Standard 3-3.2

 The colonists are upset with the King of England.  The King has instituted the Stamp Act, Tea Act, and Intolerable Acts.  The Boston colonists throw tea into the Boston harbor – also called the Boston Tea Party. The King closed the port of Boston, surrounding the harbor with British ships.  He has taxed them unfairly and now the colonists want to break free.

 Representatives meet and form the First Continental Congress. They try to reason with the King – the King does not want to reason with the colonists.  After the battles of Lexington and Concord, the representatives meet again forming the 2 nd Continental Congress. They decide to have Thomas Jefferson write the Declaration of Independence.  The colonies declare their independence from Great Britain.

 Perspective – how someone sees or feels about an issue.  Not everyone thought that the King was wrong.  Some colonists felt very strongly about fighting for independence and some still wanted to be ruled by the British government.

Supported being ruled by the King and British government

MS LANGSTON SHIELDING HER FATHER FROM LOYALISTS  Most South Carolinians were Loyalists and were in the Up Country.  SC had the second largest amount of Loyalists than any other colony.  Most were not necessarily loyal to the King as much as they just didn’t want to get in the middle of everything.

Supported the Continental Congress and the fight for independence from Great Britain.

 Most Patriots in SC were in the Lowcountry.  The fought in small militias in their local areas.

 Most women stayed at home while their husbands, fathers, and brothers went to war.  They tended to things at home like farms, plantations, and businesses.  Some women were nurses or messengers.  Some even sacrificed their homes for the Patriot cause.  Some women were Loyalists.

 Was sent by Patriot General Nathanial Greene to deliver a message to General Sumter.  She was caught by Loyalists and when they weren’t looking, she tore up the note and ate it.  They eventually let her go and she delivered the message to Sumter. She had memorized the whole thing!

 Many women followed their husbands and subsequently became “field nurses” to wounded men.  Sometimes Patriot or Loyalist troops took over homes and those homes were turned into field hospitals. The people who lived there would have to help take care of the wounded.

 British troops had taken over Rebecca Motte’s home during the war.  The British dug a huge trench around the property, cut her beautiful trees to construct a barricade around the property, and exiled Mrs. Motte and her children to a crude farmhouse about a mile away.

 Francis Marion had orders to take “Fort Motte”, so he came to discuss this with Ms. Motte.  She allowed Francis Marion to burn her house, driving out Loyalist soldiers!  Francis Marion ordered his men and the British soldiers to put out the fire and Ms. Motte even served both sides dinner that evening!

 Ann Bates was a spy for Loyalist troops.  At that time women were allowed to come and go where they pleased because military authorities did not think that women could comprehend the significance of what they saw.  She eventually went back to England.

 Most African American slaves continued their duties as slaves during the war, but some owners sent their slaves to fight on whichever side they were loyal to.  At first, the colonists were afraid of a slave uprising if they allowed them to be soldiers.  Later they allowed 1/3 of the soldiers to be African American.

 Slaves were not offered freedom for their participation in the war.  Some slaves fought with the British so that they could earn their freedom.

Oscar Marion

 Most tribes avoided the war in the beginning.  Patriot troops attacked the Native American frontier, so they sided with the British.  The British promised to give the Native Americans control of the west.  The Cherokees supported the British.