The Causes of the War 4 The American Revolution was the result of a series of disputes between the American Colonists and Britain. 4 Revolution - the overthrow of one government (Britain) to govern themselves

What were points of conflict? LandTaxes Lack of Colonial Representation in Government Unfair British Laws ` Conflict Areas

Land 4 French & Indian War – Won western lands 4 Proclamation of 1763 – Lost western lands

Taxes 4 Britain needed to pay their debts from the French & Indian War –Britain taxed the colonies to raise money 4 Britain expected colonists to pay for stationing British soldiers along the western border 4 Tax - a sum of money demanded by a government for its support or for specific services

British Action: Sugar Act Tax on sugar, coffee and wine imported from Britain 4 Sent custom officials to enforce tax

Colonists’ Reaction: Boycott 4 Sons of Liberty boycotted sugar –Argued that colonists’ should not have to pay tax because they had no representation in British government –“No taxation without Representation” 4 Sons/Daughters of Liberty – secret organization of colonists opposed to British taxes 4 Boycott – refuse to buy certain goods

British Action: Sugar Act Colonists’ Reaction: Boycott Result: Tax removed

British Action: Stamp Act Required all paper products to carry an official stamp showing that a tax had been paid 4 Tax on products such as legal documents, newspapers, cards, books, pamphlets, etc.

Colonists’ Reaction: Protest 4 Colonist merchants began a boycott of British goods. 4 Secret societies began to form 4 Sons of Liberty - Many were lawyers, merchants, and craftspeople - those most affected by the Stamp Act. 4 Committees of Correspondence – leaders who kept each other & their communities informed of British acts and the colonial resistance

British Action: Stamp Act Colonists’ Reaction: Protest Result: Britain repealed the Stamp Act Britain imposed the Declaration Act – This gave parliament supreme authority to govern the colonies.

Quartering Act 4 Law stating colonists had to house soldiers in their homes and provide them with supplies 4 Cost saving measure for Britain

British Action: Townshend Acts Taxes on paper, paint, lead, glass, and tea

Colonists’ Reaction: Boycott 4 Colonists formed boycott of British goods 4 Sons of Liberty pressured shopkeepers not to sell imported goods. 4 Daughters of Liberty called on colonists to weave their own cloth (cotton) and use American products.

British Action: Townshend Acts Colonists’ Reaction: Boycott Result: 1768 Britain sends troops to maintain order and support the British tax collectors

More British Actions 4 In order to enforce the act, British officers were allowed by British law to enter homes or businesses to search for smuggled goods. 4 Colonist saw the Townshend Acts as a serious threat to their rights and freedoms.

The Boston Massacre March 5, Members of Sons of Liberty & youth started harassing a British soldier in front of the Customs House (where taxes were paid) 4 British soldier called for reinforcements (other soldiers) 4 A British soldier fell and his weapon fired 4 Other British soldiers reacted to the fire by firing their weapons as well 4 5 Americans were killed 4 Sons of Liberty called the shooting the Boston Massacre.

4 Paul Revere’s engraving “The Bloody Massacre”

British Action: The Tea Act The Tea Act gave the British East India Company control over the American tea trade. 4 Forced colonists to only buy British tea

Colonist Reaction: Protest 4 The Tea Act caused protests all over the colonies. 4 In Charleston, SC, colonists unloaded tea and let it rot on the docks. 4 In Philadelphia, colonists blocked tea ships from docking. 4 In Boston, the Sons of Liberty organized what is known as the Boston Tea Party.

Boston Tea Party 4 December 16, 1773, a group of men disguised as Indians boarded three tea ships and destroyed 342 chests of tea by throwing them into the Boston Harbor. 4 Protest against taxation without representation

4 King George III said, “We must master them or totally leave them to themselves and treat them like aliens.” 4 Britain decided to “Master” the colonies and passed a series of laws to punish the colonists. British Reaction to Boston Tea Party

4 British Action: Tea Act 4 Colonists’ Reaction: Boycott & Protest Boston Tea Party 4 Result: Coercive (Intolerable) Acts

4 British called these new laws the Coercive Acts 4 Closed the port of Boston - Until tea paid 4 Banned town meetings in Boston 4 Stationed troops in Boston where colonists had to house and feed them British Action: The Intolerable Acts

