Tea, Taxes, and The American Revolution: Crash Course World History #28
TLDRThis Crash Course World History video provides an overview of the American Revolution, explaining why it occurred and assessing how revolutionary it truly was. It covers the growing tensions between the British government and American colonists over issues like taxation and representation, culminating in protests and eventually war. The video analyzes the revolutionary ideas the colonists fought for, like liberty and equality, but notes the revolution did not overturn existing social and property hierarchies. It argues that while the new American system was quite radical globally by eliminating nobility and absolutism, in practice it kept white male landowners in charge, failing to live up to its highest ideals of equality.
Takeaways
- ๐ The American Revolution was caused by disputes over taxation between Britain and its North American colonies
- ๐ฎโ๐จ Despite victory in the 7 Years War, Britain still had major debts and looked to tax the colonies
- ๐คจ The Stamp Act and other taxes angered colonists as they had no direct representation in British Parliament
- ๐ Growing protests like the Boston Tea Party led Britain to crack down, eventually sparking fighting in 1775
- ๐๐ป By 1776, the colonists were largely self-governing with groups like the Committees of Correspondence
- ๐ฝ The Declaration of Independence and ideas of Enlightenment thinkers shaped revolutionary zeal
- ๐ But the revolution did not radically change social order - the same elites still owned most property
- ๐ Slavery remained and women still couldn't vote, failing to live up to 'All men are created equal'
- ๐ค Still, banning nobility and coming to view all white men as equal were significant shifts
- ๐ญ Ideas of American revolution continue to shape political discourse, though hard to fully execute
Q & A
What war ended in 1763 that was expensive but a victory for the British and British subjects living in America?
-The 7 Years War ended in 1763. It was expensive but a victory for the British and British subjects living in America, who gained more land and money as a result.
Why were the American colonists upset about the Stamp Act passed in 1765?
-The American colonists were upset about the Stamp Act because they had to pay the tax but had no direct representation in the British parliament that levied the tax.
What event in 1770 led to further British crackdowns on the colonists?
-The Boston Massacre in 1770, which left 5 people dead, led to further British crackdowns on the colonists.
How did the colonists protest unfair taxation by the British?
-The colonists protested unfair taxation by boycotting British products. They created Committees of Correspondence to organize the boycotts and enforce participation.
What percentage of colonists remained loyal to Britain during the Revolutionary War?
-About 20% of the colonists remained loyal to Great Britain throughout the Revolutionary War.
What radical idea did the American Revolution introduce by throwing off British rule?
-The American Revolution introduced the radical idea of throwing off the rule of an imperial monarchy and replacing it with a government without a king.
How revolutionary was the American Revolution in terms of equality?
-The American Revolution was not very revolutionary in terms of equality. It kept in place the same white male property owners being in charge as before. Slavery also persisted after the revolution.
What seismic change did the American Revolution produce regarding how Americans viewed themselves?
-After the Revolution, ordinary Americans came to view themselves as equal to each other in a basic down-to-earth way, unlike the strict social hierarchies in Europe.
How did the ideas of the American Revolution shape political discourse around the world?
-The ideas of property, equality, and representation from the American Revolution still greatly influence political discourse around the world today.
What challenge arises when trying to live up to revolutionary ideals of equality?
-The challenge is that those in power often fail to live up to ideals of equality, as power tends to corrupt revolutionary leaders over time.
Outlines
๐บ Introduction to the American Revolution
The first paragraph introduces the American Revolution, stating it won't provide a chronological account but will focus on why it happened and how revolutionary it actually was. It touches on the 7 Years War, protests against British taxation leading to further organization and escalating conflict, as well as the drafting of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress.
๐ฅ Opposing Sides and Perspectives
The second paragraph discusses the opposing sides in the revolution, noting about 20% of colonists remained loyal to Britain. It states many slaves supported the British after promises of freedom for fighting with them. It raises the perspective that some disadvantaged groups may have been better off with a British victory.
๐ค The Complexity of Revolution
The third paragraph explores the complexity of revolutions, comparing the ideas and ideals behind them versus the actual outcomes. It uses the revolution's stance on property rights and equality as examples, stating the white male property owners maintained power and the lofty words of equality didn't match the reality of slavery.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กAmerican Revolution
๐กrepresentation
๐กCommittees of Correspondence
๐กContinental Congress
๐กDeclaration of Independence
๐กproperty rights
๐กequality
๐กEnlightenment
๐กFrench Revolution
๐กinclusive ideals
Highlights
The British government taxed the colonists without direct representation, leading to protests and boycotts
The colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor to protest British decisions that would have made tea cheaper
The Committees of Correspondence spread information, enforced boycotts like a shadow government, and set up the Continental Congress
The Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, which argued for liberty and against tyranny
The revolution threw off monarchical rule and established a government without a king, a radical idea at the time
Property rights were upheld so the same white male landowners maintained power after the revolution
The Declaration of Independence proclaimed equality while slavery and lack of rights for women continued
Moderate Enlightenment thinkers like Locke and Smith influenced the revolution more than radical French thinkers
The revolution ensured no nobility in America and recognized some rights for women regarding property
After the revolution, Americans began to view themselves as equal to each other in a basic way
Ideas of property, equality and representation from the revolution still shape political discourse globally
The revolution shows ideals are hard to live up to - revolutionaries often end up like Orwell's pigs
British taxes led to protests, committees formed a shadow government, ideas of liberty and equality emerged but weren't fully realized
The revolution established a government without a king and made people view themselves as equal, but property owners kept control
Moderate Enlightenment ideas shaped the thinking, but high ideals weren't fully matched in reality
The revolution had a large impact, but failed to overturn existing privilege, slavery, inequality
Transcripts
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