American Revolution

French and Indian War Caused by competition over the “Ohio Country” British victory after nine hard-fought years French mostly evicted from North America

Pontiac’s Rebellion American Colonists migrating to the Ohio Country Chief Pontiac leads a rebellion against British authority Ends in Proclamation of 1763 Colonial American reaction?

Stamp Act Parliament wants the American colonists to pay the costs for their defense Stamp Act passed: mostly legal documents, dice, cards and newspapers taxed Colonial American Reaction?

Townshend Acts, 1767 Stamp Act Repealed Parliament passes new taxes on consumer goods: paper, glass, paint, tools, tea, etc. Colonial Resistance: Boycotts, Sons of Liberty What changed? Salutary Neglect?

Boston Massacre, 1770 British soldiers sent to Boston Massacre, or riot?

Boston Tea Party, 1773 Parliament repeals all taxes: except the one on tea British East India Company has a monopoly, sends tea to the colonies at a very affordable price. Reaction?

Reaction to the Reaction: “The Intolerable Acts” or “Coercive Acts,” 1774 Parliament responds to destruction of property and mob action The Port Act: closes the Port of Boston until the British East India Company is paid for the lost tea Quartering Act: Forced Boston to pay for room and board for British troops, even up to the point of quartering them in private homes Massachusetts Governing Act: Revoked the charter of Massachusetts colony, direct rule by Royal Governor The Administration of Justice Act: Some important trials could be moved to Britain The Quebec Act: Placed additional territory in the British colony of Quebec, and recognized French forms of government and the Roman Catholic Church in Quebec British Redcoats Quebec Act

Responses to the Coercive Acts First Contintental Congress met in Philadelphia (12 out of 13 colonies respresented) to form a united response to perceived British tyranny Continental Congress petitions the king for a “redress of grievances” and agrees to meet in the future Committees of Correspondence formed to spread information and encourage communication between colonies Organized responses such as boycotts Continued mob violence Carpenter Hall, Philadelphia

Second Continental Congress, 1775-1776 Philadelphia, again Strategy: ask for peace, prepare for war “Olive Branch Petition” sent to King George III declaring the American colonies to be loyal subjects of the king, asking for a peaceful resolution A Continental Army is formed (mostly of citizen militia) appointing George Washington, Gentleman Planter of Virginia, as Commander- in-Chief King George says “no” to peace, condemns his colonial American subjects as rebels Independence Hall, Philadelphia

Battles of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill, 1775 The American subjects of King George III are shooting at his soldiers now “The British are Coming.” Riders warn the people of Lexington that the British are coming for their guns and ammunition. The citizen of militia of Lexington are routed by British regulars, BUT… The British army is bloodied by guerilla attacks by citizen militia all the way from the town of Concord to Boston Pitched battle fought at Boston. The British take the city by storming heavily fortified Breed’s Hill, but pay a very heavy price in dead and wounded (called Battle of Bunker Hill). British troops attack uphill against heavily fortified American positions in the Battle of Bunker Hill, 1775

The Road to Independence Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, Common Sense was published in January of 1776 Using everyday, accessible language, Paine used Enlightenment arguments for a nation independent from Great Britain The pamphlet was very popular, selling 500,000 copies within two years, also passed from friend to friend and re-read Thomas Paine, English immigrant and radical revolutionary

A divided country The idea of American independence spread quickly, those who supported it called themselves Patriots Those who opposed American independence and supported the King were called Tories, or Loyalists American society split: Patriot, Tory and “fence-sitter”