1. 1 The Road to Revolution 1745-1775

2. 2 Ohio River Valley

3. 3 Rivalry in North America In June 1749, the governor of New France sent men down the Ohio River Valley and claimed the land as their own. At the same time King George of England sent a Virginia fur trader, named Christopher Gist, to claim that same land as England’s.

4. 4 Competing Claims By the 1600s, England had two rivals in North America: Spain and France France claimed a vast area in North America from the St. Lawrence River to the Gulf of Mexico. France built a series of forts along waterways to protect their land – most just west of the Appalachian Mountains. By the 1740s traders from PA and NY began searching for furs along the Appalachian Mountains. The colonists tried to take over the French trade with the Native Americans. The French government sent orders to “Drive from the Ohio River any European foreigners, and do it in a way that will make them lose all taste for trying to return.”

5. 5 North America in 1753

6. 6 Natives Choose Sides Natives had grown crops and hunted animals in the Ohio River Valley and did not want to give up the land to anyone. However, some natives agreed that the only way to protect their way of life was to join a side. Both France and England wanted Native support because they controlled most of the fur trade in North America. In the end, the French gained support from the Algonquins and Hurons, whereas (later on) the English won support of the Iroquois.

7. 7 The French and Indian War

8. 8 Opening Shots From 1689-1748, France and Great Britain had fought for power in Europe and North America. In 1754, fighting broke out again. The long conflict that followed is known as the French and Indian War. Some historians call this “The War That Made America.” This war was part of the larger world-wide conflict between France and Britain known as the Seven Years War.

9. 9 George Washington George Washington started out as a land surveyor in western Virginia, having grown up on a plantation in that colony – his father was a wealthy Gentleman. In 1753, Lieutenant Governor Dinwiddie wanted to warn the French of takeover in Ohio and sent Washington (who volunteered) down to do so. When Washington returned, he was ordered to build a fort along with 150 men where the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers meet.

10. 10 Forks of the Ohio River

11. 11 Fort Duquesne On his way to the Ohio Valley, Washington received word that the French had built a fort exactly where he was to build the British fort. The French fort was known as Fort Duquesne (doo KAYN) Washington pressed on anyway. From his Native American scouts, Washington learned that a small French unit had camped down the road in the woods to launch a surprise attack on Washington. Washington marched through the night and snuck up on the French and attacked. Some of the French soldiers escaped.

12. 12 Fort Necessity Knowing the army encamped at Fort Duquesne would counterattack, Washington built a make-shift fort (really just a stockade fence) named, Fort Necessity. The French (with some Native allies) surrounded the Fort. Washington, along with his men, were forced to surrender. Washington was released and returned home to VA. One British writer noted, “The volley fired by this young Virginian in the forests of America has set the world in flames.”

13. 13 The Albany Congress While Washington was defending Fort Necessity, delegates from seven colonies gathered in Albany, New York with 2 goals: 1- To try to win the support of the Iroquois. 2- To plan a united defense for the colonies. The Natives were wary because the French and British felt that they were fighting over land that belonged to the Natives. The Iroquois left without agreeing to help.

14. 14 The Albany Congress Benjamin Franklin proposed the Albany Plan of Union. The plan called for a Grand Council made up of representatives from each colony to make laws, raise taxes, and set up the defense of the colonies. Although the delegates agreed at the Congress, colonial assemblies did not agree to it. “Everyone cries a union is necessary. But when they come to the manner and form of the union, their weak noodles are perfectly distracted.” -Ben Franklin

15. 15 Early Years of the War French Strengths: At the start, the French had the advantage because they had one government making all the decisions - quickly. The English colonies had 13 separate assemblies who had to approve all of the decisions - slowly. The French also had more support from the Native Americans (Hurons, Algonquins and more). British/Colonial Strengths: The Colonies had strengths in being clustered along the coast. They also had a greater population - 15 times greater than New France (only 3 large cities, mostly open forest). Most Natives sided with France, but some sided with England (the powerful Iroquois Confederacy). The British also had control over the Seas.

