1. AMERICAN REVOLUTION (1765-1783) Ashley Benson, Hayley Crouchman, Sabrina Fregolle, Pierce King, Adriana Marrone, and Mike Thomas

2. IMPORTANT PEOPLE  George Washington- Leader of the continental army. The first official U.S. president. One of the framers of the Constitution.  Thomas Jefferson- Main writer of the Declaration of Independence. Third official U.S. president. One of the framers of the Constitution.  Sons of Liberty- Colonist patriot group that organized protests to British taxes, such as the Boston Tea Party.  Samuel Adams- Member of the Sons of Liberty. Political philosopher. Leader of protests against British policies.  King George III- King of Britain during the American Revolution. Tried to impose more control over the colonies.  Benjamin Franklin- Intellectual leader of the revolution (inspired by Enlightenment ideas), was one of the framers of the Constitution.  Thomas Paine- published Common Sense, which advocated American independence from Britain. His writing helped sway many colonists to the side of the revolution.

3. Sons of Liberty Samuel Adams George Washington Thomas Jefferson Benjamin Franklin

4. CAUSES  Many revolution leaders studied enlightenment writings about limited government and natural rights.  Geographic distance from Britain created a strong feeling of independence among the colonists.  The Proclamation of 1763 forbid settlement beyond the Appalachian which caused frustration among the colonists.  Since Britain had fallen into debt from its war with France, it tried to get out of debt by taxing colonists on everyday goods. This was met with extreme resistance from the colonists who began to organize in protest.  After several colonists were killed by British soldiers in the Boston Massacre, colonist anger toward British rule escalated.  Colonists were required to quartered British soldiers in their home, which was an unpopular policy among the colonists.  After the Boston Tea Party took place in response to British taxes, Britain punished the colonies by passing the Coercive Acts, which closed the port of Boston and gave more power to royal governors instead of local leaders.  As Britain tried to control the colonies more tightly, colonists began to feel that their independence was threatened.

5. TIMELINE  1765-Bristish passed the stamp act.  March 5 th, 1770- Boston Massacre  1773- The Boston Tea Party takes place.  1774- Parliament passes Coercive Acts, the first Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia  1775-The battles of Lexington and Concord takes place.  July 4 th, 1776- Declaration of Independence is released.  Fall of 1776- British forces take control of New York  October 1777- General John Burgoyne surrenders to colonial forces after the Battle of Saratoga. This is the turning point of the war. It convinces the French to more openly support the colonists.  1781- The Americans win their independence after Lord Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown.  1783- Official end of the revolutionary war when American and British delegates signed the treaty of Paris

6. THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE THOMAS JEFFERSON JULY 4 TH, 1776  He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.  He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.  He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.  He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.  He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

7.  He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.  He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.  He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.  He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.  He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.  He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.  He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to civil power.

8. OUTCOME  The 13 colonies became the 13 states of the United States. Which extended from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River.  In 1781 the Articles of Confederation were written to organize the new country as a loose collection of states. The federal government was made weak out of fear of tyranny.  When the Articles of Confederation were unsuccessful, the Constitution was created as framework for the nations government. And it remains in place today.  As an added component of the Constitution the first 10 amendments were added to it on a document known as the bill of rights. Which guaranteed certain freedoms the British had denied the colonists.

9. ANALYSIS Ultimately, yes, the revolution was successful. The purpose of the revolution for the colonies was to sever political ties with Britain, and thus cease to be British colonies. Once the revolution was over, all 13 colonies were independent states, bound by a union wholly separate from Britain. Since this was the goal of the revolution from the beginning, it was a success.