Lecture 1-2: Early America

Think like an historian  Cause and effect is backbone of history

From Ancient times to 1492

At the height of the most recent Ice Age, about 35,000 years ago, much of the world’s water was
locked up in vast continental ice sheets. A land bridge (Beringia) as much as 1,500km wide
connected Asia and North America. By 12,000 years ago, humans were living throughout
much of the Western Hemisphere. The first Americans crossed the land bridge from Asia and
were believed to have stayed in what is now Alaska for thousands of years. They then
moved south into the land that was to become the United States. They
P settled along the Pacific
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Ocean in the Northwest, in the mountains and deserts of the Southwest,
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Mississippi River in the Middle West 49
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 Baago. Ocean levels rose. The land bridge
Ice Age came to an end around 10,000 years
submerged and Bering Strait appeared. im
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 With the end of Ice age, the landscape
Ib of American continent changed. More rivers,
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plains and forests appeared. Consequently, hunting patterns changed. From large animals
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to small animals, fishing a re plant-origin foods (nuts, seeds). Farming started in 3000
and
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BC.
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 Small and stable communities began to appear by around 300 BC. Around 300
inhabitants per community. Over 300 languages were spoken.
 Others made large and well organized communities. For Example: Cahokia (Near
present day Illinois) had 30,000 Inhabitants.
 Some made small confederacies for peacekeeping with neighbors and wars with
outsiders. Eg: Iroquois in NY, Powhatan in Virginia.
 Early Settlers in America
These early groups that settled in America are known as Ancestral Pueblos(Hohokam,
Mogollon, Anasazi- The Spanish first gave them this name, which means “town” or
 “village,” because they lived in towns or villages of permanent stone-and-mud buildings
with thatched roofs.):
 Hohokam
 Mogollon
 Anasazi
 Adenans
 Hopewellians

Early Indian Customs and Culture

1. Agriculture and Food

 People to reach North America were Asian hunters and nomads
 TP took its place as a
Around that time the mammoth began to die out and the bison
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principal source of food and hides for these early North
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 a- appeared. Indians in what is
Gradually, foraging and the first attempts at agriculture
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now central Mexico led the way, cultivatingacorn,
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as 8,000 B.C
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By 3,000 B.C., a primitive type of corn
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Mexico and Arizona By
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 re began to appear, and by 300 B.C., signs of early village
Then the first signs of irrigation
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2. Culture
 Indian society in North America was closely tied to the land.
 Most tribes (the Midwest) combined aspects of hunting, gathering and the cultivation of
maize and other products for their food supplies; They built villages and grew crops
 extraordinarily diverse; expanse of the land and the many different environments
 Indian life was essentially clan-oriented and communal
 a good deal of trade among various groups
  By the time the first Europeans arrived, about 2 million native people lived in what
now is the United States

Tribes of Central and South America were more populous (25mil in 1490s) and advanced.
Following were the main tribes:
i. Amerindians: Mexico, Bolivia, Peru; agriculturists; no political system; spoke many
languages; worshipped natural objects
ii. Mayas: Mexico, El- Salvador, Honduras; knew astronomy, architecture, weaving; small city
states; maize was staple food; ruled by Aztecs
iii. Aztecs: Mexican Region; politically organized; knowledge of cultivation, commerce,
mathematics, astronomy; ruled Mayas
iv. Incas: Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina; well organized political, social & military systems
in 1492; Worshipped Sun & Moon P
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 Great pre-European Indian cultures included the Pueblos,
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- Sioux, among others.
Builders, the Mayans, the Incas, the Aztec, andathe
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Figure 1 American Continent
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Figure 2 Bering Strait CT
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Arrival of 1 Europeans in America jw
Historians believe that the Norse may have been the
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- First Voyages to America were by Norsemen
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Greenland, where Erik the Red had B
started a settlement around 985. In 1001, Erik’s son,
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re European to set foot on continental North America),
Leif (is thought to have been the afirst
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re what now is Canada. Established a colony named Vinland but
explored the northeast coast of
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abandoned it later. It gave the Europe a little idea about the ‘new world’. But proper
exploration began in 15th Century
It took almost 500 years for other Europeans to reach North America, and another 100 for
them to build permanent settlements. The first explorers did not know about America. They
were looking for a way to go to Asia from Europe by sea. Other Europeans who arrived later—
mostly Spanish and Portuguese, but also Dutch, French, and British— came for land and the
riches of the “New World.”

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P Christopher Columbus. He was Italian, but Queen Isabella of
The most famous explorer was
Spain paid for his trips. Columbus landed on Bahamas islands in the Caribbean Sea in 1492. He
never reached what is now the United States.

Early Explorations of America

Motivations for exploration:

Following events provided impetus for the exploration and subsequent colonization for America:
i. The Renaissance -> Improvements in technology: (Gun Powder, sailing compass, ship
building, navigation and mapmaking, printer)
ii. Religious Motives: Protestant Reformation and Subsequent Catholic counter reformation
iii. Stories about immense wealth and resources, including Gold, in Indian and Chinese
regions.
iv. Trade: Finding an alternative route for trading with India and China. Because land and red
sea route could not be used due to the conflicts between Ottoman Empire and Christian Europe.

