“We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies: when he shall make us a praise and glory that men shall say of succeeding plantations: 'the Lord make it like that of New England.' For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill: The eyes of all people are upon us ... ”

John Winthrop, Governor 

Colonial America. In Part 1 of this course we will first try to gain an understanding of what life was like in colonial America. Themes will include the following:

• The American colonists were different from their cousins whom they left behind in Europe. What evidence do we have to support that idea?
• The colonists were mostly English men and women, with a solid mixture of Germans, Swedes, Dutch and French immigrants. As the colonies grew and prospered, the colonists gradually became Americans. How did that happen?
• English government of the colonies was generally very weak; the result was that the Americans developed an independent spirit that helped lead to the revolution.
• The capitalists arrived on the first ships, for much of the settlement of America was designed as a money-making proposition, both individually and collectively.
• Religious issues—primarily the desire for religious freedom—drove many of the colonists to America; the conflicts they left behind gradually created in them a desire to rid their own societies of religious tensions.
• The American Revolution is said to have begun in 1763; in fact, revolutionary ideas had taken root long before that time.

Our first goal will be to reconstruct the colonial world to the best of our ability using mostly sources from that time. Our second goal will be to understand the process by which the 13 British colonies revolted and became the United States of America.

Now, one of the most essential branches of English liberty is the freedom of one's house. A man's house is his castle; and while he is quiet, he is as well guarded as a prince in his castle. This writ, if it should be declared legal, would totally annihilate this privilege.

—James Otis, 1761

The American Revolution

In covering the American Revolution, 1761 to 1783, we will begin by looking at the origins and causes of the American Revolution, move to the war itself, discuss the decision for Independence and then follow the story through the victory at Yorktown in 1781 and the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During this segment we will work with original sources and use an online forum to enhance our understanding of the period. Here are the major topics we will pursue:

• Review the colonial period to consider the settlers who came to America from England and other parts of Northwestern Europe and created in the process a new and different culture, fertile ground for revolution.
• Examine the colonial wars, especially the French and Indian War—the backdrop for the Revolution.
• Once the Great War for Empire ended in 1763, British colonial policy towards America changed, and relations between Great Britain and the colonies steadily deteriorated until fighting broke out in 1775.
• We will study the war itself, especially the leadership problems and political issues experiences that helped shape the outcome as well as future generations.

At the end of this section students should have a clear understanding of how the United States were formed and have an appreciation for the wisdom of the founding fathers and mothers.

“These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

History 121 Syllabus

Updated January 27, 2007