16. 16 “Bulldog Braddock” In 1755, General Edward “Bulldog” Braddock led British and colonial troops to capture Fort Duquesne. He boasted that he would sweep the French from the Ohio River Valley. He knew how to fight in open fields of Europe, but was unfamiliar with warfare in the woods of North America. It took a long time to travel because of the clearing of trees that had to be done for roads. Washington went along and was angered by the slow pace.

17. 17 “Bulldog Braddock” Braddock was warned by Indian scouts on the way that he was headed for trouble, but he did not listen. As the British neared the Fort, the French and their Indian Allies launched a surprise attack. Sharpshooters hid in the forest and picked off British soldiers whose uniforms made them easy targets. Braddock was fatally wounded. Washington was luckier. He “escaped without a wound, although I had four bullets through my coat.” -Washington

18. 18 Defeat About half of the British were killed or wounded. Survivors returned to Virginia with the news of the defeat. For the rest of the war, Washington had the job of guarding the long frontier of Virginia from Indian attack. During the next two years, the war went badly for the British. British attacks against French forts were unsuccessful. The French won important victories.

19. 19 Bold Leadership In 1757, William Pitt became head of the British government. Pitt was a bold leader. Pitt wanted to win the war in North America and then focus attention on other parts of the Seven Years War. He sent Britain's best generals to North America. To gain colonists’ support, he promised large payments for military service and supplies. Under his leadership the tide of the war changed. The British seized many forts including Fort Duquesne renaming it Fort Pitt (late it became the City of Pittsburgh).

20. 20 Fall of Quebec British forces continued to push the French all the way back up into the French-Canadian fort-city, Quebec. In 1759, the British snuck up to the Fort during the night and surprised the French. After a fierce battle, the British captured the city. The British later took Montreal in 1760 which ended the war in North America. Fighting dragged on in Europe until 1763 when the Treaty of Paris was signed.

21. 21 Treaty of Paris With the Treaty of Paris in 1763, Britain gained Canada and all French lands east of the Mississippi River. France was allowed to keep a few sugar-growing islands in the West Indies. Spain, which had entered the war on the French side in 1762, gave up Florida to Britain. In return, Spain received all French land west of the Mississippi, as well as the city of New Orleans.

22. 22 Before 1753

23. 23 After 1763

24. 24 A Storm Over Taxes No Taxation Without Representation!

25. 25 Victorious Concerns With the victory over France, Britain celebrated but a few officials became concerned that the colonies would become too independent. Benjamin Franklin, who was in London at the time, shared his view about their concerns:

26. 26 Don’t Worry ‘Bout It! “If the colonies could not agree to unite for their defense against the French and Indians,… can it reasonably be supposed there is any danger of their uniting against their own nation?... I will venture to say, a union amongst them for such a purpose is not merely improbably, it is impossible.” - Ben Franklin

27. 27 Troubles on the Frontier With the French gone from North America in 1760, the colonists began exploring territories beyond the Appalachian Mountains for farming. As the settlers moved into the valley, they often clashed with the Natives who had been deserted by the French. In 1762, the English sent Lord Jeffrey Amherst to the frontier to keep order. Upon arrival, he raised the price of British goods traded to Indians. He also allowed English settlers to build forts on Indian lands.

28. 28 Pontiac’s War With trouble worsening, Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa tribe became a strong leader for the Natives. He referred to the British as “dogs dressed in red, who have come to rob us of our hunting grounds and drive away the game.” Pontiac rallied support from the Indians and they began destroying or taking over new colonial settlements and British forts. The British struck back and reclaimed much of what they had lost.

29. 29 Pontiac’s War The French informed Chief Pontiac that with the Treaty of Paris, the French could no longer aid the Natives against the British. Natives began to withdraw – Pontiac sadly said, “All my young men have buried their hatchets.” Pontiac’s War ended in October of 1763.

30. 30 Proclamation of 1763 Pontiac’s War convinced the British to close western lands to settlers to prevent another uprising. To do this, the British drew an imaginary line along the crest of the Appalachian Mountains. West of the that line could not be settled. Those who already settled had to remove themselves at once. Great Britain sent over 10,000 troops to enforce this. This angered the colonists especially since they had to pay for the British to enforce the law. Most ignored the line anyway. Since guarding the frontier was boring, many of the 10,000 soldiers ended up hanging out in colonial cities.