The first permanent European settlement in North America was Spanish. It was built in St.
Augustine in Florida. Thirteen British colonies to the north would later form the United States.
Virginia and Massachusetts were the two earliest. It wasn’t just explorers who settled in the
New World. People started to come to the New World to live. These people were immigrants
from Europe.

1) PORTUGAL:

Portugal led others in exploration. Encouraged by Prince Henry-The

P Navigator. He also set
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up school for Mariners. After Henry’s death interests of Portuguese
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King John II boosted it again and commissioned Diaz to find 4 a water route to India in 1487. Diaz
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undertook fresh explorations and reached the Southern
a jw tip of Africa and named it as Cape
of Good Hope. But his frightened crew forced him to B give up quest. A year later, Vasco da
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Gama succeeded in reaching India and returned a hi to Portugal laden with jewels and spices. In
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1500, Pedro Cabral discovered and claimed I Brazil for Portugal. A German Geographer,
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Martin Walsdeemuller, named America
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1507.
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2) SPAIN:

Spain’s Imperial ambitions were launched by Christopher Columbus.

Christopher Columbus: Born in Genoa, Italy, around 1451; very fond of sea voyages. Marco
Polo’s writings impressed him. He believed that Earth was round and he could reach West Indies
by sailing westwards. He tried to convince King of Portugal but failed.

 Christopher Columbus, a Genoese sailor, believed that sailing west across the Atlantic
Ocean was the shortest sea route to Asia.
 Columbus was ready to sail for whatever country would pay for his voyage. Either
because of his arrogance (he wanted ships and crews to be provided at no expense to
 himself) or ambition (he insisted on governing the lands he discovered), he found it
difficult to find a patron for 8 years. He was twice rejected by Portuguese, and the rulers
of England and France were not interested
 He sent his brother to English King for convincing him to sponsor his voyage but failed.
 Finally, Kind (Ferdinand of Aragon) and Queen (Isabella of Castile) (both get
married and united their kingdoms to form Kingdom of Spain in1469) of Spain got
ready to support him.
o First voyage: Start: August 3, 1492, 3 ships (Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria),
$100,000 cost. On October 12, 1492, he landed on a Caribbean Island of
Bahamas, which he named San Salvador. Returned to Europe with Coconuts,
tobacco, sweet corn, potatoes and tales of dark skinned peopled which he called
Indians.
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o CTRico, Virgin Islands,
Next Three Voyages: (1494-1502): Explored Puerto
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Jamaica, and Trinidad; could not find anything9substantial. He died in 1506; but
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Europe came to know about the New World.
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 Once Columbus landed in America he discovered B that there were already civilizations
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living in America. He named the Native
a hi of America as Red Indians, thinking that he
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had landed in India and those peoples
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Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) Ba
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Columbus returned from his first voyage, they
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By vertical line through the Atlantic. Portugal was
giving Spain all lands west of an imaginary
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reTordesillas (1494), the two countries agreed to move the
not satisfied. Through the Treaty of
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line further west and give Portugal exclusive right to the territory to the east. Although the
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result of the shift was unknown at the time, the change put the eastern quarter of South America
(Brazil) in the Portuguese sphere.

 The Spanish conquered these territories a century before other colonizers and brought
civilization to these territories.
 Made a system of forced labor – Encomienda( a Spanish labour system that rewarded
conquerors with the labour of conquered non-Christian peoples)
 System of large estates – Haciendas(a large estate especially in a Spanish-speaking
country : plantation)
  Two most prominent expeditions by Spain:

(1) Hernando Cortes – 1519, against Aztecs of Mexico, got fabulous gold and silver mines.
(2) Francisco Pizarro – 1533, against Incas of Peru, secured Gold and Mines of Silver.

FRANCE:

 Early explorers:
1524= Da Verrazano = Explored Northern America
1534 = Jacque Cartier = Explored present day Montreal.
1562 = Jean Ribault = Explored Florida.
 Spanish pushed the French out of Florida. France did not get Gold/Silver, but traded
fur and fish with natives. The French came near Canada Region and made Forts there.
P by Samuel de
First permanent French settlement: Quebec in 1608, established
Champlain (regarded as the father of New France)
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- which he named
In 1682, Robert De La Salle, explored Mississippi basin
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Louisiana(named after French King Louis XIV)
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NETHERLAND: Ibr
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B power and saw exploration as a means to the end. In
Netherland wanted to become a commercial
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1609, Henry Hudson claimed the a r area around Hudson River, present day Albany. This area
was named as New Amsterdam.r ep New Netherland Company obtained a grant from the Dutch
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government for the territory between New France and Virginia.

