Unit 1 Colonial Era and American Beginnings CHAPTER 4 The War for Independence (Part A)

The Stirrings of Rebellion  At the end of the French and Indian War, Parliament turned to the colonies to help pay off the war debts.  Stamp Act This was the first tax levied directly on the colonist’s goods and services.  The Stamp Act required colonists to purchase special stamped paper for every legal document, license, newspaper, pamphlet, almanac, and even cards and dice.

 Those who disobeyed the Stamp Act were usually tried in the vice-admiralty court.  Several Stamp Act protests took place.  The Sons of Liberty became the leading group of protestors against the Stamp Act. This group was led by Samuel Adams.  Many colonies adopted resolutions stating that only the colonial governments could levy taxes.  Daughters of Liberty-participated in boycotts of tea and manufactured goods from England, made homespun clothing, helped the war effort, etc.

 The Stamp Act Congress passed a resolution stating that the colonies could not be taxed unless they were represented in Parliament. (This is the first time that the colonies acted as a body)  Merchants started a boycott against British goods. It was so successful that Parliament was forced to repeal the Stamp Act in 1766.

 Mostly all of the colonial citizens joined in a boycott of British goods. This boycott was started by Samuel Adams.  After a riot in Boston over the merchant ship, Liberty, 4000 British troops were placed in Boston.  The Boston Massacre……

 The Boston Massacre occurred because of tension over jobs in Boston. Fist fights sprang up often between civilians and off-duty soldiers who were looking for extra work.  One such confrontation led to gunfire, killing a local dockworker, Crispus Attucks.  This led Parliament to repeal most of the Townshend duties, except for that on tea.

 Committees of Correspondence were created as a way to communicate between the colonies.  The East India Company was hit hard by the boycotts. They had millions of pounds of tea stored in Boston, but no where to sell it and no one to buy it.

 Parliament passed the Tea Act, which allowed the East India Co to sell tea to the colonists with no tax. This forced the colonists to buy their tea (because it was cheaper) instead of other teas.  A group of rebels dressed as Indians took charge of some ships and dumped 15,000 pounds of tea into the Boston harbor.

 King George III of England was infuriated with the colonists and had Parliament pass the Intolerable Acts.  These acts did several different things: 1.Shut down Boston harbor until the tea was paid for by the colonists. 2.Passed the Quartering Act which said the British could take over any house they wished and quarter (or house) their troops there. 3.Boston was placed under martial law.

 Colonists were greatly upset and threatened by these new Intolerable Acts.  They started to stock-pile weapons and ammunition.  General Gage sent a British detachment to collect all guns from Concord.  Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott rode throughout the countryside warning people of the approaching British Army.

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Listen my children and you shall hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy- five; Hardly a man is now alive Who remembers that famous day and year. He said to his friend, "If the British march By land or sea from the town to-night, Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch Of the North Church tower as a signal light,-- One if by land, and two if by sea; And I on the opposite shore will be, Ready to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and farm, For the country folk to be up and to arm."

 The British met 70 minutemen at Lexington and ordered them to leave the area. As the militia marched away, a shot rang out…  The British Army opened fire at the retreating militia, killing and wounding several men.

 At Concord, the British found the local munitions arsenal empty and came under attack of the constantly growing militia.  The American Revolution had begun. 

Unit 2 American Revolution, Articles of Confederation, & US Constitution CHAPTER 4 The War for Independence (Part B)

Ideas Start a Revolution  In 1775, colonial leaders held a Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia to debate their next move.  Many of the members, however, were divided in their loyalties.  Some members wanted open revolution against England, while others were more moderate and wanted reconciliation.  John Adams suggested making the militia surrounding Boston into the Continental Army, which would be led by George Washington.

 The Continental Congress acted as an independent government and printed its own paper money, called continentals, in order to pay the local troops.  The battle at Bunker Hill or Breed’s Hill led the CC to send a petition to King George III urging a return to “former harmony.” This was called the Olive Branch Petition.

