1. America’s Freedom Kimberly Verduzco-Epperson July 17, 2012

2. What is Freedom? Freedom, Independence, and Liberty refer to an absence of undue restrictions and an opportunity to exercise one’s rights, powers, desires, or the like – Freedom means belonging to a group or community of free people – Independence implies a lack of restrictions as well as the ability to stand alone – Liberty, often interchanged with freedom, also implies exercise of freedom; separate from an enslaved entity

3. 1754 French and Indian War

4. 1754 1765 French and Indian War Stamp Act

5. 1754 1765 1767 French and Indian War Stamp Act Townshend Act

6. 1754 1765 1767 1770 French and Indian War Stamp Act Townshend Act Boston Massacre

7. 1754 1765 1767 1770 1773 French and Indian War Stamp Act Townshend Act Boston Tea Party Boston Massacre

8. 1754 1765 1767 1770 1773 1774 French and Indian War Stamp Act Townshend Act First Continental Congress Boston Tea Party Boston Massacre

9. 1754 1765 1767 1770 1773 1774 1776 French and Indian War Stamp Act Townshend Act First Continental Congress Second Continental Congress Boston Tea Party Boston Massacre

10. Overview By the late eighteenth century, Americans enjoyed more liberties than most people in the world, and they paid lower taxes than the subjects of any other European state They came together from very disparate regions and societies because they found common ground in their grievances, their concerns about tyranny, and their notions of self-determination

11. Overview (con’t) The masses were acting upon their conceptualization of liberty and its meaning Political philosophies of the Enlightenment were now articulated in simple, easy-to-read pamphlets by revolutionaries like the Englishman Thomas Paine Global Age of Revolutions

12. Different Views, Same Goal Even though people came from completely different backgrounds they were able to fight as one for a common goal. Women – Saw a chance for more freedoms than they had with English rule Economically Challenged – Saw ways in which they could become more efficient, economical, and be a part of the larger society, by having a broader spectrum of people to trade with Slaves – Saw a chance to win their freedoms either by fighting with the Americans or by escaping to fight for the British

13. Cost of the War About 5,000 African American men and boys Families were separated Homes, land, crops, live stock, lives U.S. troops engaged 217,000 Dead 7,200 in battle 10,000 from disease or exposure 8,500 in British prisons 1775-1783 $101 million FY2011$2,407 million

14. What did America win? Freedom to self govern England no longer had the right to grant or deny freedoms A government that served and protected the people The beginning of a society dedicated to the concept of Liberty and Equality for all

15. First Amendment “Before the Revolutionary War, America was a nation divided by different faiths. But when the war for independence sparked in 1776, colonists united under the banner of religious freedom. Evangelical frontiersmen and Deist intellectuals set aside their differences to defend a belief they shared, the right to worship freely.” Kidd Parliament stops group meetings and bans people from expressing opinions of elected officials Freedom of religion, speech, press, and assembly

16. Second Amendment The colonists in the Boston Massacre were unable to carry weapons and thus had to protect themselves against British Soldiers with sticks and stones. The soldiers were sent to confiscate all of the colonists arms and ammunitions in Lexington. The right to bear arms.

17. Third Amendment When Britain sent troops to control the colonies, the colonists were forced to open their homes to the soldiers. Right to refuse quartering of soldiers.

18. Fourth Amendment The soldiers were allowed to come into the homes of colonists and take whatever they wanted and the colonists had no way of fighting back. The right to protect against unlawful search and seizure.

19. The Beginning of The End Second Continental Congress declared Americas Independence in July 1776 when Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.

20. Bibliography www.shmoop.com/american- revolution/resources www.shmoop.com/american- revolution/resources Wiki.answers.com www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/us39 God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution, by Thomas S. Kidd www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RS22926.pdf www.boston-tea-party.org/timeline.html