ENGLAND:
 English explorations started in 1497(5 years after Columbus) when John Cabot
(sponsored by King Henry VII) explored the coast of Newfoundland, landed in
eastern Canada. His arrival established a British claim to land in North America .
 The Britain showed true interest in exploration during Queen Elizabeth’s reign
 First British Settlement: Sir Walter Raleigh established Roanoke Island, 1587:
Established with 111 people. Governor: John White. Virginia Dare (granddaughter of the
governor) was the first English child to born in North America (1587). John White went
 to England and when came back, he found to the colony deserted. Therefore, Roanoke
came to be known as ‘lost colony
 James Town, Virginia was the 1st permanent British colony in New World and was
founded by London Company in 1607.

Name of America in Beginning

 New World
 Strange Land
 Golden Land

After the death of Columbus in 1506, Amerigo Vespucci, another Italian navigator, sailed
extensively along the American coast and is considered to be the first to realize that the Indies
were in fact a ―New World and not part of Asia P
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Colonial Period Ba
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 Most settlers who came to the British colonies in the 1600s were English.
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 Others came from The Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, France, and later from Scotland
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 Some left their homelands to escape war, political oppression, religious persecution,
or a prison sentence.
 Some left as servants who expected to work their way to freedom. Black Africans were
sold into slavery and arrived in shackles.
 By 1690, the population was 250,000. Less than 100 years later, it had climbed to 2.5
million.
 Main Causes behind Colonization of America

 Historians generally recognize three motives for European exploration and colonization in the
New World: God, gold, and glory.

1. Expanding trade:

Roots to Asia were blocked after Othman Empire had taken over the city of Constantinople in
1453. Europe were dependent on Asian for trade, herbs and agriculture therefore they were
in extensive need to find any other route to Asia

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2. Search for New Routes:
im Asia, Europeans wanted to find out the
To maintain the trade relation with
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shortest possible root which
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They started financing navigators for exploration of new sea routes, which
ultimately led themre
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to the discovery of America
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3. Scientific and Technological Advancement:a
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In Europe, there occurred a rebirth of classical learning. Columbus and other navigators
r vitally at the peak and navigator and mariners
lived in the time when the creativitybwas
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y shortest and safest routes to Asia. Europeans were
were being financed to find outBthe
ed gun powder to the sailing compass. There were also
improving in technology rfrom
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major improvementsrein ship building and map makings. Industrial Revolutions –
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Requirements of raw material.

4. Renaissance in Europe (14th-17th Century):

1400 AD onwards is considered that to be the rising time of Europeans after the Dark
Age which was 200 to 1200 AD. The Europeans now were making progress in every
field of life (art, literature, philosophy, science, exploration etc.) and were keenly involve
in learning and exploring. The technology of printing press after 1450 also spread the
knowledge across Europe which played a very important role in educating the common
man in Europe.
 5. Religious Conflicts in Europe-Protestant Reformation:
The later years of renaissance were a time of religious zeal and conflict in Europe. The
dominant Roman Catholic culture was threatened by Othman empire while the
Protestants revolted against the pope’s authorities in Rome led to a series of war between
Protestants and Catholic Christians. The reforms by Protestants were known as
Protestants Reformation (initiated by German monk Martin Luther in 1517).

To escape religious persecution:

 Queen Mary I executed hundreds of Protestants and exiled.
 Queen Elizabeth – Invited them back.
 James I and Charles I – prosecuted Puritans.

TP willing to immigrate to
 As a result of this religious prosecution, thousands of Puritans became
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6. Desire for wealth: a-
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By the time America was discovered it was known as a ―Golden Land. The normal
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perception was as if there is a lot of gold
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Mythical stories told by explorers: IHuge
7. Imperial Race:
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The Imperial powers ofpEurope were in race of having more and more land of America.
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As in older days thePcountry with most colonies and vast majority of land was
considered to be a super power. Which today is been replaced by economy and
technology

8. Mercantilism:
To get maximum wealth inside your country by establishing a trade surplus
9. Trade and Agriculture:
Since Europe is not an agrarian continent therefore it heavily depended on the
agriculture of Asia to fulfill the demands for their huge population. But the discovery of
America gives them a land where they were able to cultivate the crops themselves with
ideal weather and big rivers i.e. Mississippi and Missouri
 10. Pressure of population:
Increase in European population and increase in demands of food and other resources to
fulfill needs.
11. Royal Patronage:
King made it possible for the established colonies to fight the natives by sending royal
support and troops.

Impact of Colonization:
 Inter-marriages and Cultural Interaction
 Exchange of Diseases: Natives infected Europeans with Syphilis; Europeans infected
them with small pox and measles which decimated the Native’s population within a
century.
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 Introduction of new crops: Natives introduced beans, hcorn, tobacco whereas
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Europeans introduced bluegrasses and sugarcane. - 4
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 Native Americans died due to diseases and African w Slaves suffered at the hands of
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 Emergence of the UK as the most powerful
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USA AS A BRITISH COLONY

Colony:

A colony is composed of number of people who leave their country to settle down in a new
country and make that place their permanent home while remaining under the protection of their
mother country.

