L02 American Revolution Flashcards
What is the timeline of the Atlantic Revolutions?
1750-1850
How did the Enlightenment influence the philosophes?
Caused them to challenge existing forms of authority such as knowledge, power, wealth.
What did philosophes see their job as?
Philosophes see their job as changing the world through rational criticism
What did Montesquieu argue about?
Montesquieu (1689-1755) The Spirit of Laws (1750) argues that the state that
most effectively promotes liberty abides by the separation of powers that
divides political authority between legislative, executive, and judicial
branches
What did John Locke argue about?
John Locke (1632-1704) Two Treatises on Government (1689) argues that the
purpose of government is to guarantee people’s liberty and property
What did J.J Rousseau argue about?
J.J. Rousseau (1712-1778) writes in The Social Contract (1762) that the
individual is the source of sovereignty
What were the main ideas of the Atlantic Revolutions?
-Liberty, Equality, Free trade, Emphasis on popular sovereignty
What did the Atlantic Revolutions undermine?
Cumulatively, the Atlantic Revolutions undermined three traditional sources of authority –
the church, the monarchy and the aristocracy – who represented knowledge, power, and
wealth.
What were the political structures prior to the American Revolution?
Political structures and institutions exist but are poorly developed and limited
to absolute monarchies
What where the influence of the bureaucracies and governments prior to the American Revolutions?
Political structures and institutions exist but are poorly developed and limited
What did it mean for state retains the right to impose taxes and/or feudal duties?
-Ability to collect taxes and provide services limited
-right to raise taxes “farmed out” to the highest bidder in order to raise
funds
How was power viewed prior to the American Revolution?
Power is necessarily traded off in one area in exchange for another
Why was the end of the 18th century a time of political upheaval?
End of the 18th century was a time of great political upheaval because of the
revolutions in the Atlantic World based on Enlightenment ideas of freedom
and reason that give rise to republican governments
What ideas arose at the end of the 18th century?
-Notions of popular sovereignty
-The idea of a nation-state as the means of organization
-Emphasis on nationalism and democracy
What was the first document that was important to bringing up the English Constitution?
Evolving since the Magna Carta (1215), regarded as an “unwritten constitution” because
its provisions are not contained in a single document
How did the Magna Carta limit the power of the monarch?
Magna Carta limited the power of the monarch in significant ways by granting certain
rights and responsibilities to the nobility, including:
-No taxation without representation
-Equality under the law
-Trial by a jury of their peers
-The right to rebel if the monarch breaks the agreement
How did the Glorious Revolution of 1688 further restrict the power of the monarch?
Monarchs could not:
-Dismiss a judge or create new courts without parliamentary consent
-Maintain a standing army
-Raise taxes – Parliament had the power of the purse
-Veto an act of Parliament – made explicit after 1707
Why was the English Constitution regarded as the perfect government?
B-y the 18th century regarded as the most perfect government that was capable of
balancing the monarchy, the aristocracy, and the people:
-Limits power of the monarch domestically; provides greater latitude in foreign affairs
Long-term causes of the American Revolutionary War include the Anglo-
French imperial rivalry dating back to the…
17th century
Who did the British and the French have to contend with for control of territory and trade?
Indigenous groups
What is the French and Indian War?
French and Indian War (1754-1763) is the fourth – but ultimately decisive
war in this prolonged struggle for control of North America
Presence of multiple imperial rivals (including at least initially the
Spanish and Dutch) allows indigenous peoples to do what?
Presence of multiple imperial rivals (including at least initially the
Spanish and Dutch) allows indigenous peoples to play one imperial
power off against the other to maintain their own independence
Approximately how many indigenous people were east of the Mississippi River?
By 1750, approximately 150,000 indigenous people east of the
Mississippi River
By the mid 18th century, how many French and English colonist were in North America?
By mid 18th century, roughly 1.5 million English colonists in North America
compared to 70,000 French
What were the land claims of the French?
French imperial claims are expansive and include much of the land west of
the Appalachian Mountains
What does the variety of English settlements in America indicate about their development?
There is no set pattern of development.
How did the availability of land in America compare to that in Britain?
America had an abundance of land and a shortage of people, unlike Britain.
What factors contributed to the formation of a distinct “American” identity?
Abundance of land and distance from the mother country.
What tradition developed in the colonies regarding governance?
A tradition of self-government through the establishment of colonial legislatures.
What was the outcome of the French and Indian War for Britain?
It gave Britain the largest and richest empire since Ancient Rome.
What term did historian Fred Anderson use to describe the British Empire after the French and Indian War?
A “hollow empire.
How is Britain’s colonial policy characterized prior to 1763?
As one of “benign neglect.”
What was the nature of British control over the colonies before 1763?
Little direct control was exercised by the metropolis.
What assumption did Britain have about the colonies?
That the colonies were inferior and dependent on the mother country.
How was the population and economy of the Thirteen Colonies changing compared to Britain?
They were growing faster than that of Britain.
What did some colonists believe about the shift of political power?
They thought political power might shift to America, as suggested by Benjamin Franklin’s observations in 1751.
What challenge did King George III face after winning a large empire?
He had to exercise control over it.
What was a problem with the advisors around King George III?
He wasn’t surrounded by particularly competent ministers.
How did King George III’s approach differ from that of his grandfather, King George II?
King George III was more inclined to be assertive.
