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03 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: THE FOUNDING OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,…
03 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: THE FOUNDING OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
1 THE THIRTEEN COLONIES: WAR AND INDEPENDENCE
Since the 17th century groups of European emigrants had settled on the east coast of North America
Some had fled political instability and religious persecution in their countries of origin
The British monarchy organised the colonists into 13 demarcations or colonies
They had to pay a series of taxes to the British Crown
For all other matters, the colonists ruled themselves through the colonial assemblies
THE THIRTEEN COLONIES
After the Seven Years’ War, the British created a large permanent army in America
They forced the colonists to fund it through new taxes, but the colonists rebelled
Their slogan was ‘no taxation without representation’,
A revolutionary process began in 1776
The colonies became known as states, and the new country was called the United States of America
The British were opposed to these changes, and the American War of Independence began
After the battles of Saratoga and Yorktown the Peace of Paris was signed in 1783
Great Britain formally recognised the new country’s independence.
EXTRACT FROM THE UNITED STATES DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (1776)
``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal''
``That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights´´
``Among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness´´
``To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men´´
``Deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed´´
2 THE POLITICAL REGIME OF THE UNITED STATES
The delegates from the new states met again in Philadelphia and drafted a Constitution, which was approved in 1787
The key points of the Constitution of the United States of America are still in force today
Members of the House of Representatives were elected by censitary suffrage
Only white adult males who owned a certain number of properties could vote
The states of Vermont, Pennsylvania and Kentucky approved universal manhood suffrage for white men before 1800
In addition, states in the southern half of the country maintained slavery
AMERICAN EXPANSION UNTIL 1810
The United States began its westward expansion very early
Quickly doubled its number of states
When a colonised territory had a certain number of inhabitants
It was proposed that it be constituted as a state
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
A series of amendments, or articles added to the Constitution
Led to the progressive expansion of the rights originally listed in it
The constitutional text had to be amended on several occasions to introduce universal suffrage
When electing the two Houses and to recognise the right for everyone to vote
Regardless of how much money they had, including women, indigenous natives and the black population
