world history Flashcards
American revolution: colonization of America?
- 1st colony set up by English at Jamestown (Virginia)
- 13th colony set up at Georgia in 1732
American revolution: causes: categories?
- economic
- social
- intellectual class’ role
- political
- immediate cause
American revolution: causes: economic?
-
Mercantilist policy of Britain: Britain framed economic policies in such a away that led to economic exploitation of Americans. eg.
- Navigation law of 1651: compulsory for American ships to attend British ports before leaving for other parts of the world
- Enumerated Commodities Act 1660: Britain maintained trading monopoly in crucial products of Americaa like potato, tobacco, cotton
- Industrial policy by which Americaan s were nt allowed to establish big production units
- Iron act, hat act, woollen act that forced Americans to import these items from Egland
- 1765 Stamp act to impose stamp taxes
- the trade and industry was well develped in the American colonies. This interwined the econmies of the states and created a pan-american colonies feeling of belongingness.eg. The wool and pork industry of pennsylvania was interlinked with corn produced in the southern colonies of Virginia, N and S carolina
American revolution: causes: social?
The rise of America as a ‘land of opportunity’ led to mass migrations into the colonies from Europe. This created a unique social str in america.
- Diversified society: people from various nationalities led to a more liberal and cosmopolitan society as opposed to the orthodox and elitist society of Britain of 18th century.
- detachment from motherland: while many of the British migrants were outlaws or the rejects or other refugees of the society, they still held some attachment to the motheland in the 17th century. But by the 18th century the second generation Americans self-identified as Americans
- dynamism: The rapid growth of AMerican colonies in the short span of a 100 yrs owing to the rich resources of the land and the effort of the settlers made America ‘a land of opportunity’. The American society developed as a materialistic society with a distinct culture of its own leading to ideological differences with British culture.
- dissatisfaction: over sharing the fruits of their labor with the British crown while being looked down upon as rejects.
American revolution: causes: role of intellectual class?
- spread of enlightenment and liberla thoughts from Europe including Republicanism: John Locke’s “power comes from people”
- The ideas of Locke, Harrington and Milton- believed that men had certain FRs which no govt had the right to infringe.
- Thomas Jefferson, inspired from French philosophers, asserted colonists’ right to rebellion and encouraged their increasing desire for independence
- Thomas Paine: published journal ‘common sense’ in which he explained economic exploitation of Britain and proposed independence as a solution
- Benjamin Franklin: established Philosophical society of America with multiple branches with the objective of awareness and awakening of the people
- Henry Patrick: “give me death or independence”
- Spread of industrialisation led to urbanisation and thereby increase i spread of education that spread the liberal ideas eg. Harvard uni founded in 1636, Yale uni founded in 1701
American revolution: causes: political?
political subservience
Each Colony had its Assembly and the elected members.
But, the nominated governor to each colony by the British Parliament. The Governors did not do anything without the permission of British Parliament.
Declaratory Act 1766 : Parliament/King has all rights to make laws for colonies
INtolerable Act 1774, in the aftermath of Boston tea party, banned political meetings
American revolution: causes: immediate causes?
- 7 yrs war betn england and France (1756-1763):
- During the war americans got the freedom to take their potatoes to different parts of the world. They got a taste of truly independent trade.
- defeat of France ended the french threat in the norther part of the colonies
- When Benjamin Franklin called 7 American colonies to join and create a front against brtish in 1754, they refused mainly on account of the danger posed by the french. But the removal of this threat in 1763 opened the possibility of the colonies coming together.
- Britain tried to recuperate its losses during the war be increasing tax on american people
- Tight control policy: all the laws which were loosely applied were now strcitly applied
- Currency Act, 1764: Americans can’t use own currency
- Sugar act: export sugar only to England
- Quartering act: Americans will have to pay for British soldiers staying in America
- Crown’s proclamation of 1763: To show a conciliatory approach towards red americans, the new PM George Grenville proclaimed that americans cannot cross and settle west of Applachian mountains. Another cause was English aristocrats had bought lands and sought rents from the settlers and wanted them to continue as renters rather than move to new land.
