The American Revolution

 Big Ideas:  Unpopular British Laws led to colonial protests and eventually violence. ▪ The British felt that additional taxes were necessary to pay for the increasing costs of safeguarding the colonies.

 The French & Indian War  The British and French fought for control of the Ohio River Valley. ▪ French control of the region would prevent the colonials from expanding westward.

 Fighting alongside the British forces were natives of the Iroquois Confederacy.  The French had the aid of many different tribes including their longtime allies the Algonquin.

 In the end, the British were successful.  The Treaty of Paris of 1763 made Britain the premiere power in North America. ▪ Spain allied with France, so with victory, Britain also gained control of Florida.

 Unpopular Regulations  In order to prevent another war, Parliament passed the Proclamation act of ▪ This was enacted to prevent westward colonial expansion into Native American lands. ▪ This ticked off western farmers.

 Unpopular Regulations  Colonials were supposed to be paying customs duties, taxes on imports and exports, but were dodging those fees by smuggling goods past customs.  Intended to make up that lost revenue, the Sugar Act of 1764 raised taxes on imports of raw sugar and molasses. ▪ This made the merchants very upset.

 The quartering act of 1765 also forced colonials to house British troops.  The Stamp Act of 1765 was the most upsetting to the colonials; it was the first direct tax on the colonies. ▪ Nearly all printed materials were taxed. ▪ A boycott led to the repeal of the Act in 1766.

 The Townshend Acts  These acts placed duties on all imported glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea. It also gave customs officers the power to arrest smugglers.  Protests over these acts lead to the Boston Massacre.  Again, these taxes were repealed except for the tax on tea.

 Big Ideas:  The British were frustrated by the unwillingness of the colonies to accept new taxes and regulations. ▪ The British responded to colonial protests by first repealing laws and imposing new and more restrictive ones.  It was the British laws, regulations, and reprisals that gave the colonies something they could all rally around.

 The Colonists Defy Britain  British taxes and regulations served to unite the colonies.  Thomas Jefferson encouraged the creation of committees of correspondence to coordinate strategies for dealing with Britain.

 In response to the Boston Tea Party, Parliament implemented the Coercive Acts which closed the Port of Boston, moved 2,000 troops into New England, and banned town meetings.  The Brits also introduced the Quebec Act which expanded Quebec’s boundaries into colonial territory.  The Coercive and Quebec Acts became known as the Intolerable Acts.

 One of the most prominent voices for independence from Great Britain was Thomas Paine.  In his pamphlet “Common Sense,” Paine urged the colonies to break away from England.

 Revolution Begins  After the passage of the Intolerable Acts, the First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, June ▪ The delegates decided on a plan to boycott British goods and to meet again in 1755.

 A rebellion first began when Massachusetts elected John Hancock as their leader and began training a militia, defying their British appointed governor.  A special unit of minute- men were trained to raise the alarm at a minute’s warning.

 Colonists started choosing sides with some staying loyal to the King, some siding with the rebel patriots, and some trying to stay out of it all together.  The first battle took place at Lexington as British troops passed through on their way to Concord to seize patriot weapons being stored there.

 The Decision for Independence  As conflict escalated and the hopes for a compromise vanished, the Continental Congress adopted The declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.

 Big Ideas:  George Washington waged a war of attrition. ▪ While the continentals didn’t win many battles, they succeeded in wearing down the British forces.  The new United States received overt military help from France and covert help from Spain.

 The British managed to captured New York and Philadelphia, but the Continental Army surprised the British forces by capturing their forces at Saratoga. ▪ This surprising victory encouraged France to openly fight against Britain, and France became the first nation to formally recognize the United States.

 The Americans and their allies achieved an end to the war by forcing the surrender of General Lord Cornwallis in Yorktown, Virginia in  The Peace Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783 granting the US its independence as well as giving Florida back to Spain and making concessions to France.