WEEK 5 The American Revolution Key Terms Pennsylvania Constitution Articles of Confederation Shay s Rebellion Gradual Abolition Republican Motherhood I Fighting the War Of 350 000 eligible men more than 200 000 saw action 1 3 were strongly in favor of independence 1 3 were independents 1 3 were indifferent African Americans fought for both sides w By end of the war 20 of American forces Only in North Southern states didn t allow Lord Dunmore s Proclamation 1775 offered freedom to anyone who took up arms for the British Particularly brutal fighting in the South gorilla warfare Britain had numbers money and training support of wealthy colonists and Native Americans saw British as the only things standing against Americans native American tribes taking more land Americans had no central gov poor training didn t travel far from homes British has 11 M vs 2 5 M Colonists lacked a strong central government or a well trained militia Fighting particularly harsh in the South II War and Hardship getting in British naval blockade and occupation of major cities meant no supplies Prices for good were very high Government requisitioned goods directly from people Prices for goods were extremely high Continental Congress had no authority to tax paid for war by issuing paper money inflation War brought changes in women s roles Women were left to fend for themselves farm and family affairs III Women s Changing Roles a Women realized that they were actually good at fending for themselves b Spent the next years fighting for their rights IV Victory a Eventually Americans won enough victories to convince France to step in on their side b Combined with home advantage and better military leadership this alliance paved way to victory in 1783 c Treaty of Paris 1783 formally recognized American independence and relinquished large tracts of land V Victory at Saratoga 1777 VI Forging an American Identity Regional economic and demographic differences Southern based around farming North based on trade Middle Once the war ended American were divided over many issue Rivalries over boundary disputes and other issues However there were some things holding them together Most were of English descent Most were Protestant Most were farmers Strong tradition of print culture literacy and public debate VII Forming a New Government Big Questions Would power rest with national government or states Who would control these institutions average people or elites Would women have greater rights What would the status of slavery be How to create a viable working government without infringing on the liberty of the people VIII American Exceptionalism Enlightenment theory held that power had to be balanced to protect liberty In the wake of the Revolution Americans wondered if they were the exception to this rule liberty and power are fundimenally at odds the more power a group has the more they threaten the liberty wondered if the rule did not apply to them Since they are the people this law did not apply civic virtue Believed they were an especially virtuous civic minded incorruptible people For these reasons believed power should not be balanced among one monarch few aristocracy and many the people all should rest with the many Most prosperous people in the world anyone could get land if they wanted it People were special and knew it thought they were more virtuous could function without a monarch The State Constitutions In May 1776 Continental Congress called upon states to create new republican institutions Took idea of popular sovereignty very seriously Within 6 months VA MD NC NJ DE and PA had all ratified new constitutions Pennsylvania Constitution 1776 Abolished property ownership as requirement for voting or office holding but had to make enough to pay taxes Strong Quaker heritage Elites did not participate in developing the PA constitution Pacifists Unicameral legislature No governor to exercise veto Abolished debtors prisons Called for schools with no or low fees PA state constitution did not require property ownership om prder to vote Included Declaration of Rights Scared elites who saw it as democracy run amok derived from the labor theory value This is radical bc it is not just the elites who are seen as important contributors to politics starting to move away from interdependency and the moral economy to focus on independence The Articles of Confederation 1781 Unicameral Each state had one vote Important laws required 9 13 states changes to Articles had to be unanimous Weak executive with no veto power Congress could declare war make treaties resolve disputes between states borrow and print requisition funds Congress could not directly tax maintain an army Accomplishments under the Articles of Confederation Won the War Northwest Ordinance 1787 allowed for incorporation of new territory into the union NW O banned slavery north of the Ohio River Resolved boundary disputes between states Opened foreign trade Congress resolved some arguments among different states Limitations with the Articles od Confederarion A States tried to tax eachother B The national currency had very little value because the national government was perpetually broke C Foreign affairs GB did not open the West Indies for slaves as it said it would Spain was prosing problems in Louisiana D Proved that the world was full of monarchies that were leading the E Problems with Britiain Spain and France seemed to prove that republic to failure monarchies were predatory F Factions were foriming over everything tariffs price controls religion ect i ii iii Factions seen as weakness perhaps Americans not especially virtuous after all Easier for monarchies to take over Proved that maybe we are not capable of putting aside our self interests and working for the greater good of all people I Shays Rebellion 1786 A Inflation meant that paper money was nearly worthless B Creditors were insisting that debtors pay in hard currency C Particularly bad in Massachusetts where farmers were losing their land and jails were filling up with debtors D Daniel Shays and followers marched on courthouse wanted to shut it down to prevent arrests and foreclosures E Federal government could not intervene F Significance elites began to fear too much democracy call for stronger government II How Revolutionary Was the American Revolution A Radical political change Overthrew monarchy Established republic with broad political participation B Less radical in other ways i ii i ii iii iv v