Chapter+7+Outlines+P1

Shaj Mathew Chapter 7 I. The Deep Roots of Revolution > a. Revolutionary War - 8 years; American Revolution - centuries >> i) Rev. began when colonists came > b. London gov. could barely touch colonists/enforce laws > c. Belief London gov. was unfit to govern them b/c vast difference >> i) Made American parliaments > d. Colonists were Americans, not transplanted Britons
 * The Road to Revolution**

II. The Mercantile Theory > a. British gov. didn’t formally make any of 13 colonies except Georgia >> i) companies, religious groups, & land surveyors did >> ii) euro countries – strong central gov. > b. Mercantilism >> i) Wealth = power >> ii) Wealth measured by silver & gold in treasury >> iii) Exporting more than importing = more gold & silver >> iv) Colonies had raw materials – more to export, more gold > c. Colonies – profitable market for English products >> i) Couldn’t trade w/ foreign countries >> ii) Existence to aid mother country

III. Mercantilists Trammels on Trade > a. Navigation Laws >> i) 1650, restrict commerce to/from colonies to English vessels >> ii) Colonists forbidden to export cloth, beaver hats >>> 1) No competition w/ English > b. No banks >> i) Resort to barter >> ii) Colonies issued paper money – necessity, there was no money >> iii) Parliament ends paper currency, lax bankruptcy laws > c. Privy Council (king’s advisors) voids colonial laws conflicting w/ British ones > d. Colonists can’t make reforms they want in interest of England >> i) Can’t remove slavery

IV. The Merits of Mercantilism > a) Nav. Laws didn’t hurt colonists >> i) Salutary neglect – british didn’t enforce them >> ii) Colonists disregarded unfavorable laws >> iii) Dealt w/ English middlemen >>> 1) But would have used them anyway – common lang, currency, biz methods >> iv) Huge American fortunes from smuggling - John Hancock > b) Gov. paid colonists for ship parts > c) VA tobacco planters had monopoly on British market >> i) Despite success of tobacco raised in England > d) Colonists had Rights of Englishmen > e) Protected by best navy/army in world w/o paying >> i) After gaining ind., Americans had to pay for own army & navy > f) Americans profited from mercantilism – avg yank better off than avg Englishman > g) Mercantilism exists today >> i) Manufacturers, workers, farmers protected by gov. tariffs >> ii) Gov. stops export of high tech apps for military use

