POLS 1101 1st Edition Lecture 2 Outline of Last Lecture I. Purpose of GovernmentII. Definition of GovernmentIII. Difference between Politics and GovernmentIV. Governance and Inequality Outline of Current Lecture I.French and Indian WarA.Boston Tea Party B.The Intolerable (Coercive) ActsII. The Declaration of IndependenceIII. The Articles of Confederation A.Failures Current LectureI. The French and Indian WarThe French and Indian War was a huge conflict lasting seven years between Great Britain and France, which left Great Britain with territorial gains but also a huge war debt. In an effort to help pay off this debt, the British Parliament started to enforce taxes on the American colonies. Of course these taxes did not fare well with the colonists. They began to claim it was “taxation without representation.” Some of these taxes included: 1. The Sugar Act- 1764- Added new charges on consumables in the U.S.- Put a duty on the import of molasses2. The Stamp Tax- 1765- Charge applied on every piece of paper used in the legal system and the media- Every paper had to be stamped3. The Quartering Act- Called for colonists to host troops and soldiers in their home if there were no rooms in the barracks- Included costs to colonists that could be interpreted as taxesThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.The colonists’ response to all of these new acts and taxes was angry and violent. Riots were breaking out, protests were happening, and mobs were gathering. They started to boycott British goods. The Tea Act of 1773 was another measure that pushed the colonists towards even more anger. The Tea Act’s main purpose was not to raise taxes but to help the East India Company, which was key in Great Britain’s economy. The British government granted this company a monopoly on the importation and sale of tea in the colonies. This sparked a huge rebellion known as The Boston Tea Party, in which colonists dressed as Native Americans boarded East India Company ships and dumped loads of tea overboard. Parliament responded with a series of harsh measures in order to stop the colonial resistance. These are known as the Intolerable or Coercive Acts. They were as follows:1. Boston Port Act- Discontinued the landing and discharging, lading or shipping, of goods, wares, and merchandise at the town and harbor of Boston2. Massachusetts Government Act- Better regulating the government of the province of the Massachusetts Bay3. Administration of Justice Act- Impartial administration of justice in the case of persons questioned for any acts done bythem in execution of the law, or for the suppression of riots and tumults- Massachusetts Bay4. Quebec Act- Made effectual provision for the government of the province of Quebec All of these issues eventually led to a Revolutionary War, and then the Declaration of Independence.II. The Declaration of Independence Key concepts of the Declaration: - Social Contract-Idea of Consent - Ideas taken from John Locke- Natural Rights-life, liberty, property, pursuit of happiness - Dissolved colonial allegiance with Britain but did not create a new system of governmentBroken down into four main parts: 1. Introduction: States purpose, explains why American colonists are declaring independence2. Theory: Certain immutable rights possessed by all individuals and inherent to human nature. Government must secure and protect such rights. Government is based on the consent of the people, and the people have the right to overthrow the government I the government persistently violates these principles. 3. Grievances: List of grievances against King George III, gives examples of actions that violated the principles of a good government. Justified the separation from the King’s government and Great Britain.4. Sovereignty: Assertion of sovereignty by the United States of America. Defends their right to maintain independence and their own rights.III. The Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation of 1776 attempted to set up a new form of government for the newly independent nation of the United States of America. It’s key components included:- A unicameral government, one representative and vote per state- Unanimous decisions- Run by states, no executiveThe Articles caused many problems, ultimately failing. The problems within the Articles lied in these key points:- Without an executive, there was a weak central government, which was too weak to constrain the self-interested, autonomous states- Congress could not tax, form an army, regulate trade, etc, it severely limited its powers- States often times refused to cooperate- The Articles were almost impossible to amend, making it difficult to fix or change problemsBecause of these many, huge issues, the Articles of Confederation were tossed out and a new system came into