Types of British Colonies:

1. Provincial Colonies (7):

A governor appointed by the crown. Governor’s council acted as upper house. Locally elected
assembly as lower house. Also called royal colonies or crown colonies

C TP
Job of lower house: to enact local laws consistent with the laws of England. But it was rarely the
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case. Laws could be reviewed by British Privy Council (is a-4formal body of advisers to the
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sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly j w comprises senior politicians who are
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existing or former members of either the House of Commons or the House of Lords) or Board of
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Trade and had veto power of legislation. Theragovernor had absolute veto power.
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Examples: By
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New Hampshire, New York, Virginia,
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2. Proprietary Colonies (4):
These colonies were under the individuals (proprietors) who had been given the right to
exercise the powers of government. Instead of Crown (king), proprietor appointed
governor.
Examples:
Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland.
3. Charter Colonies (2):
In which powers of government were conferred directly upon the free men of the colony.
These colonies were run by political corporations
Examples: Rhode Island, Connecticut.
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https://www.havefunwithhistory.com/13-colonies-in-order/
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Great Britain and the Colonies: y
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 Due to internal problems,athe
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colonies pursue theirPrown interests through their local legislatures.
 This tendency of the British Government to overlook violation is known as salutary
neglect. Salutary neglect was an unwritten, unofficial policy of the British government
in practice from about the late 1600s to the mid-1700s that allowed its North American
colonies to be left largely on their own with little British interference.
 Through their local councils, settlers continued to limit the powers of the governors and
crown. As long as it continued to ignore, the relations remained stable. But this balance
changed by 1763
 Moreover, British believed that America was their colony and sole purpose of a colony is
to serve the mother country. This approach resulted in defective administration of
colonies by the British.
Anglo- French Rivalry:

King William’s War (1688- 1697): Also known as war of league of Augsburg, British
settlements were burnt in New Hampshire, ended with Treaty of Ryswick 1697.
Queen Anne’s War (1702- 1713): also called war of Spanish Succession, Britain wanted to take
control of fur trade and fishing ports in Newfound land, ended with Treaty of Utrecht 1793.
France ceded Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and the French territory around Hudson Bay to
England, and abandoned its claim to sovereignty over the Iroquois.

King George’s War (1744- 1748): also known as war of Austrian Succession. England
captured a major French Fort Louisburg, ended with treaty of Aix La Chappelle 1748.

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CT Anne was Queen of England,

th Scotland and Ireland from 8

49 March 1702 until 1 May 1707

a- Anne supported the Acts of
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the crowns of England and
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French-Indian War 7 YEARS WAR 1756-1763

The 1st Global war/World war is referred to as Anglo-French wars of 1756-63 which was fought
in North and South America, African continent parts, Indian Subcontinent, Philippines
and Europe.
It is also called as French Indian wars or 7 years war. Fought to know who the dominant
empire in the world is, Britain became dominant empire. Ended with Treaty of Paris 1763

1. England+ native American tribes (Indians-Iroquois and Cherokees) Vs French + other native
American tribes(Indians--Huron, Mik Maqis, Abenakis, Algonquins etc)

2. Cuba was more important than whole North America because of one vital product that is
Sugar which was grown in Cuba and nearby islands. And Sugar at that time was also called
White Gold.

French Indian War (Seven Years’ War):

 French Expansion to Ohio River Valley brought friction because Ohio valley was very
fertile land. French claimed that it belonged to them because they discovered it.
 TPthe Treaty of Utrecht,
England claimed that it belonged to Iroquois and according to
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1793, Iroquois were British subjects. The British formally
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a- of Native Americans.
year of war, the British suffered. French had assistance
 In 1757, British PM William Pitt borrowed heavily
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a to finance Prussia’s war against
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France and funded American local armiesim
for fighting against the French. Ended in favor
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William Pitt recognized the potential
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Victory of British
1. France lost all claims to Canada, Britain got all the French territory east of Mississippi
River, including Quebec, the Great Lakes and Ohio River Valley.
2. They got Spanish Florida as Spain supported French in this war
3. They got Sugar islands- Carribean
4. Britain became the lone European imperial power in N. America between Atlantic
Ocean and Mississippi River.

Impact:
 The British and colonists triumphed jointly over a common foe (France).
 Inter- colony rivalries weakened. Sense of Nationalism strengthened.

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For the British government, the war was expensive. TheTinterest of war debt required
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half of the government’s revenues. th
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 a- territories posed new administrative
Moreover, the acquisition of French and Spanish
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Significance of Treaty of Paris 1763:

1. French-Indian wars ended by signing this treaty between GB, France and Spain
2. France lost all claims to Canada leaving GB as a dominant power in North America
3. French gave Louisiana to Spain
4. Treaty ensured colonial and maritime supremacy of GB
5. All Louisiana east of Mississippi except New Orleans went under control of GB
6. 13 colonies got strengthened as North was clear from rivals.