- Stamp act, 1765: Act directed that in the American Colonies, the government papers, legal documents, receipts should be written or printed on Stamp Paper. The tax which was collected from this stamp was to be used for the expenditure of the Standing Army in America. led to uproar in America. cries of “no taxation without representation”. led to repeal of Stamp act in 1766.
- Declaratory Act 1766 : Parliament/King has all rights to make laws for colonies
- Townshend Act 1767: by Charles Townshend, Chancelloe of Exchequer, imposed duties on essential goods like tea, glass, lead, paper and colour imported into the American colonies. led to large scale tea smuggling causing revenue loss to British crown and finally to Boston tea massacre on 5th March 1770.
- The new PM, Lord North, in 1770 took a conciliatory approach and waived off all duties, acts, taxes except Tea tax (tea Act 1772). This failed to pacify americans. Ships with tea on board turned away at New York, Philadelphia. When the British tried an alternate port, at Boston, led to Boston tea party- dumped 20000 pounds worth of tea.
- Intolerable Act 1774: disallowed political meetings, closed Boston port, arrested conspirators and sought to seek the reparations for the losses incurred.
american revolution: important events leading upto the revolution?
- Grenville policy-> led to Sons of Liberty and Daughters of LIberty
- Rockingham declaration and Townshed plan-> Boston massacre, 1770
- Lord North’s tea policy-> Boston tea party, 1773
american revolution: important events leading upto the revolution: Grenville policy?
To recover losses incurred by Americans in the seven yrs war,
- Tight control policy
- new taxes lke stamp duty, sugar duty
- prohibited crossing and settling west of Applachians by the Americans
American s in response, took up the Englishman’s resolution at the Massachusetts assembly: no taxation without representation and led to founding of organisations like ‘sons of liberty’ and ‘daughters of liberty’ which targetted stamp vendors and burnt down stamps.
american revolution: important events leading upto the revolution: Rockingham declaration and Townshed plan?
British thought stamp duty was the real cause of the trouble.
Rockingham declaration abolished stamp duty and but reinforced their rights to impose taxes and frame laws for the Americans by the Townshed plan.
led to massacre at a mass protest in Boston led by Samuel Adams
american revolution: important events leading upto the revolution: Lord North’s tea policy?
obj of North’s tea policy
- relieve EIC from financial stress by importing their tea sourced from China
- assert the taxing rights of Britain over America while placating Americans
led to boston tea party and the two Philadelphia conventions
american revolution: important events leading upto the revolution: First Philadelphia Convention?
in 1774
aka 1st Continental congress
The representatives of 13 colonies met at Philadelphia (1774) for the first continental congress. Their appeal for removal of restrictions on industries and trade and not imposing taxes without their approval, was rejected by the king and their actions declared as mutiny and British army was sent to America. And the Americaan war of INdependence started in 1775 when colony militia met British forces i Lexington, Massachusetts
american revolution: important events leading upto the revolution: Second Philadelphia Convention?
The congress met again in Second continental congress (1776) and declared independence on July 4.
The declaration, among other things, asserted the inalienable rights of men that had to be protected. It said that all men are created equal, and they are endowed by their creators with certain inalienable rights that include right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.
it asserted that peopleare the source of authority and affired people’s right to set up their own govt.
Prior to this declaration, they were fighting for their rights as englishmen, but hereafter they fought for their right to be an independent nation.
American war of independence?
started with initial battles in and around Boston.
americans aided and supported by France, Spain and Holland
American won in crucial battles of Lexington and Concorde
war ended in 1781 with surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown.
In 1783, treaty of Paris was signed aand England reconised the independence of America
Role of George Washington in American war of independence?
- led the overall strategy of war in cooperation with Congress
- provided leadership of troops against the main British forces in 1775–1777 and again in 1781.
- he was charged with selecting and guiding the generals.
- he took charge of training the army and providing supplies, from food to gunpowder to tents.
