Page 48 - Demo

174Although Part 3 is dominated by the causes and consequences of the War of Independence, it opens in 1754 to capture the changes wrought by the Great War for Empire, which were revolutionary in themselves%u2014Britain had triumphed in the war, only to see its American empire unravel and descend into rebellion. Thirteen colonies united and, with the aid of Britain%u2019s European enemies, won their independence and then formed a federal republic that could claim a place among the nations of the world. %u201cThe American war is over,%u201d Philadelphia Patriot Benjamin Rush declared in 1787, %u201cbut this is far from being the case with the American Revolution. On the contrary, nothing but the first act of the great drama is closed. It remains yet to establish and perfect our new forms of government.%u201dThe republican revolution extended far beyond politics. It challenged many of the values and institutions that had prevailed for centuries in Europe and the Atlantic world. After 1776, Americans reconsidered basic assumptions that structured their societies, cultures, families, and communities. Moreover, the new nation had to establish its economic independence and viability as it sought to conquer western lands on behalf of American citizens and protect American manufacturing from foreign competition. These effects of the Revolution were only beginning to take shape by 1800, but we end Part 3 there, when the essential characteristics of the United States were becoming clear. (Chapter 7 carries the political story forward to 1820 in order to trace key themes to their conclusion, but Part 4 takes 1800 as its start date.) This periodization%u20141754 to 1800%u2014captures a critical phase in American history: the transition from imperial rivalry and wars among European powers and Native American societies to the founding of a new nation-state and its political institutions. Here are three key questions to keep in mind as you read the chapters in this part:CHAPTER 5The Problem of Empire, 1754%u20131776CHAPTER 6Making War and Republican Governments, 1776%u20131789CHAPTER 7Hammering Out a Federal Republic, 1787%u20131820Revolution and Republican Culture 3 1754%u20131800PART%u00a9 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. For review purposes only. Do not distribute.