Are you ready to discuss the single greatest event in the history of the world that created the free-est, greatest nation to ever exist in the universe? Well ready or not its time for the American Revolution . . . The content and information in Unit III is some of the most important in the whole course, as it created many of the trends and ideologies that dominate American cultural and social developments for the next two centuries. American identity begins to really take form and the American system of government is created by some of the greatest leaders America has ever produced -- Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, Franklin, Madison, what are the odds the gods would put them all in one spot? Anyways, pay close attention, as a great deal is happening here . . .
Unit III Key Concepts
Key Concept 3.1: British imperial attempts to reassert control over its colonies and the colonial resolve to pursue self-government led to a colonial independence movement and the Revolutionary War.
I. The competition among the British, French, and American Indians for economic and political advantage in North America culminated in the Seven Years War (French and Indian War), in which Britain defeated France and allied American Indians.
A. Colonial rivalry intensified between Britain and France in the mid-18th century, as the growing population of British colonies expanded into the interior of North America, threatening French-Indian trade networks and American Indian autonomy.
B. Britain achieved a major expansion of its territorial holdings by defeating the French, but at tremendous expense, setting the stage for imperial efforts to raise revenue and consolidate control over the colonies.
George Washington -- Colonel in F&I War
William Pitt -- PM of Britain during the F&I War
C. After the British victory, imperial officials attempts to prevent colonists from moving westward generated colonial opposition, while native groups sought to both continue trading with Europeans and resist the encroachment of colonist on tribal lands.
Ottawa Chief Pontiac
II. The desire of many colonists to assert ideals of self-government in the face of renewed British imperial efforts led to a colonial independence movement and war with Britain.
A. The imperial struggles of the mid 18th century, as well as new British efforts to collect taxes without direct colonial representation or consent and to assert imperial authority in the colonies, began to unite the colonists against perceived and real constraints on their economic activities and political rights.
B. Colonial leaders based their calls for resistance to Britain on arguments about the rights of British subjects, the rights of the individual, local traditions of self-rule, and the ideas of the Enlightenment.
British North American Colonial Population
C. The effort for American independence was energized by colonial leaders such as Benjamin Franklin, as well as by popular movements that included the political activism of laborers, artisans and women.
Benjamin Franklin Political Cartoon ca 1754
D. In the face of economic shortages and the British military occupation of some regions, men and women mobilized in large numbers to provide financial and material support to the Patriot movement.
E. Despite considerable Loyalist opposition, as well as Great Britain's apparently overwhelming military and financial advantages, the Patriot cause succeeded because of the actions of colonial militias and the Continental Army, George Washington's military leadership, the colonists' ideological commitment and resilience, and assistance sent by European allies.
Key Concept 3.2 -- The American Revolution's democratic and republican ideals inspired new experiments with different forms of government.
I. The ideals that inspired the revolutionary cause reflected new beliefs about politics, religion, and society that had been developing over the course of the 18th century.
A. Enlightenment ideas and philosophy inspired many American political thinkers to emphasize individual talent over hereditary privilege, while religion strengthened Americans views of themselves as a people blessed with liberty.
B. The colonists' belief in the superiority of republican forms of government based on the natural rights of the people found expression in Thomas Paine's Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence. the ideas in these documents resonated throughout American history, shaping Americans' understanding of the ideals on which their nation was based.
C. During and after the American Revolution, an increased awareness of inequalities in society motivated some individuals and groups to call for the abolition of slavery and greater political democracy in the new national and state governments.
D. In response to women's participation in the American Revolution, Enlightenment ideas, and women's appeals for expanded roles, an ideal of "Republican Motherhood" gained popularity. It called on women to teach republican values within the family and granted women a new importance in American political culture.
E. The American Revolution and the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence reverberated in France, Haiti, and Latin America, inspiring future independence movements.
II. After declaring independence, American political leaders created new constitutions and declarations of rights that articulated the role of the state and federal governments while protecting individual liberties and limiting both centralized power and excessive popular influence.
A. Many state constitutions placed power in the hands of the legislative branch and maintained property qualifications for voting and citizenship.
B. The Articles of Confederation unified the newly independent states, creating a central government with limited power, after the Revolution; difficulties over international trade, finances, interstate commerce, foreign relations, and internal unrest led to calls for a stronger central government.
C. Delegates from the states participated in a Constitutional Convention and through negotiation, collaboration and compromise proposed a constitution that created a limited but dynamic central government embodying federalism and providing a separation of powers between its three branches.
D. The Constitutional Convention compromised over the representation of slave states in Congress and the role of the federal government in regulating both slavery and the slave trade, allowing the prohibition of the international slave trade after 1808.
E. In the debate over ratifying the Constitution, Anti-Federalists opposing ratification battled with the Federalists, whose principles were articulated in the Federalist Papers (primarily written by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton). Federalists ensured the ratification of the Constitution by promising the addition of a Bill of Rights that enumerated individual rights and explicitly restricted the powers of the federal government.
III. New forms of national culture and political institutions developed in the United States alongside continued regional variations and differences over economic, political, social and foreign policy issues.
A. During the presidential administrations of George Washington and John Adams, political leaders created institutions and precedents that put the principles of the Constitution into practice.
B. Political leaders in the 1790's took a variety of positions on issues such as the relationship between the national government and the states, economic policy, foreign policy, and the balance between liberty and order. This led to the formation of political parties -- most significantly the Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, and the Democratic Republican Party, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
C. The expansion of slavery in the deep South and adjacent western lands and rising anti-slavery sentiment began to create distinctive regional attitudes toward the institution.
D. Ideas about national identity increasingly found expression in works of art, literature, and architecture.
Key Concept 3.3 -- Migration within North America and competition over resources, boundaries, and trade intensified conflicts among peoples and nations.
I. In the decades after American independence, interactions among different groups resulted in competition for resources, shifting alliances, and cultural blending.
A. Various American Indian groups repeatedly evaluated and adjusted their alliances with Europeans, other tribes and the U.S., seeking to limit migration of white settlers and maintain control of tribal lands and natural resources. British alliances with American Indians contributed to tensions between the U.S. and Britain.
B. As increasing numbers of migrants from North America and other parts of the world continued to move westward, frontier cultures that had emerged in the colonial period continued to grow, fueling social, political and ethnic tensions.
C. As settlers moved westward during the 1780s, Congress enacted the Northwest Ordinance for admitting new states; the ordinance promoted public education, the protection of private property, and a ban on slavery in the Northwest Territory.
D. An ambiguous relationship between the federal government and American Indian tribes contributed to problems regarding treaties and American Indian legal claims relating to the seizure of their lands.
E. The Spanish, supported by the bonded labor of the local American Indians, expanded their mission settlements into California, these provided for social mobility among soldiers and led to new cultural blending.
Unit III in Maps
French Forts & Spanish Missions ca 1750
Major Battles of the Seven Years War (1754-1763)
Land Claims in the Americas --1754 vs 1763
Proclamation of 1763
English Colonial Regions in North America (18th century)
Loyalists vs Patriots during the Revolutionary War (1776-1783)
Major Battles of the Revolutionary War (1776 -1783)
Ratification of the Constitution (1789)
Northwest Ordinance (1785)
Videos and Links
The Following sites and materials are useful in reviewing the content of this unit
AP Notes -- American Pageant Textbook Summaries
Click HERE to link to the textbook summary page
Gilder Lehrman AP US History
The Gilder Lehrman site offers review videos, key concepts and an interactive timeline of the era. It also contains study guides and sample essays from key topics in the time period. Visit the Gilder Lehrman AP US History Unit II website HERE