Colonist Reaction: Protest 4 Colonies united behind Boston sending food and supplies 4 Many colonies staged tea parties of their own 4 Boycott British goods , 12 colonies sent representatives to a meeting in Philadelphia to protest the Intolerable Acts

First Continental Congress 4 In September 1774, delegates from all colonies except Georgia met in Philadelphia. 4 Passed declaration of colonists’ rights 4 Called for each colony to begin training troops. 4 Voted to ban all trade with Britain until the Intolerable Acts ended. 4 Wrote a letter of grievance to the King

4 British Action: Intolerable Acts 4 Colonists’ Reaction: Protest –Colonies united to support Boston 4 Result: First Continental Congress

The Road to Lexington and Concord 4 The colonist had hoped that the trade boycott would cause Britain to end the Intolerable Acts, instead it caused tighter control and Britain sent more troops. 4 Patrick Henry was one believed that this would all cause a war. He said “Give me Liberty or give me death.”

The Midnight Ride 4 Sam Adams built a spy network to keep watch over British activities. 4 Britain had their spies also. They learned that the Mass. Militia was storing arms and ammunitions in Concord, about 20 miles from Boston. He also heard that Sam Adams and John Hancock were in Lexington. Gen. Gage ordered their arrest.

4 The Sons of Liberty were prepared. 4 Paul Revere and William Dawes were responsible to alert the colonist if the British were coming. 4 If one lantern burned in the North Church steeple, the troops were coming by land; If two, they were coming by water. 4 Revere, Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott (who joined them in Lexington) spread the news all the way to Concord. The Midnight Ride

Lexington 4 April 19, 1775, 700 troops reached Lexington. They found Captain John Parker and about 70 militiamen waiting. 4 They ordered the militia to put down their guns but they refused. 4 No one knows who fired first, but within a few minutes eight militiamen were dead.

On to Concord 4 After the fight in Lexington, the British marched to Concord and destroyed military supplies. A battle broke out at the north bridge, forcing the British to retreat. 4 Nearly 4,000 Minutemen and militiamen had arrived in the area and lined the road between Concord and Lexington. 4 They peppered the Redcoats with musket fire and forced the British back to Boston 4 74 British dead, 200 wounded or missing 4 49 Colonist dead, 41 wounded.

Lexington and Concord 4 First battle of the War. 4 Ralph Waldo Emerson later wrote that colonial troops had fired the “shot heard ‘round the world.” 4 Colonist would now have to choose a side, those who supported Britain were called Loyalists, those who sided with the rebels were Patriots.

Declaring Independence 4 After Lexington and Concord, militiamen from Mass. and other colonies began gathering - numbers reached 20, In order to gain needed supplies, Ethan Allen led the Green Mountain Boys in an attack of Britain’s Fort Ticonderoga.they seized the fort and large supply of artillery (cannon and large guns).

Second Continental Congress 4 On May 10, 1775 the Second Continental Congress began meeting in Philadelphia. 4 They agreed to form the Continental Army and named George Washington as the commanding General.

Battle of Bunker Hill 4 Britain won the battle but 1,000 men were killed or wounded. 4 Moral victory for Patriots. 4 Actually fought on Breeds Hill.

Last Hope for Peace 4 In July 1775, Congress drafted the Olive Branch Petition. It asked George III to restore harmony between Britain and Colonists. 4 King George III rejected and announced new measures to punish. - Blocked American Ports - Hired thousands of Hessians to fight for Britain.

Common Sense 4 Written by Thomas Paine 4 Made a strong case for American Independence. 4 Called George III “the Royal Brute.” 4 Sold 100,000 copies in three months.

Decision Time 4 May 1776, congress passed resolution allowing all 13 colonies to establish its own government. 4 June 7, Richard Henry Lee introduced a resolution calling for “free and independent states” 4 Congress debated the resolution but did not vote. - Appointed a committee to draft a Declaration of Independence.

Declaration of Independence 4 Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston and Thomas Jefferson were the appointed committee. 4 Jefferson was chose to write it for two reasons: 1) He was a very good writer. 2) He was from Virginia. 4 July 2, Congress passed Lee’s resolution. 4 July 4, Congress signs Declaration of Independence.

4 Preamble - Announces the reason for doc. 4 Rights of the People 4 List of unfair acts of George III 4 Actions taken to avoid Declaration. 4 Declaration of Independence from Britain. Five Parts of the Declaration of Independence