Enlightenment Ideas Spread 1775-1783

Enlightenment Ideas Spread

1775-1783The right to unalienable rights and the right

to representation

Enlightenment Ideas Spread

1775-1783: Background• Background

• Opportunity in colonies=cheap, land,

social advancements, new identity

• British needed to pay for the French

and Indian War (Britain v. France over

power in North America and

Caribbean) =taxed colonies

Causes of the American Revolution

“Great upheavals in history occur when

circumstances are ripe.”

French and Indian War (1754-63)

Drained Britain

treasury

Passed and enforced new tax laws on the colonists

Causes of the American Revolution

“Great upheavals in history occur when

circumstances are ripe.”

New tax laws on the

colonists

“No taxation without

representation”

OH NO!!! … You tell me

☺

Causes of the American Revolution:

1. French and Indian War

2. Taxes on Colonies (Taxation w/o Representation)

1. Stamp Act 1767: Stamps on newspapers,

public documents, legal papers (help pay war

debt)

2. Townsend Act 1767: Tax on glass, paints, tea

1. Boston Massacre 1770: Merchants in Boston called

for a boycott of British goods=British sent troops to

keep order=shots fired, kill 5 people=repealed most

taxes except that on TEA

Causes of the American

Revolution1. Mercantilism

2. British treasury is drained during the

French and Indian War

3. Trade Laws 1764 4. Stamp Act 1765

Causes of the American Revolution

The Townshend Act 1767

Boston Massacre 1770

Boston Tea Party 1773 Intolerable Act 1774

Causes of the American

Revolution

Causes of the American Revolution:

ReviewFrench & Indian War: Britain Needs $ Blame Colonies for Cost SO….

TAX THE COLONIES (Taxation W/O Representation)

↓

Stamp Act & Townsend Act

↓

Boston Massacre

↓

Boston Tea Party

↓

Intolerable Act

↓

REVOLT (build up weapons Britain send more troops)

“Great upheavals in history occur when circumstances are ripe.”

Lexington and Concord 1775= Shots Heard Around the World:

Declaring Independence

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

• 2nd Continental Congress 1776: July 4, 1776

• Thomas Jefferson wrote using Enlightenment thought

It’s a brave new world in America!

Out with monarchy and in with democracy!

Rights of individuals!

Government must answer to the people!

Declaration of Independence• Drafted by Thomas

Jefferson

• People had the right to

“alter or abolish unjust

governments.”

• Popular sovereignty

• All government power

comes from the people

• King had trampled the

peoples’ natural rights.

• Colonists now had the right

to rebel

Articles of Confederation

1781

• Created National Government with little power

because they didn’t want to create a mini-me

Britain

• Could not tax

• Could not navigate with foreign nations

• It failed…SO

United States Constitution 1789

The Constitution

• Used ideas of Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau and Voltaire

• Created a Representative Democracy (REPUBLIC)

• Government in which power is divided between the national (or federal government) and the states• Separation of powers (3 branches)

• Citizens VOTE

• Bill of Rights added later: Amendments 1-10

Federalist Papers – Writing campaign to convince American citizens to ratify the new Constitution

First President: George Washington.