American Revolution

Colonial America

• British colony
• 13 colonies which are part of the British empire which makes the people living there British citizens
• 1776
• In each colony is an elected assembly

• Two distinct economic systems
• North - industrial and heavily involved in trade. Harbours and rivers. Only traded with Brittan.
• South - plantation and agriculture. Large scale farms and worked on by slave traders. Number one thing that is produced is cotton and then tobacco. They sell the products to Brittan with rather stabile prizes.

• Coming crises:
• Seven years war (1756-1763)
• The first world war
• After this Brittan heavily in debt. So they raised new taxes --->
• Stamp Act 1765
• Taxed paper. Anything that was made of paper, then you had to pay a tax on that. Even legal contracts.
• This created a lot of resistance and especially in the north were there are industries and more business then in the south.
• Moderate Northern resistance
• "No taxation without representation"

• Radicalisation
• Thomas Paine
• The most influential  person to have spoken about splitting up from Brittan and becoming independent with an own government.
• Common sense (his book) sold 120.000
• Says you do not need monarchy
• He is calling for what you have today in America (government and so on)
• Declaration of Independence 1776
• Removes monarch
• Bill of Rights 1791

• Revolutionary War
• Imperial Army vs. Militia
• George Washington
• Success of Northern Merchants

• Revolution or not?
• Replace British elite with American
• Same assemblies
• Stricter property requirements
• Native Americans
• African slaves
• Radical new system
• Republicanism
• Bill of Rights
• Separation of executive, legislative and judicial

America is anti-imperial empire but it then builds its own empire.

• President Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)
• First president of humble origins
• Battle of New Orleans - after he won this battle he ran for president
• Defender of common man
• Evicted Cherokee
• Trail of tears
• He invaded Florida and arrested the slaves
• Florida was part of Spain

Key events:

• French and Indian war
• Taxation (on every paper and so on) for war (7 years)
• Boston tea party in 1773
• Declaration of independence 1776