1. Ch. 4 The War For Independence
Ch. 4.1 The Stirrings of Rebellion
What issues were growing between the colonists and Great Britain?

2. American Revolution Video

3. Section Objectives
1. Summarize the colonial resistance to British taxation.
2. Trace the mounting tension in Massachusetts.
3. Summarize the battles of Lexington and Concord.

4. 1. The Colonies Organize to Resist Britain
Britain is using the colonies to pay off the French and Indian war debt.
A. The Stamp Act
Stamp Act- A 1765 law in which
Parliament established the first direct
taxation of goods and services within
the British colonies in North America.
B. Stamp Act Protests
In response to the Stamp Act
colonists created the Sons of Liberty.
Samuel Adams- One of the founders
of the Sons of Liberty.
The Sons of Liberty harassed stamp
agents forcing them to resign.
Act repealed, first time the colonies
were working as one.

5. C. The Townshend Acts Townshend Acts- A series of laws enacted
by Parliament in 1767, establishing indirect
taxes on goods imported from Britain by
the British colonies in North America.
Colonists reacted with rage protesting
“taxation without representation”
John Hancock (local merchant) is accused
of smuggling in wine by British customs
agents.
2,000 British soldiers were stationed in
Boston after riots were triggered against
customs agents.

6. British policies anger the colonists

7. 2. Tension Mounts in Massachusetts
British soldiers create tension in Boston.
A. The Boston Massacre
Competition of jobs between colonists and
poorly paid British soldiers led to the Boston
Massacre.
Boston Massacre- A clash between British
soldiers and Boston colonists in 1770, in
which five of the colonists were killed.
A plan was put in place to
bring Americans to England
for trial.
committees of correspondence- A group
set up by colonists to exchange information
about British threats to their liberties.
Significant because it linked the leaders of
nearly all the colonies.

8. Boston Massacre

9. B. The Boston Tea Party C. The Intolerable Acts
Tea Act proposed to sell tea directly
to the colonists without a tax and cut
colonial merchants out.
Boston Tea Party- Dumping of 18,000
pounds of tea into Boston Harbor by
colonists in 1773 to protest the Tea Act.
C. The Intolerable Acts
King George III- British King that
pressed Parliament to act after the
Boston Tea Party.
Intolerable Acts- A series of laws passed
by Parliament in 1774 to punish Mass
colonists for the Boston Tea Party.
Shut down Boston Harbor, Quartering
Act, and put Boston under martial law.

10. Martial law- Rule imposed by
military forces.
In response to the intolerable acts the
colonists created the First Continental
Congress in 1774, which met in
Philadelphia.
Drew up a declaration of colonial rights.

11. 3. Fighting Erupts at Lexington and Concord
Minutemen- Civilian soldiers that began to stockpile firearms.
A. To Concord, by the Lexington Road
General Gage (British General) received
word that the colonists had a large amount
of weapons and ammunition outside Boston.
Gage ordered his men to march to Concord
and seize and destroy all weapons.
B. “The Regulars are Coming”
Paul Revere was ordered to warn Samuel
Adams and John Hancock that the British
were coming.
Significant because the British lost the
element of surprise.
Revere was captured by the British, but
was released so they could travel faster.

12. C. “A Glorious Day for America”
British soldiers and Minutemen squared
of at Lexington.
Minutemen were ordered to lay down
their weapons, when they didn’t a shot
was fired and the American Revolution
began. (Battle of Lexington)
British marched to Concord and found
nothing, they went to march back to Boston
but were met by 3,000-4,000 Minutemen.
British soldiers fell by the dozen and they
retreated back to Boston.