AMERICAN REVOLUTION

John Locke

Definition: A British Enlightenment thinker who believed that everyone was born with natural rights to life, liberty, and property. Importance: His ideas were used as the foundation for the Declaration of Independence that separated the colonies from Britain.

Declaration of Independence

Definition: A document written by thomas jefferson based on the ideas of John Locke and the enlightenment. Importance: It argued for the colonists natural born rights and declared the colonies separation from Britain.

General Cornwallis

Definition: A general of the British army that was trapped by French and American soldiers in Yorktown, Virginia. Importance: He eventually surrendered to their army, shocking everyone and giving the Americans their Independence from Britain.

Thomas Jefferson

Definition: A political leader who supported many of the Enlightenment ideas Importance: He wrote the Declaration of Independence which declared the colonies separation from Britain.

Boston Tea Party

Definition: A protest on an import tax on tea where colonists dumped a large amount of British Tea into Boston Harbor. Importance: It solidified the colonists resentment for the British government and caused them to form the First Continental Congress which protested against the treatment of Boston.

Federal System

Definition: A system created in the Constitution that divided power between national and state governments. Importance: It allowed local governments to function while maintaining a strong central government.

Lexington

Definition: A town in Massachusetts where British soldiers and American militiamen fought. Importance: It caused the Second Continental Congress to vote on creating an army and organizing for battle which started the American Revolution.

French Indian War

Definition: A war between the English and French fought over territory and power in North America. Importance: The British victory left them in a huge debt causing their parliament to pass the Stamp Act, which led American colonists to rebel.

Stamp Act

Definition: An act passed by British parliament in 1765 that forced colonists to pay taxes to have a stamp put on any printed material. Importance: It outraged the colonists and led them to protest against the government for "taxation without representation".

Enlightenment ideas

Definition: Ideas influenced by philosophers such as John Locke that fought for people's natural rights. Importance: These ideas became the foundation of the Declaration of Independence and were used to separate from Britain.

Bill of Rights

Definition: Ten amendments added to the Constitution that protected people's basic rights to freedom of speech, press, assembly, and religion. Importance: It put Enlightenment ideas back into practice and created an optimistic view of government reform. It also created a compromise between Federalists and Antifederalists.

Checks and Balances

Definition: The process of checking other branches' power in order to maintain equality and fairness. Importance: It allowed all three branches, legislative, executive, and judicial, to function properly without one gaining more power than the others.

Describe 4 causes of the American Revolution.

Four cause of the American Revolution are: The French and Indian War Bringing back old enlightenment ideas British taxes on colonists (taxation without representation, Boston Tea Party) 1st and 2nd Continental Congress (hired George Washington to organize the American army)

Do you think the American Revolution would have happened if there had not been the Age of Enlightenment?

I don't think the American revolution wouldn't have happened if there hadn't been the Age of Enlightenment because almost all of the colonists most powerful ideas and actions were based on the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers. For example, the ideas in the Declaration of Independence were solely based on John Locke's belief that people are entitled to their natural rights to life, liberty and property. They also used Locke's belief from the social contract that the people are capable of overthrowing a government that failed to protect these rights.

How did John Locke's notion of the social contract influence the American Colonists?

John Locke's notion of the social contract influenced American Colonists by bringing back the ideas that allowed them to fight for their natural born rights and overthrow a government that refused to protect them. They used his ideas to create the Declaration of Independence and separated from Britain.

Discuss 4 factors that enabled America's military victory over Britain.

The Americans' motivation for fighting was much stronger since their army was defending their home land. The British were overconfident, causing their generals to make many mistakes. It was more difficult for the British to win the battle while they were overseas. The French army joined forces with the Americans, with the intention of weakening their rival, Britain.

Provide 4 examples of how Enlightenment ideas took shape in the new U.S. government.

The Enlightenment took shape in the new US government when: John Locke's natural rights to life liberty and property were included in the Declaration of Independence. The Bill of Rights protected basic rights to freedom of speech, press, assembly, and religion. (All rights that had been advocated by enlightenment thinkers) Checks and balances prevented one branch from gaining too much power. A new constitution created by men who were familiar with the political theories of enlightenment thinkers such as Locke, Montesquie and Rousseau.

Why did the colonists criticize the Stamp Act as "taxation without representation?"

The colonists criticize the Stamp Act as "taxation without representation" because they didn't have any representation in British parliament to give their consent in order to be taxed.

Why do you think the colonists at first created such a weak central government?

The colonists first created such a weak central government because they had a loose Confederation that held most of the power. They had no judicial branches, and only had one body of government, being Congress that had no control over taxes, or trade.

Why were the colonists able to achieve victory in the American Revolution?

The colonists were able to achieve victory in the American Revolution because they used old Enlightenment ideas to separate from Britain's government when they failed to protect their natural born rights. They also had an advantage since they were fighting on their homeland and got the help of French soldiers during the war.