31. 31 New Taxes The war with France had put Great Britain into severe debt. British Prime Minister George Grenville decided that the colonists needed to share in repaying the debt. He figured they had benefited most from the war anyway. Parliament was persuaded to pass two new laws:  The Sugar Act placed a tax on molasses (1764).  The Stamp Act put a tax on many things including all legal documents, newspapers, and almanacs to name a few (1765).

32. 32 New Taxes The items named under the Stamp Act law had to be stamped to prove the tax was paid on the item. This type of tax had been used in Britain and other countries for many years, but it was completely new to the colonies. “Our presses have groaned, our pulpits have thundered, our legislatures have resolved, our towns have voted, the crown officers everywhere trembled.” – John Adams, a leading lawyer in Boston.

33. 33 No Taxation Without Representation The colonists were opposed to that tax mainly because they did not have any say in these decisions. The colonists had no representation in Britain’s government (Parliament & The King). Colonists insisted that based on the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights, only they or their elected representatives (local colonial assemblies) had the right to pass taxes. Most colonists were willing to pay taxes, but only if the taxes were passed by their own colonial legislatures.

34. 34 Unity The Stamp Act crisis brought a sense of unity to the colonies – they had a common complaint. Many colonists responded with riots, protests and violence against British tax collectors – British officials simply arrested the mobs. Later, people opposed to the tax called an assembly to meet in New York City to discuss actions against the Stamp Act. This became known as the Stamp Act Congress. The delegates drew up letters to send to King George III expressing their disliking of the act. Parliament & The King didn’t care….

35. 35 Boycott With Parliament refusing to hear the grievances about the Stamp Act, the colonists felt they had to “up the ante” so to speak. Many colonists decided they were going to boycott (not buy) British goods. Trade fell off by 14 % as a result. British merchants back in London suffered greatly. British workers who made the goods, suffered too. With voters in London unhappy, Parliament was finally concerned and the act was repealed.

36. 36 More Taxes Later, in June of 1767, Parliament passed the Townshend Act as another attempt to pay back their war debt. These acts placed taxes on goods like glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea. The taxes were low but colonists still opposed them. According to many, Parliament still had no right to tax them without their consent.

37. 37 Writs of Assistance A different aspect of the Acts that angered colonists took away another right from the English Bill of Rights: Customs officers could inspect a ship’s cargo or a store’s stockroom using new legal documents known as Writs of Assistance. Colonists protested that these “Writs” violated their rights. No English citizen could be searched or have their property searched without a given reason. This angered many colonists even more.

38. 38 Fighting Back The response to the Townshend Acts by the colonists was very clear. From north to south, colonists signed “nonimportation agreements.” With these agreements, colonists would stop importing goods that were taxed by these acts. They hoped that this would help repeal the act just like the boycotting did with the Stamp Act.

39. 39 Sons and Daughters of Liberty Some angry colonists joined what was known as Sons and Daughters of Liberty. (Sons=Men Daughters=Women) These were formed as a result of the Stamp Act. The ‘Sons’ formed in order to intimidate tax collectors and colonists who supported the King/Parliament. They “encouraged” merchants to sign the nonimportation agreements. A few threatened people who continued to buy British Goods. The ‘Daughters’ encouraged other women to support the boycotting by brewing ‘Liberty Tea’ (water and raspberry leaves) and making ‘homespun’ clothes.

40. 40 Leaders Massachusetts: Samuel Adams of Boston stood against the British – he was John Adams’ cousin. He was a failure in business and a poor public speaker, but he loved politics. He organized a Committee of Correspondence which wrote letters and pamphlets reporting on events in Massachusetts as a way to spread the word about British wrongs. He had a talent for organizing people – some say he was a ‘rabble rouser’ just trying to incite the crowds to rebel.

41. 41 Leaders In Virginia: This colony contributed many leaders to the struggle against taxes. George Washington joined in against the Townshend Acts Patrick Henry gave speeches that moved crowds to tears and anger. At one speech, he attacked Britain so badly that one person called out Treason! He responded, “If this be treason, make the most of it!”

