Today
in class, Mr. Stewart began by going over the USHAP blogging process and
expectations. Then, he gave a lecture titled “The American Revolution,” which
is meant to complement tonight’s reading, AP Chapter 8. Here’s a summary of the
main points from the lecture.
When
the Revolutionary War started (around 1775), the colonists had some questions
about the goal of the war. Some people wanted complete independence from
England, while others simply wanted to reconcile with England. Due to this
uncertainty, the Second Continental Congress issued both the “Olive Branch
Petition” and the “Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms.”
The Olive Branch Petition was an attempt to appeal to King George III and
reconcile their problems. The Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking
up Arms was a list of grievances that spelled out exactly why the Americans
felt the need to go to war for independence.
Different
events contributed to the decision for independence, included the cost of the
war, both financial and otherwise. The colonists also despised the British use
of foreign mercenaries, Indians, and black slaves. The colonists saw this as
a betrayal in this "family feud", especially since they had only recently finished fighting the
French and Indian War. Slave owners in particular were upset by the fact that
the British offered freedom to black slaves in exchange for their service on
behalf of the British. Furthermore, King George III rejected the Olive Branch
Petition, which demolished all chance of reconciliation; it is at this point that, to me at least, revolution seemed to become inevitable. King George III also started the Prohibitory Act, which was deemed "Intolerable" by the colonists.
In
1776, Thomas Paine published his pamphlet “Common Sense,” and it became
extremely popular in the colonies. The purpose was to spread the idea of
independence rather than reconciliation. According to Paine, the entire English
system was fundamentally incompatible with the colonies’ way of life, and
independence from England was therefore “common sense.”
The
Declaration of Independence was written in 1776. Thomas Jefferson combined
ideas of fundamental human rights (taking inspiration from John Locke) with a
list of grievances with the King and Parliament, and the result was a document
that defined the causes and reasoning of the revolution. The excitement of
independence spread throughout the colonies. After the Declaration of
Independence, there was no turning back; the Americans would have to fight this
war.
In
1777, the Articles of Confederation were created to give the Continental
Congress extremely limited and decentralized power so that the war could be waged.
However, the Articles of Confederation were not ratified until 1781, once the
war was nearly over. This was something that struck me – why were
the colonies so reluctant to ratify the Articles of Confederation? They were
already united enough to fight this revolutionary war together and fight for
their independence, so why were they so unwilling to give more structure to
their new country and necessary government? I think it might have had something to do with the idea that independence took precedent over unity. They were willing to fight together to get out of England's grasp, but the colonies as a whole did not yet feel like a country. Thoughts, anyone?
Your last point about the Articles of Confederation seems valid to me too, Maya. It seems like at that moment the issue of independence took precedent over a defined relationship between the colonies. I also think some of it has to do with the fact that they had remained somewhat autonomous for quite some time, and even in their own defense maybe feared that they would lose the autonomy they hoped to gain from the war.
ReplyDelete@Maya Acharya
ReplyDeleteThe point at which you state that the "revolution seemed to become inevitable," makes a lot of sense. Although it is often disputed among historians, you clearly identify that the colonists realize there is no chance of reconciliation after King George III rejects the "Olive Branch Petition." The inclusion of the Hessians, savage foreign mercenaries from Germany, in the war and the rejection of the "Olive Branch Petition" constitutes to the war's certainty. I also believe the general chicanery of King George III(1760-1801) and parliament also strengthens the colonial cause for independence; the colonies were tired of his overwhelming reign.
@Rebecca Andrews
I definitely agree with the points stated by you and Maya. I did a little research and found that the Articles of Confederation were not ratified because of a territorial dispute involving Maryland. Perhaps this contributes to what you both were saying about colonial unity, not every colony was "on the same page."