 George III rejected the petition and declared the colonies to be in rebellion and called for further military action.  Colonist, Thomas Paine stated that the colonies must be independent to carry out their own governments and trade with other countries.  Paine’s very influential pamphlet was titled Common Sense.  Paine argued that independence would allow Americans to create a better society.

“IN the following pages I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense” Common Sense Thomas Paine, 1776 Published in 1776, Common Sense challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. The plain language that Paine used spoke to the common people of America and was the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain.

 After reading Common Sense many CC members argued for independence.  Thomas Jefferson was chosen by the CC to draft a Declaration of Independence.  Jefferson drew heavily from the ideas of John Locke.  The Declaration included the colonies complaints or grievances against King George III.

 Locke believed in natural rights: 1.People enjoyed natural rights to life, liberty, and property. (or life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness) 2.People are under a social contract-an agreement in which the people consent to obey the government so long as the gov’t safeguards their natural rights. 3.People have a right to overthrow tyrannical governments.

 At first, Jefferson condemned slavery in the Declaration, but withdrew the statements in order to get GA and SC to approve the document.  The delegates of the CC voted unanimously in favor of the Declaration on July 2,  The Declaration was officially adopted on July 4, 1776.

 Shortly after the signing Benjamin Franklin was sent to Paris, France to convince the French to form an open alliance with the US.

 America was now divided between those in favor of independence, Patriots, those who remained loyal to England, Loyalists, and those who remained neutral.  Patriots usually included people that would benefit economically from independence and Loyalists included gov’t officials or those who believed England who win the war.

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Struggling towards Saratoga  In March of 1776 the British had retreated, moving the war toward the Middle states, in order to isolate New England.  General William Howe and Admiral Richard Howe joined forces to invade New York.  The Howe brothers led 32,000 soldiers-British and German Hessians (mercenaries).  George Washington gathered 23,000 men, but most were untrained and had poor equipment.

 Washington’s men were forced back to PA and only 8000 remained.  In order to gain a victory and to inspire his men to re-enlist, Washington made a bold move.  On Christmas night, 1776, Washington and 2400 men attacked a Hessian-guarded fort in Trenton, New Jersey after crossing the freezing Delaware River.  Because the Hessians were “celebrating” Christmas, the majority of them were too drunk to realize what had happened.

Crossing the Delaware

 The British soon captured the nation’s capital at Philadelphia while the CC was forced to flee.  General John Burgoyne moved his men down from Canada to NY. Burgoyne was supposed to meet up with General Howe, but Howe was in Philadelphia.  Burgoyne’s forces were surrounded at Saratoga and defeated.

 The battle at Saratoga was the turning point of the war because: 1.It lowered British confidence 2.It made the French realize the colonists could win the war 3.It caused the French to help colonial efforts

John Burgoyne “Gentleman Johnny” and his surrender at Saratoga

 The French agreed not to make peace with England until they recognized American independence and to support the American cause.  However, it would take months for French forces to arrive and winter was setting in as the colonial forces waited at Valley Forge.  Soldiers at Valley Forge lacked warm clothes and food.  Of the 10,000 who started the winter more than 2000 died!  Those who survived remained at their posts due to Washington’s encouragement.

Washington at Valley Forge

Winning the War  While the Continental Army was waiting out the winter at Valley Forge, Friedrich von Steuben, a Prussian captain and drillmaster, arrived to train the troops.  Help also came with the arrival of the Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat. He joined Washington’s staff and helped gain supplies and reinforcements.

Friedrich von Steuben and the Marquis de Lafayette

 During the British, led by Charles Cornwallis, were able to move South and capture the city of Savannah. (many Loyalists lived in the South)  In 1780 they captured Charleston and took 5500 colonial forces as prisoners.  As the British advanced they were joined by thousands of escaped slaves.

 In order to gain ground and hoping to capture Lafayette’s forces, Cornwallis made a fateful decision to move to Yorktown, Virginia.  The Continental Army and the French surrounded them by land and the French Navy surrounded them by sea.

 After several days of fighting Cornwallis finally surrendered.  Peace talks began in Paris in The Treaty of Paris 1783 was signed, confirming America’s independence and setting the boundaries for the new nation.  The US now stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River and from Canada to the Florida border.