how the american revolution started crash course

by Donald Littel 7 min read

How did the American Revolution start?

The American Revolution—also called the U.S. War of Independence—was the insurrection fought between 1775 and 1783 through which 13 of Great Britain’s North American colonies threw off British rule to establish the sovereign United States of America, founded with the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

What is Crash Course US history 7?

Crash Course US History #7 In which John Green teaches you about the American Revolution. And the Revolutionary War. I know we've labored the point here, but they weren't the same thing. In any case, John will teach you about the major battles of the war, and discuss the strategies on both sides.

What is John Green crash course US history?

Crash Course US History #7 In which John Green teaches you about the American Revolution. And the Revolutionary War. I know we've labored the point here, but they weren't the same thing.

What is a revolution in history?

Crash Course US History #7 Hi, I’m John Green; this is Crash Course U.S. History. There are two kinds of revolutions: those where things DO change and those where things don’t change. Like, not to get all Crash Course Mathematics on you or anything, but a Revolution is a 360 degree turn, which leaves you back where you started.

How did the American Revolution start?

In April 1775 British soldiers, called lobsterbacks because of their red coats, and minutemen—the colonists' militia—exchanged gunfire at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. Described as "the shot heard round the world," it signaled the start of the American Revolution and led to the creation of a new nation.

What was the American Revolution short summary?

The American Revolution was an epic political and military struggle waged between 1765 and 1783 when 13 of Britain's North American colonies rejected its imperial rule. The protest began in opposition to taxes levied without colonial representation by the British monarchy and Parliament.

What are 3 main causes of the American Revolution?

Here are 6 key causes of this momentous period in American history.Seven Years War (1756-1763) ... Taxes and Duties. ... Boston Massacre (1770) ... Boston Tea Party (1773) ... Intolerable Acts (1774) ... King George III's Speech to Parliament (1775)

What events led up to American Revolution?

Timeline of the American Revolution1754–1763: French and Indian War. ... March 22, 1765: Stamp Act. ... June 15–July 2, 1767: Townshend Acts. ... March 5, 1770: Boston Massacre. ... December 16, 1773: Boston Tea Party. ... March–June 1774: Intolerable Acts. ... September 5, 1774: First Continental Congress convenes.More items...

What caused the American Revolution for dummies?

The colonists resented being taxed by the king when they had no say in government affairs. At first the colonists protested peacefully, but when Britain tried to punish Massachusetts for rebelling in 1775, the thirteen colonies united and the Revolutionary War broke out.

What was the American Revolution explained for kids?

The American Revolution was the war in which Great Britain's 13 American colonies won their independence. The colonies became a new country, the United States. The revolution began in 1775 and ended in 1783.

What was the main point of the American Revolution?

metmuseum.org The American Revolution (1775–83), also called the United States War of Independence or American Revolutionary War, was a war in which 13 of Great Britain's North American colonies won political independence and went on to form the United States of America.

What are the 10 causes of the American Revolution?

American RevolutionFrench and Indian War. This war between Britain and France ended with the British in debt and demanding more revenue from the colonies. ... Lexington and Concord. ... Treaty of Paris. ... Intolerable Acts. ... Stamp Act. ... Boston Massacre. ... Common Sense. ... The Townshend Acts.More items...

What was the main cause of the American Revolution essay?

In Conclusion, the British taxation of the American colonists, the Boston protests, the Intolerable Acts, colonial unity, and the meeting of the first Continental Congress were the main causes of the American Revolution.

What are the main causes of revolution?

There are five elements that create an unstable social equilibrium: economic or fiscal strain, alienation and opposition among the elites, widespread popular anger at injustice, a persuasive shared narrative of resistance, and favorable international relations.

What were the 3 phases of the American Revolution?

The American Revolution, the Civil War and Reconstruction period, along with the Civil Rights era can be seen as three phases of the same struggle for racial equality in the U.S. The Declaration of Independence established the revolutionary ideal of equality among men.

What is a revolution in Crash Course?

There are two kinds of revolutions: those where things DO change and those where things don’t change. Like, not to get all Crash Course Mathematics on you or anything, but a Revolution is a 360 degree turn, which leaves you back where you started.

What was the main strategy of the British in the Revolutionary War?

The main strategy of the British in the Revolutionary war was to capture all the cities and force the colonists to surrender. And the first part of that strategy pretty much worked. They captured Boston and New York and Charleston, but all the colonists had to do was NOT QUIT. I mean, they had home-field advantage, knowledge of the terrain, easier supply lines, and Mr. Creepy Eyes down here. So while the British took the cities, the Americans, or Continentals, held onto the countryside.

How did the American Revolution affect the economy?

And the American revolution profoundly changed the economy, too. Like, all these new ideas of liberty led to a decline in apprenticeship and indentured servitude. And, immediately after the war, you began to see the split between the North, with its reliance on paid labor, and the South, with its reliance on slavery. Slavery was actually on the decline in the South until Eli Whitney went and invented the cotton gin in 1793, which A. made it possible to turn a profit growing inferior American cotton, and B. reinvigorated slavery. Yay, innovation. Oh, no. It’s time for the Mystery Document!

