The American Republic Notes

The American Republic Background to the American Revolution: Colonization Colonization in North America religious and economic reasons Many colonies date to time of Charles I and James l Growth of English colonies prevents Spanish growth Large difference in fertility, geography, growing conditions from northern to southern colonies Causes for Revolution: Enlightenment Ideas Human rights: supporters of cause of individual liberty (liberals) Freedom to worship according to their own dictates Reformers people alone have authority to make laws limiting freedom of action Causes for Revolution: Political Causes Seven Years' War (1756-63) England and Prussia fought against the French British claims westward knocked out French holdings in North America Treaty of Paris 1763: Canada and French territory east of Mississippi passed to England France gave Louisiana to Spain Spain loses Florida to Britain France gives up holdings to India Pushing Back-colonial reaction to British policies Protests in British colonies because they thought they deserved rights belonging to British citizens Britain shifts cost of defending colonies to the colonies themselves 1774 first meeting of the Continental Congress *no hereditary nobility/national church in the US. 1773 Tea Act British directly ship products to colonies, no profit to colonies Boston Tea Party: colonists dressed up as Iroquois dumped tea into Boston Harbor Stamp Act levied taxes on a long list of commercial/legal documents 1774 Coercive Acts closed port of Boston, curtailed local elections Revolutionary War (1775-1781) 1775 Battle of Lexington and Concord 1776 Declaration of Independence 1777 Battles of Oriskany, Saratoga 1781 Surrender at Yorktown Colonial Troubles: 1. Trouble paying continental army and militias 2. British counterfeiting colonial currency 3. Difficulty securing supplies Solutions: 1. Colonists confiscated loyalist land 2. Army and militia compensated with land 3. Alliance with France, importation of European troops/generals Treaty of Paris 1783= Independence for all thirteen colonies All British territory east of Mississippi goes to American colonies Transforming Enlightenment Ideas into Practice Articles of Confederation, 1781 First document that lays out state and federal powers Cooperation of states strong determiner of policy Severely limits federal powers: fear of a tyrannical government Constitution, 1787 Separation of powers Representative self government Federal power to tax, regulate trade, and to enforce its laws Bill of Rights= protection of individual liberties Constitution Separation of powers three branches of government Legislative branch Senate, House of Representatives make laws Executive branch carry out laws made by Congress Judicial branch=decides court cases according to constitution Bill of Rights Individual freedoms that are not covered in the constitution Rights to religion Freedom of speech, press, peaceable assembly, self protection More powers to federal government Liberty individual freedoms No rights for slaves No rights for women No rights Native Americans Manifest Destiny: belief that God had foreclosed the United States to cover the entire continent Native American Policy William Penn-purchased land from local peoples Jamestown pushed back and massacred Indians Plymouth idyllic relationship with natives Spaniards born in the New World to Spanish parents Mestizos: Mixed blood: Spanish and Indian Natives: Mixed blood-Spanish and African Slave Castas: Unfree or owned Pardos: Freed Demographic Change and Its Contribution to the Revolutions Causes in Population Decline: Disease: smallpox, yellow fever, typhus, flu Exploitation of labor: mines, fields Dietary Change High Mortality Rate Declining Birth Rate Stabilization and Recovery 1804 Francisco Javier de Balmis inoculated population of Mexico against smallpox The Road of Revolution: Commercial Roots Spain's goals: improve agriculture NOT promote industry Land acquisition and luxury imports NOT investment Exert control over colonies Board of Trade (Casa de Contratacion) 1717 Casa de Contratacion 1717 Carlos III (1759-1788) trade policies: 1. Replace larger areas with smaller viceroyalties. a. New Granada b. Rio de la Plata 2. Free trade 3. Stimulated markets for: a. Coffee h. Sugar c. Beef/hides d. Silver 4. Royal monopolies, direct tax collection The Road to Revolution: Law and Order Spain undermines local powers and institutions for Spanish officials and needs 1. Replacement with peninsulares Viceroy's council= audiencias Usurpation of the Church Exploitation of local population Repartimientos Mit'a Revolts Reform, not independence Mixed population revolts have political and social elements. 1780 Peru: Tupac Amaru II *descended from Incan King 1780 Peru: Tupac Amaru II "descended from Incan King 1781 New Granada Comun central committee Revolutionaries = comuneros Weak government agreed to reforms Napolean and Spain Offered to seize Portugal for Spain Napoleon removed Ferdinand VII Joseph, Napoleon's brother replaced him 1808-1814 Spain cut off from its colonies Who's in charge in the colonies? Simon Bolivar: The Liberator Powerful Creole family in Venezuela Social status glass ceiling European educated Difficulties with Revolutions Lack of formal military training Lack of foreign recognition: weapons, funding Mistrust among the social classes for ultimate goal of revolution Extension of war against civilian population Confiscation of property of revolutionaries Trouble importing soldiers to Latin America Growing Pains: Latin America after the Revolutions 1826 colonies south of Mexico independent, could not unite Gran Colombia divided into several countries Rise of generals, dictators, coups Opportunistic countries take territory