THE ROAD TO REVOLUTION

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR YOU TO TAKE UP ARMS AND REVOLT VIOLENTLY AGAINST YOUR COUNTRY?
How do modern political, social, or market movements spread?

 I. Changing Policies: (ending “salutary neglect”)
A. Navigation Acts:
B. Sugar Act (1764)
 C. Stamp Act (1765)
Stamp Act Repealed in February of 1766
In spite of each parasite, each cringing slave Each cautious dastard, each oppressive knave Each gibing ass, that reptile of an hour The supercilious pimp of abject slaves in power We are met to celebrate in festive mirth The day that gave our freedom second birth That tells us, British Grenville never more Shall dare usurp unjust, illegal power Or threaten America’s free sons with chains, While the least spark of ancient fire remains

D. Townshend Duties (1767)

II. Escalation:

A. The Boston Massacre

 B. Burning of the Gaspee

C. The Boston Tea Party, 1773

D. Intolerable Acts (1774, also called The Coercive Acts) 1. Boston Port Bill 2. Massachusetts Bay Regulating Act 3. Impartial Administration of Justice Act 4. Quartering Act

The Quebec Act

III. Events plus Ideas= Revolution

 A. EVENTS: Lexington and Concord

B. IDEAS:

1. Thomas Paine, “Common Sense” 1776 “But where says some is the King of America? I'll tell you Friend, he reigns above, and doth not make havoc of mankind like the Royal Brute of Britain...let it be brought forth placed on the divine law, the word of God; let a crown be placed thereon, by which the world may know, that so far as we approve of monarchy, that in America THE LAW IS KING.” “Small islands not capable of protecting themselves, are the proper objects for kingdoms to take under their care; but there is something very absurd, in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island. In no instance hath nature made the satellite larger than its primary planet, and as England and America, with respect to each Other, reverses the common order of nature, it is evident they belong to different systems: England to Europe- America to itself.”

 2. Thomas Jefferson: Declaration of Independence …


and finally…
The Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Yorktown
and
The Treaty of Paris, 1783