V. The Menace of Mercantilism > a) Stifles econ. initiative – b/c colonists couldn’t buy, sell, ship under profitable conditions > b) Southern colonies favored – grew tobacco, sugar, and rice for England > c) New England puritans abhorred their terrible treatment > d) VA tobacco famers in debt after price goes down – like Mass. want revolt > e) Mercantilism – debasing to colonies >> i) Colonies kept in econ. adolescence – never cld grow/expand >> ii) England doesn’t recognize emerging nation – leads to rev. VI. The Stamp Tax Uproar > a) Seven years war – Britain wins but incurs 140 million pd debt defending colonies >> i) Want Americans to pay fair share > b) George Greenville – enforces nav. laws strictly >> i) Sugar Act – 1st act to gain tax rev. for English crown from colonies >>> 1) Tax lowered later, furor died down >> ii) Quartering Act – required to house/feed British troops >> iii) Stamp Act – tax for rev. to make military (stamps were on everything) >> iv) Taxes normal in England, still drew ire of colonists >> v) Offenders of acts tried in admiralty courts sans juries >>> 1) Guilty until proven innocent > c) colonists wary of gov.’s actions >> i) believed gov was trying to take their liberties >> ii) lashed back, esp at Stamp act >> iii) colonists: since no American in parliament, unlawful to tax us >> iv) only elected colonial legislatures could tax Americans >> v) scoff at Greenville’s theory of ‘virtual representation’ at parliament >>> 1) colonists didn’t really want seat in parliament – few Americans could do nothing to stop oppressive tax bills >> vi) gov. says unfeasible to divide taxing power in colonies and legislative authority in London >>> 1) colonists ignore that, contemplate independence VII. Parliament Forced to Repeal the Stamp Act > a) Stamp Act congress >> i) Debate & made statement of rights and grievances to king to repeal stamp act >> ii) Added to intercolonial unity > b) Nonimportation agreements against British goods >> i) Step towards unions – united American people >> ii) Many inactive citizens now signing petitions, boycotting, defying British >> iii) Sons/Daughters of Liberty – radicals >>> 1) Tarred and feathered officials, hung effigies took money > c) Stamp agents forced to resign – no one to sell stamps – law nullified/defied > d) America bought ¼ of British exports > e) Parliament can’t fathom why 2 mil colonists refuse to pay for 1/3 of own defense – while 7.5 mil britons pay heavier ones > f) Stamp Act repealed – Declaratory Act passed >> i) Gov. has right to bind colonies in all cases whatsoever >> ii) Colonist boycotts & mob action forces parliament concessions VIII. The Townshend Tea Tax and the Boston “Massacre” > a. Townshend Acts >> i) Salient one – light duty on glass, white lead, paper, paint, tea >>> 1) Tea v annoying b/c 1 million drank twice a day >> ii) Indirect customs duty payable at ports >> iii) Still taxation w/o rep > b) Americans esp wary of gov trying to take liberties >> i) Gov. suspends NY legislature after not abiding by Quartering Act >> ii) Nonimportation agreements >>> 1) Less effective b/c it was a light tax, no one cared >>> 2) Could get smuggled tea for cheaper > c) Massacre >> i) British place regiments in Boston to restore order >>> 1) Taunted by colonists >> ii) Colonists hit a soldier w/ a club, knock another down >> iii) Troops fire, provoked, killing 11 ‘innocent’ >> iv) In trial only 2 soldiers convicted of manslaughter IX. The Seditious Committees of Correspondence > a) King George III – terrible ruler w/ yes-men like Lord North > b) Tried to restore declining power of monarchy > c) Lord North repeals Townshend Acts – except for 3 pence on tea, the most annoying >> i) Weren’t profitable > d) Sam Adams, master propagandist, perpetuated discontent against British >> i) Set up Committees of correspondence in Mass. >> ii) Spread propaganda/resistance to British >> iii) Then every colony had a central committee to exchange ideas/disseminate info w/ other colonies X. Tea parties at Boston and Elsewhere > a) British East India Comp. awarded monopoly on tea in America >> i) Was headed bankrupty – massive loss in rev. for Britain >> ii) Despite lower prices, Americans incensed b/c tax still levied > b) Tea parties >> i) Annapolis – burned cargo and vessel >> ii) Boston –townsppl disguised as Indians dumped 342 chests of tea from 3 ships into harbor >> iii) Single most important event leading up to American Rev. >> iv) Reaction varied – extremists happy; conservatives sad; British dismayed > c) Granting home to rule colonists would have averted hostilities –not plausible to Britons XI. Parliament Passes the Intolerable Acts > a) Repressive acts passed in parliament in retaliation for tea parties >> i) Boston Port act closes Boston harbor until damages paid and order restored >> ii) Rights of Mass. taken away, restrictions