Consequences on Native American tribes

1. Now these tribes had only one power they don’t have French and British rivalry to side with
one of them and pursue their revenge against other native tribes

TP of 1763(basically a
2. These tribes were pushed farther to West of America by Proclamation
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boundary line) that states that British reserves the parts West ofthAppalachian Mountains for the
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native American Tribes and this boundary line will be the aend
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ignored by the tribes as it was cruel to them Ba
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ah Race Consciousness that they have to unite
3. The tribes now pushed to West started developing
together to fight one common Enemy that I br
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4. William Pitt PM of Britain pouredr a lot of money to win the war and it was in debt--- So
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taxation in America got strengthened and it will later lead to Revolutionary War.
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American Revolutionary War

The American Revolution was not a common event. What do we mean by the American
Revolution? Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was affected before the war
commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people” --- John Adams

The American Revolutionary War was a war fought between Great Britain and the original 13
British colonies in North America. The war took place from 1775 to 1783 with fighting in North
America and other places. The Continental Army (army of the colonies), led by George
Washington and helped by France and other powers, defeated the armies of the British Empire.
After the war ended, the Thirteen Colonies became independent, which meant that the
British Empire was no longer in charge of them. They together became the first 13 states of a
new country called the United States of America

Background
The ideas of democracy are the basis of the U.S. political system. As the colonists built
their new society, they believed more strongly in these ideas. Britain’s 13 colonies grew in
population and economic strength during the 1700s. Although ruled by a distant government, the
colonists governed many local affairs. After Britain won a costly war with France in the 1750s,
the colonists were asked to help pay for the war, and for Britain’s large empire. These policies
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restricted the colonists’ way of life. CT
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a- English natives were to serve the
Attitude of British: Believed that America was their colony.
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mother country. Wanted Royal Sovereignty over localagovernments and wanted to introduce the
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system of direct taxation. In words of R.K. Majumdar,
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and self-rule”(in his book History of USA1865A.D)r a
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War of Independence Disposition: d
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This war was waged in number r epof phases. During first phase, the 13 colonies started to boycott
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the British orders and royal orders of their masters. After this in second stage these 13 colonies
declared themselves as independent from British Crown and went into war with British forces.
The people of colonies got divided in to two main groups:

1. Patriots, Wigs, revolutionaries or rebels  They wanted complete break away from
Great Britain
2. Tories, Loyalists They remained loyal to Great Britain because they thought that
complete separation from GB was not the solution

 Two struggles occurred simultaneously during 7 year war that are:

o Military conflict with GB
 o Political conflict within America—that is how to structure the new nation

Role of Spain and France

 Decisive help came in 1778, when France recognized the United States and signed a
bilateral defense treaty. French government decided to support Americans in the war
against British.in early 1778, French and Americans signed two treaties:
o Treaty of Amity and Commerce  to strengthen trade between France and
America
o Treat of Alliance  Conditions:
 First, if France entered war , neither country would stop fighting until
America won its independence
 Second, neither France nor America could conclude peace with Britain
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without consent of the other.
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Finally, both were responsible for guaranteeing
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 Ba Americans
Spain officially entered was in 1779 and supported
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Role of Blacks ah
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The blacks were the slaves of British master and they were also the ones who were suffering
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from the hands of British. George Washington asked for their help in war and promised them to

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be freed after the victory. Approximately 5000 black supported America in the war
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American Revolution as a child of Enlightenment:

Enlightenment is a period in western history characterized dramatic revolutions in science,

philosophy, society and politics. It began with scientific revolution of 16th and 17th centuries and
culminated with industrial revolution.
i. Political Revolutions: The era is marked by three revolutions: The English Revolution (1688),
The American Revolution (1775 –1883), The French Revolution (1789 – 1799), which formed
the basis for modern, republican, constitutional democracies. Spinoza, John Locke, Montesquieu,
Rousseau emerged as defining philosophers of enlightenment period.
ii. John Locke: Most important influence, believed in self- interested nature of humans, but also
believed in their ability to use reason to avoid tyranny. Wrote two treatises of Government:

 First treatise: No Monarch had divine right to exist; Kings get power by luck of
their birth.
 Second treatise: Governments should only exist by the consent of the public. It’s
duty of govt to protect natural rights: life, liberty and property. If can’t, citizens
have the right to overthrow it. These ideas influenced Thomas
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iii. Montesquieu: Theory of separation of powers Montesquieu's argument that liberty is
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most effectively safeguarded by the separation of powers
a jw. Montesquieu presented the theory of
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separation of powers, in which the powers should divided
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legislative, executive and judiciary and they should
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iv. Rousseau: Society should be ruled byy the general will of the people and direct democracy.
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The American Enlightenment: ar
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The Enlightenment, a philosophical movement that dominated in Europe during the 18th century,
was centered on the idea that reason is the primary source of authority and legitimacy. The core
Ideas of enlightenment were the basis of many important documents such as Declaration of
independence and Constitution.

Key Concepts of Enlightenment:

 All people are born equal

 Enlightenment produced triumph of ‘reason’
 Forced people to use reason and understand the principles that govern the universe, so
that the authority of monarchs can be limited
  Advocated such ideals as liberty, progress, tolerance, fraternity, constitutional
government, and separation of church and state

i. Theory of natural rights:

Among these fundamental natural rights, Locke said, are "life, liberty, and property." Locke
believed that the most basic human law of nature is the preservation of mankind. To serve that
purpose, he reasoned, individuals have both a right and a duty to preserve their own lives.