Why were the Indians the losers of the American Revolution?

And, if the American revolution was really about, as Thomas Jefferson would have it, the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, then the Indians were definitely the losers because they didn’t get any of those rights. So, we know slaves and Indians didn’t get much out of the Revolutionary War.

How many slaves fled the Revolution?

They received me readily, and I began to feel the happiness of liberty, of which I knew nothing before,” 100,000 slaves are estimated to have fled to the British.

How did the Native Americans feel about the Revolutionary War?

So, Native Americans were also profoundly affected by the Revolutionary War. Generally, they wanted to stay out of it, and the Colonists mostly wanted them to remain neutral, too. Like, the Continental Congress was eager to remind the Iroquois of their history of neutrality, writing: “This is a family quarrel between us and Old England. You Indians are not concerned in it. We don’t wish you to take up the hatchet against the king’s troops. We desire you to remain at home, and not join on either side, but keep the hatchet buried deep.”

Why did the American colonists refer to themselves as slaves?

I mean, how could this guy write that “All men were created equal” when he himself held slaves? And had kids with one of them. And, even crazier, American colonists, often referred to themselves as slaves because they were denied the right to have a vote in parliament about their taxation.

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What was the American Revolution?

American Revolution, also called United States War of Independence or American Revolutionary War, (1775–83), insurrection by which 13 of Great Britain ’s North American colonies won political independence and went on to form the United States of America. The war followed more than a decade of growing estrangement between ...

What made the American Revolution look like a civil war?

What made the American Revolution look most like a civil war, though, was the reality that about one-third of the colonists, known as loyalists (or Tories), continued to support and fought on the side of the crown. Learn more about loyalists. Read about the fate of the loyalists after the American Revolution.

What was the British attempt to assert greater control over colonial affairs after a long period of salutary neglect?

British attempts to assert greater control over colonial affairs after a long period of salutary neglect, including the imposition of unpopular taxes , had contributed to growing estrangement between the crown and a large and influential segment of colonists who ultimately saw armed rebellion as their only recourse.

How many men were in the militia in 1781?

The total number of the former provided by quotas from the states throughout the conflict was 231,771 men, and the militias totaled 164,087. At any given time, however, the American forces seldom numbered over 20,000; in 1781 there were only about 29,000 insurgents under arms throughout the country.

Why did the British come to Concord?

The British had come to Concord to seize the military stores of the colonists, who had been forewarned of the raid through efficient lines of communication —including the ride of Paul Revere, which is celebrated with poetic license in Longfellow ’s “Paul Revere’s Ride” (1861). Battles of Lexington and Concord.

How many troops did the British government buy?

Because troops were few and conscription unknown, the British government, following a traditional policy, purchased about 30,000 troops from various German princes.

Which country was involved in the war with Britain?

The Netherlands , which was engaged in its own war with Britain, provided financial support for the Americans as well as official recognition of their independence. The French navy in particular played a key role in bringing about the British surrender at Yorktown, which effectively ended the war. Peace of Paris.

What is the most common complaint among American high school students about the American Revolution?

And that brings us back to slavery. The most common complaint among American high school students is that the Revolution was deeply hypocritical.

What was the main strategy of the British in the Revolutionary War?

The main strategy of the British in the Revolutionary war was to capture all the cities and force the colonists to surrender. And the first part of that strategy pretty much worked. They captured Boston and New York and Charleston, but all the colonists had to do was NOT QUIT.

Why were the Indians the losers of the American Revolution?

And, if the American revolution was really about, as Thomas Jefferson would have it, the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, then the Indians were definitely the losers because they didn’t get any of those rights. So, we know slaves and Indians didn’t get much out of the Revolutionary War.

What was the key battle of the war in the South?

The key battle of the war in the south - because it was the one where the British surrendered - was at Yorktown in 1781 . Lord Cornwallis made the brilliant tactical decision to station his troops on a peninsula, surrounded on three sides by water filled with French ships, and the British lost the war.

What are the two types of revolutions?

There are two kinds of revolutions: those where things DO change and those where things don’t change. Like, not to get all Crash Course Mathematics on you or anything, but a Revolution is a 360 degree turn, which leaves you back where you started.

Who gave freedom to slaves who deserted their master?

In 1775, British governor Lord Dunmore issued a proclamation that granted freedom to any slave who deserted his master and fought for the British. Something like 5,000 slaves took him up on the offer. And in addition, many slaves saw the revolution as chance to escape.

Did the colonists fight for independence?

And many other colonists didn’t fight for independence; they fought with the British. Others were pacifists, like the Quakers, who often had their property confiscated when they refused to fight, and in colonial America, of course, losing property also meant losing rights.

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