of French and Indian War

Franklin’s Political Cartoon: 1754

Wars cost money, Britain had a large amount of debtHow do governments pay off their debts?

Pontiac’s Rebellion 1763British soldiers permanently stationed in the

west to prevent future Indian attacksProclamation of 1763Why would these two things upset the

colonies?

Significance of French and Indian War: Aftermath

British tried to get more money from the colonies through two main tactics: 1-actually enforcing their mercantilist laws and

taxes on shipping and imports2-passing taxes on the colonists themselves (not

on imports)Efforts to enforce mercantilist laws:

Admiralty CourtsAccused presumed guilty until proven innocentTrials held in Novia Scotia (Canada) not in the

coloniesWrits of Assistance

Customs officials could search warehouses, ships, houses without a warrant

British Taxation and Other Policies

New Taxes passed on the colonists1764-Sugar Act—tax on imported sugar

James Otis—no taxation without representation in Parliament

1765-Stamp Act—tax on official paper documentsNot a tax on imports, a tax on colonists themselvesStamp Act Congress 1765 (9 colonies met)

Non-Importation Agreement—wouldn’t buy British goodsTaxation through representatives only

1767-Townshend ActsStamp Act repealed, other taxes on imports increasedCustoms officials in Boston attackedSoldiers sent to protect them—Boston Massacre 1770

Townshend Acts repealed except one. . . . . .

British Taxation and Colonial Reaction

Tea Act 1773—beginning of the chain of events that led directly to the beginning of the RevolutionColonists refused to allow importation of tea—that

way no taxes would be paidShips stuck in Boston HarborBoston Tea Party—December 1773

Repercussions to Tea PartyCoercive Acts 1774

Port of Boston closedMassachusetts assembly shut downNew Quartering Act (soldiers in homes)British soldiers tried in England not Boston(Quebec Act)

Tea Act and the Boston Tea Party

1st Continental Congress 1774 Met in response to the Coercive Acts 12 of 13 colonies attended (all except Georgia) Non-importation agreement Communication among the colonies Stockpiling of weapons and ammunition in case of war

Lexington and Concord 1775 Massachusetts government (in hiding) began to stockpile

weapons in Lexington and Concord British went to seize weapons and colonial leaders Colonists attacked them Beginning of the Revolutionary War

2nd Continental Congress called in response to Lexington and Concord 1775 Functioned as the government of the 13 colonies(states)

throughout the war

Tea Party to Revolution

Still not clear what was happening, war, independence, revolution?

2nd Continental Congress made George Washington head of the Continental Army

Bunker Hill June 1775Major British casualties—no turning back pointGeorge III proclaimed the colonies in open rebellion

Common Sense-1776By Thomas Paine convinced many to seek independence

Declaration of Independence July 1776 Influenced by the ideas of John LockeColonies no longer, 13 states, United States began

Early Revolution 1775-1776

American forces faced numerous setbacks in the early days of the warDefeated at Long Island/New York 1776Lost control of Philadelphia 1777Forced to flee to Valley Forge for the winter of

1777A few exceptions

Trenton/Princeton winter of 1776—American victories

Rough Times for the Americans 1776-1777

Battle of Saratoga significantly changed the course of the warBritish army under General Johnny Burgoyne

surrounded in upstate New York (near Saratoga)

Americans forced the British to surrender—major victory

Significant: convinced the French to formally enter the war on the American side—1778

Others soon joinedSpain, Netherlands 1779

Turning of the Tide: Saratoga 1777

After Saratoga the British retreated back to New York City—hemmed in by Washington and the Continental Army

British attention shifted to the SouthMore loyalists thereGain control of the South, divide the colonies, finish off

Washington in the North laterEarly British successes

British conquest of Georgia 1778-1779Capture of Charleston (worst US defeat until WWII)

Americans strike backNathaniel Greene (from RI) the fighting QuakerAmericans win several minor battles against the BritishBritish retreat to Yorktown Peninsula in Virginia to

rest/recover

War in the South 1778-1781

Yorktown 1781British thought the sea would protect them, why?British navy defeated by the French at the Battle of

Chesapeake Capes 1781Washington and French Army under command of

Rochambeau snuck south to YorktownBritish surrounded and defeated, surrendered fall 1781Last major battle of the war, war continued for 2 more

years but it was clear that the US would win independence

Battles in the “West” (Upstate NY, Midwest) Iroquois (British allies) defeated-1779George Rogers Clark captured the west 1778-1779

The End of the War: Yorktown and the West 1781-1783

Support for the Revolution was not universal inside the colonies Patriots/Whigs—supported the Revolution Loyalists/Tories—supported the British Government Largest group of people were indifferent to the Revolution—

didn’t pick one side or the otherWho were the loyalists?

Wealthy who didn’t want to risk their property (not always) Recent immigrants from Britain (not always) British soldiers who settled in America after the French and

Indian War (not always) Religious minorities who felt gratitude towards the British

government for protecting their rights African American loyalists

Promised freedom by the British—some got it some didn’t Native American loyalists

5 of the seven nations of the Iroquois confederacy remained loyal

Status after the War

Patriots vs. Loyalists: The first civil war?

13 colonies achieved independence: United States formally recognized by Britain

In addition to the territory of the 13 colonies Britain gave the United states the eastern half of the Louisiana territory that it had taken from France after the French and Indian War in 1763

Spain regained Florida from the BritishUnited States government was to recommend that the

states reimburse loyalists for their lost property, stop persecuting loyalists, and repay British merchants for goods confiscated/destroyed during the warPersecution of loyalists stopped, but repayment often

did not

Peace of Paris: 1783

US after the Peace of Paris (1783)

Greater equality among all social classes (rich/poor) Fought together during the war, bred a sense of equality Voting rights expanded—land qualifications for voting abandoned

although money still required (had to pay taxes) Poor/lower class made up a large % of elected officials (chart pg.

87) (In New England less than 20% before the war to over 60% after)

Greater freedoms for women Some debate over extending full rights to women, but never

adopted Legal restrictions on women relaxed somewhat in the states (right

to own property, etc.)Emancipation for (some) Slaves

Gradual emancipation in the North Manumission (voluntary freeing of slaves) in a few places in the

South (DE, MD, VA) British freed many slaves during the war Most states outlawed the slave trade (if not slavery) after the war

Social Effects of the Revolution

Articles of Confederation 1781 Each state was like an independent country loosely allied together

in the Confederation States had a lot of power over their own affairs King/Parliament replaced by Congress—Congress didn’t have very

many powers (couldn’t tax, regulate trade, etc.) Increase in “democracy” in the state constitutions

Democracy vs republic State constitutions gave the people more power than they had

before Assemblies more powerful, governors weaker Governors and upper house elected by the people—not appointed like

before State Bills of Rights limited what the state governments could do

Couldn’t limit freedom of speech, religion, etc

Increase of religious freedom in the states Southern states ended official religions New England states didn’t abolish their official religions until the

early 1800’s

Political Effects of the Revolution

Often people think of the American Revolution as patriotic Americans trying to fight for democracy against a tyrannical British king, how is this description accurate and inaccurate?

What explains how a disunited and relatively disorganized United States was able to defeat the British Empire—the most powerful Empire in the world during that time?

The Articles of Confederation were a very democratic form of government. Are there any disadvantages to having a government that is very democratic?

Revolutionary Period Questions