John Locke’s conception of natural rights was being violated by the British oppressive taxation
and it became necessary to draft a government and a constitution which could give everyone
their natural rights under the law.
ii. European influence: American enlightenment took the ideas of European political thinkers
and shaped them through the American experience, generating new kind
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political thought consisted of ideas of individualism, self-reliance,Cfreedom, republicanism etc.
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iii. Declaration of independence (DOI): a-
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DOI materialized the ideas of enlightenment. While Europeans debated and considered the ideas;
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Americans put them into practice.
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iv. Benjamin Franklin: By
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Earlier the ideas of enlightenment ar
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printed inexpensive pamphlets
ideas to the local and common people.

v. Thomas Jefferson:

Greatly influenced by the enlightenment. Classically educated and trained in humanities. Put
enlightenment into practice while authoring Declaration of Independence. Knew the importance
of Education, he founded University of Virginia.
Great Awakening or Evangelical Revival (1730-1750)
This religious revival movement was started by Jonathan Edward in 1730 to 1740 which laid
stress on unity of the 13 colonies. This truly was the 1st event in American history which
made them realized that they can be united

Main points of Great Awakening:

 The idea of equality, rights, and freedom spread. Colonists began to believe they were
created equal and they could question religious authority.
 All people can have a direct and emotional connection with God.
 All people can be saved if they confess their sins to God and seek forgiveness and accept
God's grace.
 Emphasized on individual accountability

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It laid stress on unity of 13 colonies. The Great AwakeningChelped prepare the colonies
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for the American Revolution.
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Significance: - First blow to colonialism - provided philosophical
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Revolution - Enlightenment ideas were expressedimin many national documents like: DOI,
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Constitution - Importance of human rights and
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Factors that led to War of aIndependence
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Mercantilism
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Mercantilism is economic nationalism for the purpose of building a wealthy and powerful state.
Adam smith coined the term "Mercantile system" to describe the system of political economy
that enriched the country by restraining imports and encouraging exports. The goal was to
achieve a "favorable" balance of trade that would bring gold and silver into the country, and
maintain domestic employment. It was a “zero-sum” view of the world, which meant that in any
transaction, one party would gain and the other would lose.

At the heart of mercantilism, lay the concept of “Bullionism”, the idea that a country’s prosperity
could only be measured in the amount of gold that it had. Precious metals were considered as
vital organs of a country’s wealth. (Bullion refers to physical gold and silver of high purity that is
often kept in the form of bars, ingots, or coins)

Bullionism thus created a powerful sentiment: if a country did not have access to mines then
these metals should be obtained via trade.

 Three principle methods of bringing gold and silver at home.

i) Conquer and exploit lands.

ii) Exports > Imports

iii) Colonize and use the colonies for your benefit.

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https://cleverism.com/what-was-mercantilism/
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please visit this link) By
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Navigation Act of 1651 ar
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This act stated that all the goods
British owned ships.
2) Enumerated Act of 1660
This act imposed ban on the colonies export. Now the commodities such as sugar, cotton,
tobacco and dyes were only to be exported to either England or its colonies only.

Staple Act of 1663

These act provided that all the European exports to American colonies must be brought to
English port and be reshipped after the payment of duty.
4) Duty Act of 1673

This act aim at the enforcement of all earlier acts through the services of custom
collectors

5) Enforcement Act of 1696

This act provided strict measures for checking smuggling and all the colonial ship were
now necessarily to be registered in England.
6) Molasses Act 1733
This Act imposed ban on the import of French West Indian molasses into the English
colonies.
7) The Sugar Act of 1764
The Sugar Act of 1764 placed taxes on luxury goods, including coffee, silk, and wine,
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and made import of rum illegal.
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8) The Currency Act of 1764 th
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The Currency Act of 1764 prohibited the printing of paperamoney in the colonies.
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9) The Quartering Act of 1765 Ba
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The Quartering Act of 1765 forced colonists to provide
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10) The Stamp Act of 1765 By
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The Stamp Act of 1765(PM George
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for all legal documents, newspapers, licenses, and leases. Colonists objected to all these
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measures, but the Stamp Act sparked the greatest organized resistance. According to R.K.
Majumdar: “Stamp act was to yield revenue of 100,000 pounds a year, which was about 1/3rd of
the total revenue collected from the colonies”. All colonies resented the passage of Stamp act,
principally on the ground that taxes for revenue should not be imposed without the consent of
their elected representatives.

Stamp Act Congress, 1765: Nine States sent a delegation to New York to formulate the policy
to protest against the stamp act.
Stamp Act Congress published a Declaration of Rights and Grievances and sent petitions to the
King, Lords and commons in England. This challenged the right of the Parliament to tax
Colonies. Repealed by PM George Grenville in 1766, due to strong colonial resistance.
Other Causes of War of Independence
1. Townshend Program, 1767:

Charles Townshend, the new British Chancellor for Exchequer(Minister of Treasury), got it
passed by the British Parliament. Four Objectives:

(i) To establish legal precedent that the British government has legal right to tax
colonies.
(ii) To pay salaries of governors and judges in colonies, so that they may be free from
colonial pressures
(iii) To punish the province of NY for not complying with Quartering Act 1765.
(iv) Duties on various items such as glass, paint, tea, which the colonists imported from
the Britain.

