French and Indian War: A Portion of the war in North America

• French allied with North American Tribes

  • Fight against --> British

  • Economical worked together --> for trading

    • Trade networks threatened by: British colonial population

• British colonies are successful and win the conflict 

• BUT were disorganized --> lost early battles

Albany Plan of Union: An attempt to organize the colonial government to help with the war. (recruiting troops, collecting taxes)

Unsuccessful, BUT set up colonial unity and governance

Result: colonial response intensifies

• Boston “Massacre” (1770)

  • Colonists harassed group of British soldiers in Boston stationed to collect taxes 

    • Soldiers fire on colonists and kill 5 of them

• Colonists dump tea into Boston harbor in rejection of tax on tea

  • Led to the “Tea Act” which lowered the price of tea 

    • Colonists --> still wanted to avoid paying the tax

Quebec Act  (1774)

• Expand territory of Quebec and establish roman catholicism as its religion 

  • (took away territory from colonies and differences in religion)

Enlightenment: 

1. Rationalism:  Human reason is the key to understanding the world 

→ Going against religion and nobility 

2. Natural Rights:  All human beings have certain rights 

“Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” 

•  John Locke

3. Social Contract: Government is a contract between people and rulers 

→ Power comes from the people 

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Colonists rethink relationship with British monarchy

• Ideas of independence from Britain 

  • Supported by Thomas Pane (Author of Common Sense) and Benjamin Franklin.

3 groups of people:

• Radicals: large response to England (wanted freedom the most)

  • Patrick Henry; John Adams

• Moderates: medium response to England (not sure if want freedom)

  • George Washington

• Conservantives: mild response to England (doesn’t want to break off of England)

  • John Jay 

Most did not favor Independence

Action Taken:

= Immediate repeal of Intolerable Acts, Boycott of British Goods, Restore Colonial Rights, Meet again in 1775 if needed 

• Encourages France, Spain and Netherlands to join Patriot forces

  • British had to divert resources to fighting other European countries

• Women participated in American Revolution as well

  • “Daughters of Liberty”

    • Helped organize boycott of British goods

• New role for women after Revolution: “republican motherhood”

  • Women needed to teach children values and beliefs of new republic 

African Americans:

• Revolution forced many to question slavery

  • Reason: Went against ideals of Declaration of Independence

  • Result:

    • Most states banned importation of slaves

    • However, slavery continued

      • Especially in South

• French Revolution (1789 - 1799)

  • Overthrow of king

• Latin American Wars of Independence

  • Overthrow of Spanish colonial rule; leads to creation of Mexico; Gran Colombia

  • Haitian Revolution (1791 - 1804)

    • Overthrow of French colonial rule by slaves

      • slaves freed themselves?

• Some had : executive branch

• All had : legislative branch

• Little had : judicial branch

Common themes:

• “Bill” of basic rights and freedoms

• Separation of powers (different branches)

• Only: White; male; property owners have voting power

• Could not pay war debts

• Could not stop British from establishing military outposts in the west

Internal economic problems:

• Inability to regulate trade between states

  • States put tariffs on trade to boost their own economies

• Inability to establish strong, uniform currency 

Internal unrest:

• Shay’s Rebellion (1786)

  • Farmer uprising against economic policies

  • Attempted to steal weapons

  • No strong central army to put down revolt

• Result: Many Americans called for stronger central government 

• Goal: draft a new government and fix the Articles of confederation 

• Virginia Plan: representation on population 

• New Jersey Plan: representation equal regardless of population (each state = 1 vote)

  • Result = Connecticut Compromise

    • Legislative branch split into two = Bicameral (two-house) Congress

      • House of Representatives: representation on population 

      • Senate: each state gets two members regardless of population 

Slavery:

• “Should slaves count in population for representation?” 

  • Slavery states: “slaves should count for representation, slaves should not count for taxes”

  • Non-slavery states: “ Slaves should not count for representation, slaves should count for taxes” 

• Result:  Three Fifths Compromise

  → slaves are ⅗ human 

• “Should slave trade continue?” 

• Result: continue for 20 more years (until 1808) 

Trade:

• Commercial Compromise: Congress can regulate interstate and foreign commerce

Election of Presidency:

• Result: Electoral College

  → each state gets ‘electors” equal to state’s congressional representation 

• Ratification achieved

  • Key reason: Federalists add Bill of Rights to Constitution to ensure individual rights and freedoms and limit power of government

- Amendments: changes to the Constitution 

- 1st Amendment: Freedom of speech, religion. press, assembly (protest)

- 4th Amendment: No unreasonable search and seizure 

- 5th Amendment: The right to remain silent. Right to not incriminate yourself. 

- 6th Amendment: The right to trial by jury 

- 8th Amendment: No cruel and unusual punishment 

- 10th Amendment: Anything that is not in the constitution goes to the states

• Setting up the executive branch

  • Various departments

  • Finance, State, Defense

  • Finance (Secretary of the Treasury ) = Alexander Hamilton, State = John Jay

• Set up Judicial Branch

  • Congress passes Judiciary Act of 1789

    • Establishes Supreme Court with 6 members: 1 chief justice; 5 associate justices

1. Pay off national debt and have national government take over state debts

2. Impose high tariffs on imported goods to encourage Americans to buy domestically-made products and grow American companies

3. Create a national bank 

   • Place to keep government funds

   • Centralize printing of money: change money supply to keep currency stable 

• Federal government mobilizes troops to put down rebellion 

  • Opposite of Shay’s Rebellion

  • Shows power of new government

1. Do NOT form political parties (factions)

2. Do NOT form permanent foreign alliance