Tar and Feathering

The Boston Massacre British sent troops to MA because: –Smuggling and opposition to taxes –Colonists denying parliament’s right to tax –Boycotts and abuse of British officials (troops only taunted more) March 1770 – small group of Colonists jeered at soldiers, unemployed colonists throwing snowballs Confusion – Soldiers fired killing 5 colonists Advertised by Sam Adams as the “Boston Massacre” only as propaganda for opposition

The Boston Massacre ( March 5,1770 )

The Gaspee Incident (1772) Providence, RI coast

Committees of Correspondence Purpose  warn neighboring colonies about incidents with Br.  broaden the resistance movement.

First Continental Congress Many colonial leaders such as John and Samuel Adams knew the colonies had to come together September 1774, The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia –A total of 12 of the 13 colonies sent representatives to speak for their colony (all but GA) –A total of 56 representatives (delegates) met

First Continental Congress (1774) 55 delegates from 12 colonies Agenda  How to respond to the Coercive Acts & the Quebec Act? 1 vote per colony represented.

Cont. Cong. decided to: Keep boycotting British goods Warned colonial militia to be prepared in case of a fight Wrote a list of 10 resolutions to King George III This list included rights and freedoms the colonists should have “life, liberty and property” They agreed to meet again if the king did not agree

Shot heard ‘round the world (AKA Lexington and Concord) Colonial Militia were called minutemen b/c they were ready to fight in a minutes notice The British decided to take away the minutemen’s weapons –Thomas Gage – British General in charge of the raid –Weapons stored in Concord, just outside of Boston –The Sons of Liberty – A secret society formed to fight the British in any way possible Found out about the British plan Paul Revere rode through town to warn the colonists that “the British were coming”

The British Are Coming... Paul Revere & William Dawes make their midnight ride to warn the Minutemen of approaching British soldiers.

The first battle begins Thanks to Paul, 70 minutemen were ready for the British at Lexington and Concord The Colonial leader said “don’t fire until they shoot first” A shot was fired, nobody knows who fired it, but it was the “shot heard ‘round the world” because it started the War for Independence

The Shot Heard ’ Round the World ! Lexington & Concord – April 18,1775

The British easily won and went on to Concord to get the weapons, the colonists however, had already moved the weapons The angry British burned the surrounding buildings The colonists hid behind trees and shot the redcoats all the way back to Boston: a somewhat victory for the colonists

The Second Continental Congress (1775) Olive Branch Petition

The Second Continental Congress In May 1775, Delegates met again in Philadelphia They met to decide how to react to the fighting Decision: to break away from Great Britain They planned to create a Continental Army with George Washington as their leader Congress tried to make peace one more time with Britain (after Bunker Hill) –They wrote the Olive Branch Petition saying I’m sorry and offered a peaceful break from England –The King Angrily rejected the petition and the fighting in the colonies spread

Thomas Paine : Common Sense

–Thomas Paine’s Common Sense Thomas Paine wrote about breaking away from Great Britain He wrote to the common person 500,000 copies of his pamphlet were sold over the 13 colonies –A monarchy is not fair: People, not kings should make the laws –Our government should be our own right –We must demand our independence Many agreed with Paine and the idea of independence gained more support

Declaration of Independence (1776)

The Declaration of Independence On June 1776, the Second Continental Congress created a committee to write a document that declared the colonist’s independence –Committee members: John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and others –Jefferson being the main author –The document had three main parts 1.) ALL MEN possess certain unalienable rights: Basic rights like life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

2.) King George had violated these rights of the colonists: –Said the king passed unfair laws –Interfered with colonial government –Taxation without representation (taxing colonists without consent) 3.) The colonies had a right to break away from Great Britain –Jefferson believed in the Social Contract Theory (ruler protects the people and the people obey the ruler) –King George broke the Social Contract Theory, so the colonists didn’t have to obey him anymore Congress approved the Declaration of Independence: July 4, 1776, and the United States of America was officially born

Declaration of Independence

Reactions to the Declaration of Independence Colonists took sides Patriots – Colonists who chose to fight for independence Loyalists – Colonists who remained loyal to Great Britain –believed the colonies needed Britain to function –Loyalists were persecuted by patriots and many left the colonies –Also called Tories Many remained neutral

Other thoughts on the Declaration It ignored women’s rights “all men are created equal” It did not recognize African American slaves –Some argued slavery should not exist since America was a land of freedom –New England abolished slavery before the war was over, but the southern states ignored this option

Independence Hall

New National Symbols