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Result? The colonist boycotted all those imports from the Britain
9 th on which duties were imposed.
British Government removed the duties on all the products -except4 on tea. Resultantly, the
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colonies lifted their boycott of all the British imports except
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2. Declaratory Act,1767:
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This act declared that British Parliament’s
Britain and asserted Parliament’s Byauthority to pass laws that were binding on the
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American colonies. It wasargiven right after repeal of Stamp Act.
3. Letters of Samuel Adamsr ep
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Samuel Adams of Massachusetts was the most effective and influential person. He wrote
newspaper articles, made speeches and wrote letters to the politicians and influential
persons appealing to the colonists democratic instincts. He helped organize committees
throughout the colonies that became the basis of a revolutionary movement
4. French-Indian War
War between Britain and France in 1756-1763 was fought partly in North America.
Britain was victorious and soon initiated policies designed to control and fund its vast
empire. These measures imposed greater restraints on the American colonist’s way of
life.
5. Royal Proclamation of 1763
The Royal Proclamation of 1763 restricted the opening of new lands for settlement. This
also prohibited the westward expansion of colonies toward Appalachian Mountains. In
1763, George Grenville became the PM of England and issued Crown’s proclamation.
Colonies wanted to move westward till Mississippi River, after the Anglo-French war
ended, but Crown’s proclamation didn’t allow it.

Reason?

 To ensure effective administration

 To avoid conflicts with the natives and stabilize relations. But it was misunderstood
by the colonists as an attack on their elementary right to occupy and settle western
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lands
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6. The Coercive Act/ Intolerable Act

Certain acts were passed, banning the manufacturing of goods in colonies;
 The Hat Act,1732—aimed at preventing and controlling hat production by colonists
  Iron Act,1750--- sought to increase the import of pig and bar iron from colonies and to
prevent building of iron-related facilities in within these American colonies
 Wool Act,1699--- This Act prohibited American colonists from exporting wool, wool
yarn or wool cloth to markets outside the individual colony in which it was produced.
7. ‘Common Sense’ by Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine crystallizes the argument for separation in a pamphlet called Common
Sense, which sold 100,000 copies. Paine discussed two main points in his pamphlet
Independence as the will of people
Revolution as the device of liberty and happiness

Reaction of Americans towards British Policies

1. Non-Importation Agreement 1769: British colonies agreed not
P to import certain items
from Britain. C T
th outside custom house
2. Boston Massacre, March 5, 1770: Protest by Boston people
- 49
turned violent. A soldier was knocked down by theacrowd. Resultantly, soldiers opened
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fire upon the crowd. 5 dead, 6 injured. Ba
3. Tea Act and Boston Tea Party, Dec 16,im
1773: Tea Act 1773 gave monopoly of tea trade
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to British East India Company to reduce r
Ib the massive tea surplus held by it. But
Townshend Program remained B inyplace. In response to it “Sons of Liberty” led by
Samuel Adams boarded three r ed British ships lying at the anchor of a Boston Harbor,
Massachusetts, and threwe pathe tea of worth 15000 pounds into the water. Samuels Adams
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was perhaps the fieriest supporter of the American Liberty. The Britain responded by
Boston Port Bill: Closure of Boston Port till Massachusetts paid for the tea destroyed.
4. 1st Continental Conference
British action on Massachusetts was strictly condemned by other colonies. All the
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colonies except Georgia (because Georgia at that time was fighting
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uprising and was dependent on British for military supplies) C
9 th sent representatives to
Philadelphia in September 1774 to discuss their ―present 4 unhappy state and draw their
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future policy against the atrocities of the British
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imperial power. On October 17, 1774
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The first continental congress issued “Declaration of Colonial Rights and Grievances”.
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ra to tax the colonies. It characterized the
The declaration denied parliament’s right
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Intolerable Acts as an assault on ycolonial liberties.
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 ed of Association, which called on colonies to stop
The congress also passes Articles
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pa Isles beginning on Dec 1st 1774, if the Coercive Acts were
importing goods from eBritish
not replaced. Pr

5. 2nd Continental Conference

The Congress met on May 10, 1775, in the State House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It
 is now called Independence Hall. The Second Continental Congress decided many
important things.
 Completely break away from Great Britain.
 Officially put the colonies in a state of defense.
 On June 14, 1775 congress voted to form an army called the American
Continental Army.
 Congress officially appointed George Washington as commander-in-chief of the
army.
 Decided to print paper money

Olive Branch Petition:

This was adopted by 2 nd CC on July 5, 1775 as one final attempt for negotiations. The petition
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affirmed colonies loyalty to the Crown and asked for free trade and
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the people of Great Britain. The petition got rejected. It was written
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6. Declaration of Independence m
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The Second Continental Congress appointed
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a committee, headed by Thomas Jefferson
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of Virginia, along with BenjaminyFranklin, John Adams, Robert Livingstone and Roger
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ed outlining the colonies grievances against the king and
Sherman to prepare a document
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explaining their decision
e to break away. This Declaration of Independence was adopted
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P 4th of July has since been celebrated as America’s Independence
on July 4, 1776. The
Day.

