AMERICAN REVOLUTION

##prepare a sequence of events on all chapters of history

By the end of 1775, british had 13 colonies in America. 90% of the population was
british, while rest were of dutch, german, French and Portuguese origin
Northern and mid colonies were agriculturally developed. Southern were
dependent on agriculture
Why Europeans stayed/migrated to America.. read pg 94.. jain and mathur
Important centers of revolution: boston, new York, james town, Philadelphia
Ref pg 111 JnM,
CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION
Ref pg 97 JnM
1) Ideas and principles
1. Equality (with british) and amongst themselves
2. autonomy for themselves
3. education, journalism and thinkers contributed greatly to the
development of the intellectual awareness.. Many famous universities
had already been established in America on the eve of the revolution
like Princeton, yale etc. A spirit of nationality was cultivated by them
a. Benjamin franklin had established the American philosophical
society
b. Thomas Penn wrote common sense. This book asserted that
Americans severe their relation with british
c. Other scholars: Thomas Jefferson(chief protagonist of
democratic view point), Samuel adams
2) Economic causes
1. Planters of southern states were burdened by debt of british money
lenders
2. Due to the aftermath of the 7 year war, british imposed new taxes on
the colonies. Colony people (colonists) opposed by raising the slogan
no taxation without representation

3. Extensive trading privileges were provided to trading companies. The

only importance of the colonies was that certain raw materials like
tobacco , sugar, wood were procured from them. English did not take
any interest in administration of the colonies
4. Navigation laws: England made it imperative for the colonies that they
conduct their business operations through british ships only
5. Trading regulations: some commodities like tobacco, wood, rice had to
exported to England only
6. Industrial regulations suppressed some industries
7. NEW TAXES
a. Stamp act: levied stamp duty
b. Sugar act: ref pg 101 JnM
c. Quartering act: ref pg 101 JnM
d. Townshends tax project: levied custom duties on tea etc which
were imported by america
3) Socio-political
1. Middle class hated the privileges and luxuries enjoyed by the colonial
administrators. It was an awakened class
2. No representation of colonies in the british parliament
3. Defective administrative system
4. Impact of the seven year war. Ref pg 100 Jn

IMMEDIATE CAUSES
1) Lord Norths Tea Policy led to Boston tea party ref pg 105 JnM
2) Boston tea party led to formulation of suppressing laws by lord North and George
III.. boston port was put on embargo until the damages had been paid for the tea
party act. This meant economic ruin of boston.
3) Intercontinental conference of congress.. ref pg 106 JnM
Declaration of independence on 4th july 1776... ref pg 106 JnM
French, Spanish, Holland declared war on british. French participation was
a turning point in the war. War ended in 1783
Paris pact
1. Britain granted independence to American colonies

2. French and Spanish also made territorial gains

CONSTITUTION OF AMERICA
1)
2)
3)
4)

Federalism for the first time

Secular for the first time
Democracy
Bill of rights
1. Freedom of speech and life
2. Right to get justice according to law
3. Right to property

CAUSES OF FAILURE OF THE ENGLISH

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

English underestimated the strength of Americans

Solid organization of American patriots and disorganization of loyalists
Absence of local cooperation for british
Able generalship of George Washington.
Guerilla warfare by patriots

IMPORTANCE OF AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1) Political ideas
1. Federalism for the first time
2. Secular for the first time
3. Democracy
2) First defeat to imperialism
3) Placed the doctrine of nationalism before human society
4) American society after the revolution, realized the great importance of education
5) It removed all restrictions that came in way of growth of capitalist economy
6) Agriculture and industry of America flourished
7) Powers of british king were curtailed and those of parliament enhanced following
a strong demand in britain after the defeat in war
8) Inspired French revolution
9) Inspired freedom struggles in latin America against spain and Portugal
10) Inspired nationalist movements In Ireland, Italy, germany
11) Effect on india.. ref pg 114 JnM

FREEDOM STRUGGLE OR REVOLUTION?? ## need more on this

Revolution because
1) Slavery .. ref pg 111,112 JnM
2) Social struggle against traditional rights of the aristocracy. loyalist Land was
redistributed
3) Political ideas it gave birth to: federalism, secularism, equality, individualism

Mercantilism is an economic doctrine based on the theory that a nation benefits by

accumulating monetary reserves through a positive balance of trade, especially
of finished goods. Mercantilism dominated Western European economic policy and
discourse from the 16th to late-18th centuries.[1] Mercantilism was a cause of frequent
European wars in that time and motivated colonial expansion. Mercantilist theory varied
in sophistication from one writer to another and evolved over time. Favours for
powerful interests were often defended with mercantilist reasoning.
High tariffs, especially on manufactured goods, are an almost universal feature of
mercantilist policy. Other policies have included:

Building a network of overseas colonies;

Forbidding colonies to trade with other nations;

Monopolizing markets with staple ports;

Banning the export of gold and silver, even for payments;

Forbidding trade to be carried in foreign ships;

Export subsidies;

Promoting manufacturing with research or direct subsidies;

Limiting wages;

Maximizing the use of domestic resources;

Restricting domestic consumption with non-tariff barriers to trade.

Mercantilism in its simplest form was bullionism, but mercantilist writers emphasized
the circulation of money and rejected hoarding. Their emphasis on monetary metals
accords with current ideas regarding the money supply, such as the stimulative effect of
a growing money supply. Specie concerns have since been rendered moot by fiat
money and floating exchange rates. In time, the heavy emphasis on money was
supplanted by industrial policy, accompanied by a shift in focus from the capacity to
carry on wars to promoting general prosperity. Mature neomercantilist theory
recommends selective high tariffs for "infant" industries or to promote the mutual
growth of countries through national industrial specialization. Currently, advocacy of
mercantilist methods for maintaining high wages in advanced economies are popular
among workers in those economies, but such ideas are rejected by most policymakers
and economists