In this fine lecture, thirteen British colonies appear up and down the Atlantic Coast, south of Canada. Although each of the colonies was founded for a unique reason, the colonists were united by their status as second-class British subjects. Not every colonist was upset with living under British rule, but the majority of them supported the American Revolution. On winning its independence, the new nation arrived at its own revolutionary form of democratic government.
Segment 03b: The Thirteen Colonies discusses the founding of the British colonies and examines some of the reasons why people emigrated there. The Virginia colony was first of the Southern colonies, and possessed a typical (for the south) plantation culture, with definite upper and lower classes. The Massachusetts colony was founded by Pilgrims who had left for religious reasons, and its organization typified New England: merchants and independent farmers of roughly equal status, devoted to their own religious beliefs but not tolerant of others' beliefs. In between, colonies such as New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Delaware were more open to settlers of diverse beliefs and diverse backgrounds. The first step in knitting these colonies together was the French and Indian War of 1756-1763. Although the colonials did more than their share of the fighting against the French and the Indians on Britain's behalf, but they got very few of the benefits.
In segment 03c: Revolution In The Air, we meet the concept of "taxation without representation." The Colonials were not totally against paying taxes to the British government. They thought, though, that paying taxes should entitle them to direct representatiion in Parliament. Britain was not about to let the tail wag the dog. Consequently the British tried various economic measures to put the colonials in their place, but the colonials were determined not to stay there. Pressure groups such as the Sons of Liberty helped to unify the colonials against the British, and the shooting war finally started in April 1775. The Continental Congress did an admirable job of running the rebellion through the supreme military commander, General George Washington. Yet the odds were stacked against the ragtag Continental Army, which benefitted greatly from the support of nations which also hated Great Britain. Were it not for help from France, which was always looking for a way to stick it to Britain, the Colonials might well have lost. Ultimate victory over the British, recognized by the 1783 Treaty of Paris, granted the Colonials their independence. But the toughest task of all still lay ahead.
In segment 03d: Building on Our Beginnings, the former colonists invent a government for their new nation. Drawing upon Enlightenment philosophy and the writings of the classical Greeks and Romans, the Constitutional Convention got to work. IThe process took time, but the Convention worked out a document which carefully balanced state and federal interests. It also established an equally careful balance between the legislative, judiciary, and executive branches of government. With very little modification and only moderate haggling, the new Constitution was approved by all 13 states. George Washington became the first President of the United States of America. Resisting pressure to declare himself King or Dictator, Washington proved to be an excellent choice. While he was not the most brilliant of the Founders, he enjoyed tremendous prestige and his good common sense helped keep the new nation on an even keel.
