Consequences of the American Revolution (AOS 2) Flashcards
What were the Articles of Confederation?
- a committee was formulated on the 12th of June to draft a constitution
- the draft ‘articles of confederation’ was tabled before congress on the 12th of July (1775)
- the articles of confederation established the united states as a “firm league of friendship” with the 13 states retaining sovereign power and the right to govern themselves
- creates a congress of confederation to represent the states on a one vote per state basis; 9/13 was required to pass new laws
- articles of confederation meant that the government could not tax the people (could not fund an army)
- larger states thought they should have more of a say, smaller states feared domination by the larger states
What were some British problems in the war?
- supplies were hard to get from back home
- insurgent warfare
- lack of familiarity with the terrain
- violence of Hessians against civilians
What happened in New Jersey 1776?
- late December, Washington staged a series of daring and remarkable attacks on British forces which has a profound effect on troop morale.
Crossing the Delaware 1776
On December 26th Washington crossed the Delaware river in preparation for a surprise attack. The hessian forces were completely surprised, sparking numerous British defeats with the British withdrawing from New Jersey
- In 1777 the tides began to turn for the British, with foreign nations such as France signing treaties of alliance with the US, sending troop and ships to America
Valley Forge
Washington established his winter camp for the continental army in December at Valley Forge
- arrival of Prussian commander Von Steuban gave American troops a substantial boost
Battle of Yorktown
In September 1781, combined American and French forces laid siege to the British army at Yorktown, Virginia
- the American forces defeated the British prompting peace negotiations
- foreign input had been the reason for American victory
List some problems for the new nation
- still unclear how the government would be structured as the revolution had been against a centralised authority
- the united states had been ravaged by the war economically, taxes high and economic prospects low due to high debt from the inability to repay foreign loans which funded the war
Explain the economic situation in 1781 and what measures were taken to reduced hyperinflation
- bankrupt due to the costs of the revolutionary war
- shortage of specie with congress printing banknotes which had little worth
in 1781 to combat hyperinflation;
- printing of continental currency ended
- large loans of gold and specie were taken with new bank notes backed by the specie
- establishment of Bank of North America
- these measures helped reduce hyperinflation but failed to end it
Explain America’s economic situation by 1783
- soldiers were being demobilised and discharged from the continental army
- many had joined due to the enlistment bounties of up to $500 in some places and the promise of 100 acres of land
- congress nor the states possessed the resources to fulfil these promises
- unpaid salaries led to many mutinies
- Newburgh Petition of April 1783; “most seriously and earnestly beg that the supply of money may be forwarded to the army as soon as possible”
The Treaty of Paris 1783
- formally ended the revolutionary war
TERMS INCLUDED; - British acknowledgement and recognition of American independence and sovereignty
- surrender of all British territory between the Appalachian Mountains and Ohio River
- drawing of U.S and British occupied Canada
- Fishing rights to the East of British Canada
- unrestricted access to Mississippi river
- compensation was encouraged for loyalists (after the revolution loyalists were persecuted)
After the treaty of Paris what was the outcome for Native Americans?
- most native Americans supported the British during the war
- American’s saw native Americans as traitors
- in late 1785, delegates from 30 native tribes met in Ohio to discuss their fears about future land losses, forming a confederacy
- the confederacy enjoyed secret support from the British who sent arms and weaponry
- in 1786 the Northwest Indian war began, starting a decade of fighting
What was the experience of African Americans after the treaty of 1783?
- by 1780 slavery was being criticised in Pennsylvania with a bill passed to phase out slavery
- New York banned the slave trade in 1788
- Virginia relied heavily on the slave trade for their economy so there was no dramatic changes to slave laws
- African Americans faced great uncertainty after the revolutionary war
Shay’s rebellion
- Daniel Shay (an ex captain of the continental army) had his property seized and joined in protest with other townsfolk
- led to several hundreds of men on the court at Springfield Massachusetts forcing it to adjourn
- Shay’s led another assault and was branded a rebel and a traitor and sentence to death however he was later pardoned
- further uprisings were prompted by Shay’s rebellion leading the assemblies to pass immediate concessions to war veterans
Philadelphia Convention
- occurred in 1787 and was intended to revise the articles of confederation KEY FIGURES; - Alexander Hamilton - James Madison KEY ISSUES INCLUDED... - government structure - representation - election practices
- most agreed that the national government needed to be strengthened and given power over matters such as taxation, currency, trade and foreign affairs but they had just fought a war against a centralised government
- delegates response was to divide government into 3 branches; separation of powers
Outcome of the Philadelphia convention
4 models were proposed;
- Virginia plan
- New Jersey plan
- Hamilton plan
- Charles Pickney plan
agreed upon a modified version of the Virginia plan; included… separation of powers (executive, legislative, judicial), popular sovereignty, social contract and natural rights
- a house of representatives was created with the number of representatives from each state based on population
- the senate made up of senators, two from each state which represented the states.
- legislation needed to be passed through both houses to ensure the approval of the people
