Tea, Taxes, and The American Revolution: Crash Course World History #28

CrashCourse
2 Aug 201211:27
EducationalLearning
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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
  • 😊 The American Revolution was caused by disputes over taxation between Britain and its North American colonies
  • 😮‍💨 Despite victory in the 7 Years War, Britain still had major debts and looked to tax the colonies
  • 🤨 The Stamp Act and other taxes angered colonists as they had no direct representation in British Parliament
  • 😠 Growing protests like the Boston Tea Party led Britain to crack down, eventually sparking fighting in 1775
  • 👉🏻 By 1776, the colonists were largely self-governing with groups like the Committees of Correspondence
  • 🗽 The Declaration of Independence and ideas of Enlightenment thinkers shaped revolutionary zeal
  • 🔎 But the revolution did not radically change social order - the same elites still owned most property
  • 😕 Slavery remained and women still couldn't vote, failing to live up to 'All men are created equal'
  • 🤔 Still, banning nobility and coming to view all white men as equal were significant shifts
  • 💭 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
00:00
📺 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.

05:01
👥 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.

10:01
🤝 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
💡American Revolution
The American Revolution refers to the political upheaval in the 18th century in which the Thirteen Colonies overthrew British rule to establish the United States of America. It is a key theme throughout the video, looking at the causes, events, and outcomes of the revolution in contrast to more radical revolutions like the French Revolution.
💡representation
A core grievance of the American colonists was taxation without representation, meaning they were taxed by the British government but had no elected members in Parliament to represent their interests. This concept of political representation is central to understanding the build up to the revolution.
💡Committees of Correspondence
These committees were created by the colonists to spread information and organize boycotts against British taxation. As the script notes, they took on roles similar to a government, showing the extent of self-governance and unity among the colonists even before the outbreak of fighting.
💡Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was an assembly of colonial delegates that coordinated the American response to Britain, including approving the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It highlights the clear break from British rule.
💡Declaration of Independence
The famous document declaring the 13 American colonies as independent states, drafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1776. The script argues this already reflected the revolutionary zeal of the colonists prior to military victory.
💡property rights
The protection of property rights for landowners was a key priority coming out of the revolution, seen in the lack of federal taxing power under the Articles of Confederation. This maintained the status quo and privileged class from before the war.
💡equality
The rhetoric around equal rights and beliefs in equality among citizens was central to the revolution, despite the reality of slavery and lack of rights for women, Native Americans etc. at the time. The script examines this contradiction.
💡Enlightenment
The Enlightenment philosophical movement emphasizing reason, science, and humanism is identified as a influence on the revolutionary ideals about government and rights. More radical Enlightenment thinkers directly challenged religion and hierarchy.
💡French Revolution
The French Revolution is contrasted with the American Revolution throughout the script, positioned as more radical in its rhetoric about equality and changes to the social order under the influence of different Enlightenment thinkers.
💡inclusive ideals
The concluding argument is that while flawed in execution, the revolution espoused more inclusive, equality-based Enlightenment ideals that still influence political thought, versus alternatives.
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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