- He was the embodiment of armed resistance to the Crown, serving as the representative man of the Revolution. His long-term strategy was to maintain an army in the field at all times, and eventually this strategy worked. His enormous personal and political stature and his political skills kept Congress, the army, the French, the militias, and the states all pointed toward a common goal.
- he permanently established the principle of civilian supremacy in military affairs by voluntarily resigning his commission and disbanding his army when the war was won, rather than declaring himself monarch.
American revolution: Third Philadelphia convention?
By 1786, Americans recognized that the Articles of Confederation, the foundation document for the new United States adopted in 1777, had to be substantially modified. The Articles gave Congress virtually no power to regulate domestic affairs–no power to tax, no power to regulate commerce. Without coercive power, Congress had to depend on financial contributions from the states. Congress had neither the money to pay soldiers for their service in the Revolutionary War or to repay foreign loans granted to support the war effort. In 1786, the United States was bankrupt.
3rd Philadelphia convention in 1787
- Birth of American union and USA
- Republic form of govt was adopted with George Washington as President
- Man made constitution as guide for new born America based on principles of humanism, with special features like Bill of Rights, Provision of amendments etc.
- finally adopted in 1789
Significance of AMerican revolution?
- independence for America
- win of masses against classes
- win of nationalists against imperialists
- Establishment of American Federation and formation of the first major republic modern state. Gave the framework of modern demcratic set up to the world.
- first written and democratic constitution of world
- ideas of equality, liberty, rule of law; separation of state and religion
- British King was relegated to a rubber stamp. Prior to this the power to appoint PM was with the king. But the British Parliament snatched this power away post since 1776.
- lessons learnt for Britain
- how colonies are to be governed- Cautious Mercantilism
- 1784 Pitt’s India Act: afraid of similar revolt by EIC in Inida, Pitt’s India Act instituted a Board of Control so as to regulate activities of EIC in India
- 1786-> Lord Cornwallis made Guv-Gen of India
- Domino effect: age of revolutions started
- 1789-> france; Lafayette who aided Americans on behalf of French king later played an important role in French revolution against the French king himself,
- 1798-> ireland
- 1830s-> Latin America
Dichotomies in the American constitutional debates?
- centre vs states (Hamilton vs Jefferson debates)
-
big states vs small states
- virginia plan: rep based on pop or money; bicameral legislature
- new jersey plan: equal rep; unicameral legislature
- finally compromised: “Great compromise”: lower house based on pop and elected directly while upper house would have two senators from each state elected by state legislature
- “3/5 compromise”: pop based seats in lower house wud hv benefitted southern states as they had significant slave population; as a compromise, slaves were counted as 3/5 of a person for both taxes and representation purpose
-
north vs south states
- slavery: north wanted cheap labour based on market mechanisms thus sought abolition of slavery; southern states wanted labor for their farms so sought continuation of slavery
- northern states sought trade barriers to have protection from european goods while southern states wanted free trade policy to export and sell their produce in europe
American civil war: reasons?
- economic disparity : industrial vs agricultural economy
- 23 northern states were economically more developed; had 2000 iles rly; large industries
- states’ rights
- export import rights with centre vs with states
- southern states claimed compact sovereignty: as the parties to a compact, states had the right to judge for themselves whether the terms of the compact were being honored. They described this “right of judging” as “an essential attribute of sovereignty,” which the states retained when the Constitution was formed. They claimed the states had the right to nullify, or veto, any laws that were inconsistent with the compact. When the southern states seceded in 1860-61, they relied on the compact theory to justify secession and argued that the northern states had violated the compact by undermining and attacking the institution of slavery and the slaveholders’ property rights.
- slavery:
- moral question
- economic aspect
- tariff policy: protective vs free trade policy
- election of Abraham Lincoln
- he won election on the forum of abolishment of slavery
- before his election, Carolina secedes from thr union
- 7states form the Confederation states of America. Later 4 more joined.
American Civil War: causes: slavery?