42. 42 Centers of Protest Port cities such as Boston and New York were areas of much protest. The Quartering Act was set up in New York which said that colonists had to provide housing, candles, bedding, and beverages to British soldiers (remember the 10,000 troops?) stationed in the colonies – with no compensation. The New York Assembly refused to enforce the Act. As a result, Great Britain dismissed the Assembly – an unheard of move that took away the colonial tradition of self-government started with the Virginia House of Burgesses. More British troops were sent to Boston to protect customs officials from local citizens where the ‘Sons’ were very active.

43. 43 The Boston Massacre On the night of March 5, 1770, a rowdy tavern crowd gathered outside the Boston customs house. Colonists (including Sons of Liberty men) shouted offensive insults like “bloody backs” and “lobster backs”. They began to throw snowballs, oyster shells, and chunks of ice at the soldiers. The crowd grew louder and rowdier. Soldiers panicked and began shooting. After the smoke cleared five people lay dead – including a free black Sons of Liberty man named, Crispus Attucks. Sam Adams quickly wrote to other colonists about the shooting. It soon became known as the “Boston Massacre”

44. 44 Repeal of the Townshend Acts John Adams disliked the Townshend Acts, but wanted to show that the colonists believed in justice. So, he defended the soldiers from the ‘Boston Massacre’ in a trial in Boston saying the crowd had provoked them. In the end, the soldiers received light sentences. Coincidentally, on the same day as the “Boston Massacre” back in London Parliament gave in to local merchants hurt by the nonimportation agreements. They cancelled all of the Townshend Acts. However, King George made them keep the small tax on tea to show the colonies Britain still had the right to tax them. Peace returned to the colonies for a few years and most people returned to buying British goods, including tea.

45. 45 Paul Revere’s Engraving

46. 46 To Arms

47. 47 Uproar Over Tea Four years later, in July of 1774, John Adams stopped at a tavern in eastern Massachusetts. After riding for over 30 miles his body ached and he was fatigued. Adams asked the innkeeper for tea but would have to settle for coffee because she would not sell tea. Adams decided that if the colonists were to break their tea habit so would he. What happened after 1770 to make them boycott tea again???

48. 48 Uproar Over Tea Tea was very popular amongst the colonists. They would rather give up dinner than miss tea. Most tea was brought to the colonists by the British East India Company (like Microsoft, Apple and Google today, it dominated its industry). The company sold tea to colonial merchants and merchants sold tea to colonists. In the 1770s the East India Company found itself it tough financial trouble due to all of the recent boycotting. It had over 15 million pounds of unsold tea. The Company asked Parliament to help. Parliament allowed the Company to sell directly to the colonists, which would lower the cost of tea (by cutting out the middle man!), but the tax would still be in effect – so Parliament and the Company would get $$$$$, and they assumed the tea would be bought by colonists.

49. 49 Uproar Over Tea This became know as the Tea Act, but it didn’t help. Many colonists refused to buy due to the old tax. Even Tea drinkers who would benefit from the price cut opposed it and boycotted again. Merchants were upset by this because now they were not getting their cut of the profit. If tea was affected what would stop the British from selling other items directly and cutting out other merchants? Buying tea would mean that colonists accepted parliament’s right to tax them without representation.

50. 50 The Boston Tea Party In late November 1773, three ships carrying tea arrived in Boston harbor. Massachusetts’ Governor Thomas Hutchinson ordered the captain to pay the taxes, unload cargo and sell the tea as usual. If the taxes were not paid by December 16 th, he would seize the cargo and have it sold.

51. 51 Boston Tea Party All day on 12/16, Boston seethed with excitement. Everyone wondered what the Sons of Liberty would do about the tea crisis on the docks. Among them was Sam Adams demanding, with the crowd, that the ships set sail. They told the customs office but the governor had to make the final decision. The governor decided later that the ships were not to set sail. They were going to stay. The crowd got angry. Sam Adams waved his hands for silence and said, “This meeting can do nothing further to save the country.” Then, as if planned in advance…

52. 52 “Boston Harbor a teapot tonight!” A group of men, dressed like Mohawk Indians, burst into the meetinghouse. A voice cried, “Boston Harbor a teapot tonight! The Mohawks are come!” Later under a moonlight sky, 50-60 people dressed like Mohawks boarded ships anchored in Griffin’s Wharf. They split open the tea chests and dumped the tea leaves in the harbor. The effects would be felt for a long time to come.

