1. As of the mid 18th century, the British idea of Liberty bound colonial America to England. At the same time, colonists were sharply divided amongst themselves. Both factors made American independence likely.
2. Things began to change in the 1750s and 1760s as colonists grew unite by a sense that Liberty was under threat =-- during and after the 7 years war.
3. Still, colonists divided over how best to respond. Only after their initial efforts failed did they begin to conceive a new, American Idea of Liberty.

7 Years War

• Starts on the frontier
• Global War
• British won, victory for British ideas
• Disaster for France, though hard fought. France almost won
• Colonies grow closer to one an other and Britain
• 
• Results prove problematic

Part II - The Crisis of Liberty Deepens

• Empire grows suddenly
• Proclamation Line of 1763
  • Defined boundaries of colonies
  • Colonists unhappy because they feel entitle to land beyond the line
• British Government has a huge mountain of debt from the 7 years War
  • 137,000 pounds (money)
• Stamp Act of 1765
  • To pay war debts
• Taxation without representation is Tyranny -- James Otis

Part III - The Colonies Debate

A. How to Fix the Empire of Liberty

• Radicals like John and Sam Adams
• Moderates Like George Washington, Jefferson
  • Attached to the British = Liberty idea
  • James Chalmers author against stamp act
    B. The Road to Independence
• Galloway's Plan of Union (Sep 1774)
  • Joseph Galloway
  • Proposes a "Colonial council"
• "Olive Branch Petition" (May 1775)
  • John Dickinson
  • Colonies pledge loyalty to the King
  • Reject the idea of independence
  • King does not respond to the petition
• Moderates move to join radicals (become patriots) around 1776 because of the failure of methods to stay British
• 25% of colonists stay loyalists
• Common Sense (Jan 1776) (reading)
  • Thomas Paine
  • Liberty is... ?
  • Colonies have a more perfect form of liberty
  • "Asylum for mankind"
  • 1 in 6 colonists purchased a copy of this
• An American Idea of liberty, 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. "Thomas Jefferson"