- issue reached the peak when Ameica bought state of Louisiana from France in 1803 and question arose over whether it will be free state or slave state
- The recurrent question of the ‘free vs slave’ status of new states was decided with Missouri agreement in 1820. The 36deg 33min N line was decided as the line of demarcation between free states and slave states. Thus Louisiana became slave state while Maine became free state
- The movement to free slaves gained momentum in 1830s to 1850s. eg.
- Liberator published by William Lloyd Garrison;
- formation of ‘anti Slavery society’ in northern states;
- rise of Abolitionists
- Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe portraying the inhumane aspects of slavery. This book was banned by the southern states
- This created an atmosphere of distrust and apprehension among the southern states
- Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854: both the states lied north of 36deg line, the act said that slavery question can be determined popular sovereignty irrespective of position wrt line. This demand was led by Democrat Senator Douglas
- The anti-slavery movement of north reacted by forming the Republican party led by Abraham Lincoln.
- Additionally James Brown sought to turn this anti-slavery movement into a military movement by giving the slaves weapons so that they can free themselves.
- Dread Scott case 1856-57: USA-SC ruled that slaves were so inferior that they had no rights which the white men was bound to respect. SC allowed slavery in northern states by declaring slavery as a legal institution and slaves as devoid of rights. This triggered Kansas and Nebraska to turn into a slave state
- In this backdrop was contested the presidential election between Democrat Stephen Douglas and Republican Abraham Lincoln in 1860. latter won without winning any southern states.
- This prompted South Carolina to secede frm the union before Lincoln’s swearing in. By Feb, 6 more states secede and together the 7 form the confederate states of America with their new constitution which abolishe protective trade policy and allowed slavery. 4 more join soon. Thus 11 states secede to form Confederate states while 34 remain as United states.
- 12th april 1861: South states attack northern states at Fort Sumter off the coast of Charleston in South Carolina and Civil war began.
role of Lincoln in American civil war?
- turned the issue from slavery to survival of the American union and thus appealing to the emotions and patriotism of his people
- recruited volunteers to propagate the cause of American union. he called for 75000 volunteers in the initial stages of the war nd later 42000 more. This created a personal stake of the people in the war. These volunteers also contributed in creating confusion among the southern states.
- Lincoln passed the 13th amendment (1864) that abolished slavery across America, thus getting moral and literal support of the slaves
- contributed as an inspirational leader. Famous address of Gettysberg, conquest of Orleans
American Civil war: significance?
- stronger system in America
- administrative reforms
- the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments gave essential civil and political rights to the black people in America
- human and economic loss to USA: 7L died and 100mn $ was lost
- cooperation among N and S states increased
- led to second phase of industrializatoin and progress of America towards the modern Capitalism
- was the 1st war to use modern strategy and equipments like armoured ships. report of war in daily news was a new feature as well.
black voting rights post civil war?
- 14th amendment granted African Americans the rights of citizenship. However, this did not always translate into the ability to vote. Black voters were systematically turned away from state polling places.
- Thus Congress passed 15th amendment giving them right to vote explicitly
- Yet states still found ways to circumvent the Constitution and prevent blacks from voting. Poll taxes, literacy tests, fraud and intimidation all turned African Americans away from the polls.
- Until the Supreme Court struck it down in 1915, many states used the “grandfather clause “ to keep descendents of slaves out of elections. The clause said you could not vote unless your grandfather had voted – an impossibility for most people whose ancestors were slaves.
- The fight for African American suffrage raged on for decades.
- In 1963 and 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. brought hundreds of black people to the courthouse in Selma, Alabama to register. When they were turned away, Dr. King organized and led protests that finally turned the tide of American political opinion. In 1964 the Twenty-fourth Amendment prohibited the use of poll taxes. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act directed the Attorney General to enforce the right to vote for African Americans.
French revolution: phases?
FR is not an event of history but a living legend and a process
- Bourgeoisie phase 1789-1791: abolition of monarchy
- 1791-93: National Convetion in power
- 1793-1798: radical phase: Jacobians and rise of napolean
- 1795: Napolean comes to power
- 1799-1815: Age of Napolean
1830: July revolution
1848: february revolution
1871: establishment of French Republic



