American Revolution

The Causes of the American Revolution

1. In 1607, British settlers established the 13 colonies along the east coast of North America. Local assemblies and governors represented the British Crown.
2. The Enlightenment: This movement valued science and reason over faith and authority, challenging the divine right of kings.
3. Restrictions on Trade: Britain wanted America to be a source of raw materials and a market for British goods. The Navigation Acts forced colonies to sell products like cotton, sugar, and tobacco only to Britain.
4. The Seven Years War (1756-1763): Britain wanted the colonies to help pay for the army stationed there.
5. No Taxation Without Representation: The Stamp Act (1765) imposed a fee on legal documents, newspapers, and more. The Quartering Act (1765) taxed colonists to cover soldiers' costs. Colonists protested with the slogan 'No Taxation Without Representation.'

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Road to War

• The Boston Massacre (1770): British soldiers fired on a protesting crowd, killing five civilians.

• The Boston Tea Party (1773): In protest against the Tea Act, which exempted the East India Company from tea taxes, the Sons of Liberty dumped 342 crates of tea into Boston Harbour. This led to military rule in Boston.

• The First Continental Congress (1774): Representatives from each colony met in Philadelphia to oppose British taxes, boycott British goods, and prepare for war by training soldiers and stockpiling weapons.

• The Battles of Lexington and Concord (1775): British troops tried to seize weapons at Concord but were intercepted, resulting in deaths and further conflict.

• The Second Continental Congress (1776): Led by George Washington as commander-in-chief, the Congress issued the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring separation from Britain.

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Main Events of the American War of Independence

• George Washington led the Continental Army, which was smaller and less equipped than the British Army.
• Despite losing at Bunker Hill, the Americans captured cannons and rifles at the Battle of Boston. They had small victories at Princeton and Trenton.
• British General Howe captured Philadelphia in 1777, but the Americans won at Saratoga.
• During the winter at Valley Forge (1777-1778), the army suffered but was trained by Prussian Baron Von Steuben.
  • France, Spain, and the Netherlands joined the war against Britain in 1778.
  • The decisive victory came at the Battle of Yorktown (1781), where British troops surrendered to American and French forces.
  • The Treaty of Paris (1783) recognized the colonies' independence from the British Empire.

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The Results of the American Revolution

1. Foundation of the United States of America: Over 200 years, it grew to 50 states. This expansion came at the cost of indigenous American peoples and their cultures.
2. By 1900, millions of immigrants from around the world had settled in the US.
3. Impact on France and Ireland: The revolution inspired the French Revolution (1789) and the 1798 United Irishmen Rebellion.
4. Influence of Ideas: The Declaration of Independence stated 'all men are created equal', but this initially applied only to white Christian men. Women, black slaves, and indigenous Americans continued to fight for equal rights.

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Timeline

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Key Terms

1. 13 Colonies: the British colonies on the east coast of North America that declared independence in 1776 to form the United States.
2. Enlightenment: an intellectual movement in the 17th and 18th centuries emphasising reason, science, and individual rights, influencing American revolutionary ideas.
3. Navigation Acts: laws passed by the British Parliament to control colonial trade and ensure that it benefited England, leading to colonial discontent.
4. No Taxation Without Representation: a slogan used by American colonists to protest British taxes imposed without their consent through elected representatives.
5. Stamp Act: a 1765 British law that taxed printed materials in the colonies, sparking widespread protest and contributing to the American Revolution.
6. Boston Tea Party: a 1773 protest where American colonists, disguised as Native Americans, dumped British tea into Boston Harbor to oppose the Tea Act.
7. Sons of Liberty: a secret organisation of American colonists formed to oppose British policies and fight for colonial rights, playing a key role in the Revolution.
8. Continental Congress: a group of representatives from the 13 Colonies who met to coordinate resistance against British rule and eventually declared independence.
9. George Washington: the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and later became the first President of the United States.
10. Declaration of Independence: a document adopted on July 4, 1776, in which the 13 Colonies declared their independence from Britain, primarily written by Thomas Jefferson.

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Revision Questions

1. What was the slogan used by colonists to protest British taxation?
2. True or False: The Boston Tea Party was a protest against the Stamp Act.
3. Who was elected commander-in-chief of the Continental Army?
4. Fill in the blank: The Declaration of Independence was issued on _______.
5. What was the result of the Battle of Yorktown?
6. True or False: The Treaty of Paris recognized the colonies as independent from Britain.
7. What movement valued science and reason over faith and authority?
8. Fill in the blank: The Navigation Acts forced colonies to sell products like cotton, sugar, and tobacco only to _______.
9. What was the impact of the American Revolution on France?
10. True or False: By 1900, millions of immigrants from around the world had settled in the United States.

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