American Independence from Great Britian

What is a patriot?

1. a person who vigorously supports their country prepared to fight to defend it against enemies.

synonyms: nationalist, loyalist

Despite the growing disagreements with England, many colonists were uncertain about the idea of independence. However, the ideas of the Enlightenment changed the minds of many colonists.

Key Enlightenment Thinker

• English philosopher John Locke (1632-1704)
• Locke believed that people have natural rights to life, liberty, and property
• Locke argued every society is based on a contract—an agreement in which the people have the right to choose and obey a government as long as government protects their natural rights
• If the government violates the contract by taking away or interfering with rights, people have the right to resist and even overthrow the government.

Preachers supported the cause of liberty. One preacher at the time, Jonathan Mayhew, wrote he had learned from the holy scriptures that wise, brave, and virtuous men were always friends of liberty. Ministers spoke from their pulpits in favor of independence

In a book titled Common Sense, Thomas Paine attacked King George of England. Paine declared that independence would allow America to trade more freely. He also said independence would give American colonists the chance to create a better society, a land free from tyranny, with equal social and economic opportunities for "all".

Americans created a group, the Continental Congress, to guide the battle for independence, and created a committee, headed by Thomas Jefferson, to draft the first Declaration of Independence.

Drawing on Locke's ideas of natural rights, The Declaration of Independence declared "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" to be "unalienable"—rights that can never be taken away.

Jefferson believed a government's power can only come from the people, and that when a government does not protect unalienable rights, the people have the right to "alter or abolish" government

The Declaration states that "all men are created equal." When Jefferson wrote this, he believed free citizens were political equals. He did not claim that all people had the same ability or talents to have equal wealth. Jefferson's words were never meant to include women, Native Americans, or African-Americans, who made up a large number of Americans.

Jefferson's words, however, presented ideals that would later help these groups challenge for more equality.

July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed. The colonists had declared their freedom from Britain. They would now have to fight for it.

The American Revolution was a political war that took place between 1775 and 1783 during which colonists rejected British rule, overthrew the British and founded the United States of America.

French Revolution 1789-1799

• Heavily influenced by American Revolution
• Slogan: "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"
• In France: a person's status determined their quality of life
• 97% were poor; 3% lived in wealth
• French Third Estate wanted democracy, citizenship, undeniable rights
• French peasants fighting their own country for change
• First Estate were the clergy; the Second Estate were the nobility; and the Third Estate were the commoners (97%). The king was considered part of no estate.

The American Revolution.

A War of Independence

Americans Published Ideas of Liberty

American & French Revolutions

Did religion play a role for independence from England?

French Revolution

[Summary in Song]

http://www.history.com/topics/french-revolution/videos/the-french-revolution

Jonathan Mayhew

The Declaration

Colonists became Patriots

Colonists were Patriots

Taking Their Independence