53. 53 Britain Strikes Back The Boston Tea Party was meant to show Britain that the colonists could act firmly. Other cities around the colonies followed with their own ‘tea parties’. There were mixed emotions amongst colonists. Some cheered for the parties, while others thought it would promote lawlessness. The British were outraged. Parliament punished Boston with the “Intolerable Acts: 1- They shut down the port of Boston in 1774. The harbor would remain closed until the colonists paid for the tea. 2- The colonists (In Massachusetts) could call only one town meeting a year now.

54. 54 Britain Strikes Back 3- Any British official charged of major crimes had to be tried in Britain rather than in Massachusetts. Colonists protested saying that they would avoid punishment “by being tried, where no evidence can pursue him.” 4- They passed another Quartering Act requiring any soldier to be housed in a home rather than in a tent.

55. 55 Colonists Support Boston The colonists received word quickly of the punishment Massachusetts was facing and came to their aid when they began starving. Many colonies sent supplies on land (the port was closed) of rice, corn, and flour. A Virginian lawyer in the House of Burgesses named Thomas Jefferson suggested that a day be set aside to honor the people affected by the acts. It was passed by the House of Burgesses. But, the Royal Governor cancelled it and dismissed the House of Burgesses. Many people still honored Boston by fasting and ringing church bells anyway.

56. 56 First Continental Congress In response to the Intolerable Acts, colonial leaders called a meeting in Philadelphia. In September 1774, delegates from 12 colonies gathered in what became known as the First Continental Congress. Georgia did not participate. All delegates passed a resolution backing Massachusetts in its struggle against the Intolerable Acts. They all agreed to Boycott importing and exporting all British goods until the acts were repealed.

57. 57 First Continental Congress The delegates also urged each colony to set up and train its own militia. They agreed to meet the following May, but little did they know that in 1775 before their meeting, an incident in Massachusetts would change the fate of the colonies forever.

58. 58 Shot Heard ‘Round the World In MA, newspapers called on citizens to prevent what they called “The massacre of American Liberty.” Special volunteers known as Minutemen trained regularly – they carried their arms wherever they went. They were better trained and prepared than a regular militia. At the same time, Britain was building up their forces – 4,000 redcoats set up a camp on Boston Common (the town ‘green’). Early in 1775, Gen. Thomas Gage, the British commander, learned that the Minutemen had a large store of weapons and ammunition in Concord, just outside of Boston.

59. 59 Shot Heard ‘Round the World Gen. Gage planned a surprise march to seize the arms. On April 18, about 700 British troops quietly left Boston under cover of darkness. But, the Sons of Liberty were watching and hung two lanterns from the Old North Church in Boston as a signal that the redcoats were on the move (two if by land, one if by sea). Colonists across the Charles River saw the sign and sent messengers to Concord.

60. 60 Shot Heard ‘Round the World One midnight rider, Paul Revere, alerted colonists in the countryside with his famous, “The British are Coming” call. His horse hurt its hoof and Revere never made it to Concord, but another rider did. Meanwhile, the British pushed on toward Lexington, a town near Concord to find 70 Minutemen waiting under the command of John Parker. The British ordered the men to go home, vastly outnumbered, they started to leave. But, suddenly a shot rang out (no one knows who fired it), and a brief struggle developed, leaving 8 colonists dead and one British soldier wounded.

61. 61 Shot Heard ‘Round the World The British pushed on toward Concord and found no arms in the village. The Minutemen had been warned and moved the arms. The British then turned back toward Boston and were surprised by 300 Minutemen waiting on a bridge outside of Concord. A fight developed again, this time the British were forced to retreat. As they did this, colonial sharpshooters began shooting from the woods. In the end, the redcoats lost 73 men with 200 wounded or missing.

62. 62 News News spread about the incident and to many colonists, the fighting signaled an end to reaching an agreement with Britain. Only war would decide the future for the 13 colonies. “By the rude bridge that arched The flood, Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood, And fired the shot heard round The world.” - Ralph Emerson