American Revolution

Setting the Stage

1. What happened before?

a. Enlightenment + Absolutism = Enlightened Absolutism

b. You get some rulers that started applying enlightenment ideals like natural
rights and equality before the law (Catherine the Great in Russia and Fredrick
the Great in Prussia) but stilll held absolute power as monarchs

2. Britain in 1707: The United Kingdom of Great Britain

English Royal Timeline

1619
American Revolution Begins

1624
French & Indian War

1754
Virginia became a Royal Colony

1765
Thomas Jefferson waited US Declaration of Independence

1775

American Revolution 1
 Virginia House of Burguesses

1776
British General Cornwalls → George Washington at Battle of Yorktown

1781
Britain passes the Stamp Act

American Revolution Begins

1. To counter British actions 13 Colonies establish the First Continental
Congress(1774)

a. Urged the colonies to take up arms and create militias

b. First uprising in Lexington and Con cord, Massachusetts in 1775

2. 2nd continental Congress sets up an army called the Continental Army under the
command of General George Washington

The Enlightenment Principles Applied

1. Even though the Revolution had begun, the Colonies had not declared their
independence yet.

2. Many colonists were still loyal to the king (King George III)

3. P propaganda pamphlet titled Common Sense by Thomas Paine helped changed

public opinions

a. No reconciliation - Complete separation

b. King George III was a tyrant and under Enlightenment ideals the colonies had
to declare independence.

c. What philosophers does this remind you of?

i. John Locke(Natural Rights)

ii. Rousseau (Violent removal of incompetent government and new Social

Contract that benefits the will of the majority)

American Revolution 2
 *The Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson*

The Declaration of Independence

1. “…all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness.”

2. How are the enlightenment ideals reflected in this declaration of independence?

a. John Locke - Natural Rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

b. Rousseau - Popular Sovereignty: govt. exists through the consent of the people

c. Voltaire - Religious freedom and the separation of church and state

d. Locke & Rousseau - If government fails to provide this, it can be overthrown

e. Montesquieu - Republicanism: separation of powers

British Defeat and War of Independence

1. France wanted to get revenge on UK so they supplied arms and $ to rebels

2. French officers and soldiers also served in Washington’s armies

3. Treaty of Paris 1783 recognizes independence of the American Colonies

a. `General Cornwallis is forced to surrender to American and French forces at

Yorktown 1718, officially ending the war

4. France grants diplomatic recognition to the new United States

The Birth of a New Nation

1. After overthrowing the British, the former colonies feared the power of a strong
central government

2. Articles of Confederation (1st Constitution 1781)

a. Created a weak central government that was ineffective

American Revolution 3
 3. The Constitution (2nd Constitution 1787)

a. Created a federal system (national and state goats share power)

b. Separation of powers into executive, judicial and legislative

4. Executive - President

Judicial - Supreme Court and federal courts

Legislative - House of Representatives and Senate (Congress)

The Bill of Rights

1. The new Congress approved 10 amendments to the Constitution (1791 -2 years
after it was ratified)

a. Right to bear arms

b. Freedom of religion

c. Freedom of speech

d. Freedom of assembly

e. Freedom of press

f. Freedom of petition (asking the government to fulfill your needs)

g. Right to be protected against unreasonable search and arrest

h. Guarantee right to trial by jury (plead the 5th)

i. Right to due process (innocent until proven guilty legal procedures)

j. Protection of property rights

세기부터 영국인들은 종교적 자유& 경제적인 기회를 찾아 북아메라카로 이주

17

동부 해안에 식민지 건설
식민지인 독자적인 의회 구성(본국 간섭 x)
당시 오스트리아 vs 프로이센 7년 전쟁 중
American Revolution 4
 7년 전쟁: 오스트리아가 프랑스& 러시아 동맹 → 프로이센은 영국 동맹 맺고 침입
그 동시에 인도&북아메리카에서는 영국 vs 프랑스가 식민지 쟁탈전 → 영국 승리 → 7
년 전쟁 때매 재정 어려움
식민지에서 중상주의적 통제(전쟁 배용 메꾸기 위함) (세금 많이 부과)
식민지인 : “대표 없는 곳에 과세도 없다.” → 납세 거부 운동
영국군 vs 식민지 민병대의 독립 전쟁 → 식민지 대표들은 워싱턴을 총사령관으로 임
명
제퍼슨이 기초한 ‘독립 선언문’ 발표
모든 사람은 평등하게 태어남,
생명, 자유, 행복 추구를 타인에게 양도 x
정부가 권리 침해 → 정부 형태 바꿈 or 폐지
식민지 군대는 조지 워싱턴 + 프랑스 + 에스파냐 도움으로 승리
파리 조약으로 독립 승인 받음
독립한 식민지들은 헌법 재정 & 연방 정부 수립 → 워싱턴을 초대 대통령으로
국가 권력을 삼권 분립의 원칙을 바탕으로 둠
미국 혁명은 자유주의, 공화주의, 민주주의에 기초한 새로운 국민 국가를 탄생 시킴 +
프랑스 혁명에 큰 영향 미침

American Revolution 5