American Revolution
The war for independence from Britain began with a small fight between British troops and
colonists on April 19, 1775. The British troops left Boston, Massachusetts, planning to take
weapons and ammunition from revolutionary colonists.

 At Lexington, they met armed colonists who were called Minutemen because they could
be ready to fight in a minute. The Minutemen planned to protest silently and not shoot
unless the British shot first. The British ordered the Minutemen to leave. The colonists
 obeyed, but as they left, someone fired a shot. The British troops attacked the Minutemen
with guns and bayonets. Fighting broke out in other places along the way as the British
soldiers in their bright red uniforms returned to Boston. More than 250 “redcoats” were
killed or wounded. The Americans lost 93 men.
 Colonial representatives hurried to Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress.
More than half voted to go to war against Britain. They decided to form one army from
the colonial forces. George Washington of Virginia became the commander-in-chief. At
the same time, they sent King George III a peace resolution to try to avoid a war. The
king rejected it.
 On August 23, 1775, the king said the American colonies were in rebellion. The desire
for independence increased in the next few months.
 Thomas Paine, a radical political thinker, argued for independence and against hereditary
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monarchy in his pamphlet ‘Common Sense’. He describedCtwo
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9t a king, or they could live in an
America. The people could remain unequal citizens under
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independent country with hopes of liberty and happiness.
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The Second Continental Congress created a committee
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the colonies’ complaints against the king
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Britain. The reasons were based onIb
French and British ideas. Thomas Jefferson was the
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main writer of the Declaration of
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 The Declaration of Independence told the world of a new nation and its beliefs about
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human freedom. It argued
The Second Continental Congress accepted this document on July 4, 1776. The Fourth of
July became Independence Day in the United States.
 In 1778, France recognized the United States as an independent country and signed a
treaty of alliance. France helped the United States as a way to weaken Britain, its long-
time enemy

Three Phases of War:

i) Pre- Declaration = Britain’s dominance
ii) 1776 – 1777 = America organized themselves and Britain started losing grip.
iii) 1778 – 1781 = Americans + French+ Spain VS British

 In 1781, an American and French force defeated the British at Yorktown, Virginia in the
war’s last major battle.
 King George William Fredrick III led British resistance to American Independence. The
British PM was Lord North (a Tory) who resigned after General Cornwallis defeat at
Yorktown.

Treaty of Paris, Sep 3, 1783:

Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay negotiated Treaty of Paris with the British and the
British agreed to recognize American independence as far as Mississippi River. However, the
native Indians who were loyal to British, continued to fight till 1795. P
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 On the same day Sep 3, 1783 British signed two more treaties
49
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allies: France and Spain, The Treaty of Versailles(1783). These three treaties are
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collectively called as ‘Peace of Paris’. Ba
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Significance of Treaty of Paris 1783:
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
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13 colonies created under the Articles
B of Confederation
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 ar debts owed to British merchants before war and stop
Americans agreed to honor
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persecuting the British
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 Establishing the boundaries of USA at the Great Lakes and Canada on the North,
Mississippi on the West, and Florida on the South.
 United States will prevent future confiscations of the property of Loyalists
 Prisoners of war to be released by both sides.
 Great Britain and USA are each to be given perpetual access to Mississippi river
 Redistribution of confiscated lands
 All those who supported British were declared as traitors and expelled
Factors that led weaker Americans to win over the World’s largest Empire

American strengths:
British strengths: - Distance from Europe. Military Troops, orders and

- Tradition of Winning, even against supplies of the British took months to reach their
great empires destination. Americans were fighting on their own
- Military Strength and Naval Strength ground.
- Economic Support and ease of raising - Cause of Independence motivated the Americans
funds. - Resilience and competence of military & political
- Support of Native Americans leaders
- French Support- Treaty of Alliance 6th Feb, 1778

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Significance of American War of Independence:
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 4 North’s Ministry and coming
First and foremost effect of the war was the fall of Lord
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into power of The Whigs(The Whigs began as ajw political faction that opposed absolute
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monarchy and Catholic Emancipation, supporting
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ah role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and
parliamentary system. They played a rcentral
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were the standing enemies of theyRoman Catholic Stuart kings and pretenders. Between
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the 1680s and the 1850s, theedWhigs contested power with their rivals, the Tories.), which
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in a way ended the personal
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13 colonies became independent and collectively called as United States of America
 American victory influenced the people of France. France lost heavily during this war
due to its naval and military expenditures that led to bankruptcy. Further bankruptcy will
soon lead to fall of French monarchy, since Frenchmen helped American in their revolt
against British now these Frenchmen were also ready to revolt against their own king.
French revolution lasted from 1789 until 1799
 American Revolution also inspired the Irish people. Many people in Ireland started
believing that they too can achieve independence from British rule by force of arms. And
later stage world saw Irish independence