on hallowed NE town meetings >> iii) Officials who kill colonists tried in England now, and got off easy > b) Quebec Act >> i) French kept catholic religion >> ii) Retained old customs (didn’t include trial by jury/rep assembly) >> iii) Quebec’s boundaries extended to Ohio River >> iv) Sets precedent for no trials by jury and assemblies >> v) Land speculators saw potential land taken away – given to Quebec >> vi) Anti-Catholics incandescent – Catholic Quebec as large as 13 colonies XII. The Continental Congress and Bloodshed > a) Continental Congress >> i) Met in 1774 in response to intolerable acts >> ii) All colonies present except Georgia >> iii) Intercolonial bonding >> iv) Made Declaration of Rights, appeals to British American colonies, the king, and British people after 7 weeks of deliberation >> v) "radical Whig" idea, popular with colonial Americans, warned against the corruption of society from patronage and bribery of king's ministers >> vi) Colonial Americans derived two of their core political ideals from classical republicanism and "radical Whig" theory. >> vii) The lack of a hereditary nobility as well as widespread property ownership contributed to colonial Americans' belief that they could run their own affairs. >> viii) John Adams argues against home rule under British authority >> ix) Parliament rejects petitions > b) The Association >> i) Complete boycott of British goods >>> 1) Nonimportation, nonexportation, nonconsumption >> ii. Closest thing to a constitution made thus far >> iii) No real drive towards ind., just desire to repeal laws > c) Lexington and Concord >> i) British troops in Lex. And Con. to seize gunpowder, John Hancock, Sam Adams >> ii) British kill/would several Minute Men in Lex. >> iii) Prepared American militias at Concord force British to retreat >>> 1) 300 casualties, 70 killed in British camp >> iv) Starts war XIII. Imperial Strengths and Weaknesses > a) Population odds 3-1 for British – 7.5 mil to 2 > b) British possessed substantially more money and naval power > c) Britain – professional army of 50k; America – many but poorly trained militias >> i) England hired 30k German Hessians, 50k American loyalists, and native Indians > d) England’s worries >> i) Ireland always potential threat >> ii) France looking for revenge >> iii) London gov. inept, disorganized >> iv) Whigs sympathized w/ yanks, thought if George III won he’d become tyrannical >> v) Provisions scare and disgusting >> vi) Second rate generals, poor treatment of soldiers > e) Difficulties for Britain >> i) Had to win; Americans could draw – would be a win >> ii) Distance from London to America – delays and irrelevant instructions >> iii) America – massive expanse of land >> iv) No sole city acted as control center –taking down one city wont win >> v) Took every city of any size – wasn’t v effective >> vi) American population boom XIV. American Pluses and Minuses > a) Pluses >> i) Exceptional leadership >>> 1) George Washington, Ben Franklin >> ii) Aid from France, unemployed foreign officers for pay >>> 1) Affluent young French Noble Marquis de Lafayette made major general, procured further aid from France >> iii) Effective colonial buckskins, tough accurate marksmen >> iv) Morale benefits: it was plausible, history showed bigger feats had been accomplished > b) Minuses >> i) Disunity, little to none organization >> ii) Continental Congress ineffective – fought almost entire war w/o constitution – Articles of Confed >> iii) Jealousy among states over military appointments >> iv) ‘Continental’ currency printed too much, depreciated rapidly >>> 1) Confusion as states printed own money >>> v) Spiraling inflation XV. A Thin Line of Heroes > a) Sig dearth of provisions – basic military supplies and food >> i) Lack of manufactured goods, clothing, shoes >> ii) Horrible winters – colonial soldiers in ragged clothing sans shoes etc > b) Able Americans received poor training, were undisciplined and unreliable >> i) German Gen. Baron von Steuben whipped soldiers into shape > c) Blacks >> i) Initially barred from service –by war’s end thousands served >>> 1) Mostly from northern states w/ free blacks >>> 2) Some were military heroes (Prince Whipple), cooks, guides, spies, drivers, roadbuilders >> ii) Served on British side too >>> 1) VA’s Lord Dunmore promised freedom to enslaved blacks who joined British army >>> 2) Lord Dunmore’s Ethiopian regiment – several slaves >>> 3) British kept word at end of war – sent 14k slaves to Nova Scotia, Jamaica, and England > d) Morale low in rev. army >> i) American profiteers sold army garb to British for exorbitant prices >>> 1) Despite freezing Americans at valley forge >> ii) George Washington never had more than 20k soldiers at once – much more could have been easily attained w/ same rebel zeal >> iii) modicum of colonists fought for independence selflessly