Studying the American Revolution

During the colonial period, the 13 colonies had established a unique identity due to their isolation from Britain. However, each colony was unique and had developed separate cultures, economies, and governments. For example, many colonies, such as Massachusetts and Virginia, had set up governments based on representative elected legislatures. The people – mainly white land-owning men – were accustomed to having an active role in the day-to-day governance of their towns and colonies. The educated elite was well-versed in Enlightenment philosophies and was influenced by the English Bill of Rights. Many colonial leaders, such as Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790), John Adams (1735–1826), and Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), believed firmly in their role and the importance of citizen participation in government. During the Seven Years' War, the colonists banded together under Benjamin Franklin's Albany Plan of Union. The idea was that the colonies needed to work together and cooperate to help in the war effort. This temporary union bridged some of the gaps that existed among the colonies and implanted the idea that the 13 separate governments could come together under a shared purpose. In 1651, England passed the Navigation Acts, which were aimed mainly at the Dutch – England's largest trading partner. In 1664, England gained the colony of the New Netherlands, which became New York. The British East India Company and Dutch East India Company were great economic rivals, jostling for economic supremacy. The Navigation Acts, similar to all English colonies, prescribed that the colonies were to trade exclusively with England and serve as resource depots or markets for British-produced goods – as part of a mercantile system. The American colonists resisted these restrictions and resorted to smuggling to circumvent the Acts. The British government had essentially ignored this resistance until 1763, when they began to impose harsh punishments on American smugglers. The American colonists chafed under the new penalties – they viewed the Navigation Acts (in addition to the new taxes from the Stamp, Tea, and Sugar Acts) as violations of the independence they had previously enjoyed. The colonies appealed to the British government but lacked a clear way to redress their grievances. The British failed to consult the colonists on major policy issues and treated them like dependent children. Internal factors, such as population pressures, consumerism, commercialism, relationships (based on contracts rather than familial ties), and new ideas from the Enlightenment about political representation (Republicanism), prompted the American colonies to unite in a series of congresses and rebel. Watch this lecture to review the causes of the American Revolution. Think about what you already know about these events and how Freeman's understanding of revolution fits into our previous discussions. How does Freeman analyze the revolutionary events in terms of facts and interpretations? What does she suggest should be your primary focus?