Chapter 2 The Birth of a Nation The American Revolution Chapter 2.1 EOC

American Revolution: Causes 1. Mercantilism: countries grow wealthier and maintain their national security by consistently exporting more than they import 2. Navigation Acts: laws required the British colonies to sell certain goods only to Britain; goods sold to other countries were charged a duty.

Mercantilism & Navigation Acts

The French & Indian War o As the British colonist moved west they encountered the French & the Native Americans o British vs. French & Native Americans

Treaty of Paris 1763  France gave up claims in Canada and all the land east of the Mississippi River  Britain became the true colonial power in North America

Britain vs. the Colonies Americans: British Troops unsuited for American terrain Writs of assistance: search warrants that allowed the British to search ships; enforced the Navigation Acts British in debt for the war- needed the colonists to pay

Proclamation of 1763  In response to Native American attacks, King George III issued the Proclamation of  It forbade the colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains and put the territory under British control

Acts of Parliament  Quartering Act: required the colonists to house and supply British soldiers stationed in North America  Stamp Act: taxed nearly all printed material & required a government stamp on them

No Taxation Without Representation British Side No tax could be imposed except ones approved by Parliament. Colonial Side Colonies had no representation in Parliament

Boycott  Refusal to buy British goods  Sons of Liberty: enforcers of the boycott  Effects: Stamp Act was repealed

DECLARATORY ACT  Stated that Parliament had the authority to impose laws on the colonies  Represented or not the colonists should follow the law

Townshend Act  Taxes: tea, lead, glass, paint, & paper  Violent colonial protest.  British troops were sent to Boston

Boston Massacre  Tax protesters threatened British troops  Shots were fired  Paul Revere depicted it as a brutal slaying of innocent victims = Massacre

The Revolutionary Cause After the massacre, tensions rose and most taxes subsided EXCEPT for the tax on tea Boston Tea Party: Colonists dressed as Mohawk Indians & dumped over $1 million of tea in the Boston Harbor.

Boston Tea Party

Coercive (Intolerable) Acts Parliament passed this act which  Closed the Boston harbor  Placed a military governor over Massachusetts  England expanded the Canadian border taking land from the colonies

First Continental Congress  Who: All colonies except Georgia  Where: Philadelphia  Why: Response to the Intolerable Acts  When: September 1774  What:  Message to the King stating that the colonists had a right to be represented in their government  No representation…entitled to govern themselves

Lexington & Concord  British troops headed to Concord to seize colonial arms and ammunition  Colonial militia met them at Lexington  Paul Revere: “The British are coming!”  “shot heard ‘round the world” that started the American Revolution

Colonial Militia

Second Continental Congress  Thomas Paine published Common Sense a pamphlet that made a compelling case for independence  Effects: Congress decided to declare independence

Thomas Jefferson  Drafted the Declaration of Independence  Principles  Egalitarianism: all men are created equal  Inalienable rights: natural rights-life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness  Document  list of grievances against the King  Asserts to rights of the colonies to declare independence

Impact of the Declaration of Independence  13 colonies became states  States drafted constitutions with an attached Bill of Rights  Ground work for the United States Constitution  Conscience of the colonists: true egalitarian society or not ( slaves, women, Native Americans)

 Governments must be responsible to the people…respect their rights  Model for other nations: France

Advantages British World’s most formidable army Mightiest navy Americans Fighting for their homeland Fighting for the right to govern themselves Knew British tactics Failure = treason=death

Taking Sides Loyalists  Remained loyal to the king  Many were Southern landowners  Anglican Church members  Tories Patriots  Supported the revolution  Wanted independence from Britain  Whigs

Patriot to Continental Loyalists to British Soldier

Battle of Bunker Hill  After Lexington & Concord, 20,000 Patriots surrounded Boston  British launched attacks on two hills: Breeds & Bunker  British won - Americans ran out of ammunition  “Don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes” William Prescott

George Washington  Commander of the Continental Army  Battles  New York  Trenton: attacked the Hessians (Germans), Patriot victory; Christmas Eve

The Northern War Saratoga  General Horatio Gates  Patriot victory  Turning point: French alliance Valley Forge o Pennsylvania o Severe winter- many deaths

The Southern War South Carolina Fort Moultrie  Charleston, S.C.  Palmetto logs sheltered the fort (SC flag)  Resisted British attack  King’s Mountain & Cowpens-Patriot victory

The Southern War South Carolina Guerilla forces  small bands of mobile combat troops who strike & quickly disappear Patriot Leaders  Francis Marion: “the Swamp Fox”  Thomas Sumter: “The Gamecock”

The Southern War North Carolina Guilford Courthouse (Greensboro, N.C.)  Patriot Nathanael Greene Vs.  Lord Cornwallis suffered losses and forced northward

The Southern War Yorktown, Virginia Washington Continental Army Lord Cornwallis British Troops French Naval Blockade October 18,1781 Cornwallis Surrendered Treaty of Paris of 1783 Britain officially recognized U.S.