1. Written by: Greg Clevenger

2. The Story Thus Far
European nations were competing with each other for:
World resources
Military strength
Political superiority
Some nations were upsetting the balance of power
European nations were squabbling to see who could be the “Big Kahuna” or the “Top Dog.” They were especially competing with each other for world resources, military strength, and political superiority. Some nations were upsetting the balance of power.

3. Overview Also called War for Independence
Started in 1775 in Lexington and Concord Massachusetts
Caused America to separate from Great Britain
Ended in 1783
Meanwhile in America, colonists had some ideas of their own. They were ready to leave their parent country and start fresh. The American Revolution, also called the War of Independence, started in The first shots were fired in Massachusetts in Concord and Lexington. It caused America to separate from Great Britain and thus helped create a new nation. The War was fought for eight years and ended in 1783.

4. Major Causes The French and Indian War The Sugar Act The Stamp Act
The Revolution wasn’t an impulsive act that just happened overnight. There are multiple historical events leading up to the fighting of the Revolution. The major causes in chronological order are the French and Indian War, the Sugar Act, and the Stamp Act.

5. Rivalry between the French and British Who will control North America?
The French and Indian War—1754
Rivalry between the French and British
Who will control North America?
British, colonists, and Native American allies fought French and Native American allies
Two European nations, France and Great Britain, were fighting over who got custody and control of North America. The colonists and some Native Americans from the Iroquois Confederacy were allied with the British against the French and other Native Americans from the Algonquin and Huron tribes.

6. Great Britain’s national debt nearly doubled during the war
The French and Indian War—1754
Great Britain’s national debt nearly doubled during the war
British expected Americans to help pay for protection
The war lasted nine years
Great Britain hadn’t budgeted for such an expensive war. Great Britain needed money to pay for the war debts, which had nearly doubled. Thus, Great Britain expected the Colonies to help pay for their protection during the French and Indian War. The war lasted for nine years and ended in 1763.

7. The Sugar Act - 1764 First attempt to raise income from the Colonies
Duty on sugar and molasses not obtained from Britain
Smuggling cases tried in Great Britain
Making colonists purchase British-made goods instead of products from the French West Indies was Great Britain’s first plan to regain lost monies. Great Britain passed the Sugar Act, which included a tax on all non-British imports, to strongly encourage colonists to “buy British.” This act was also an attempt to regulate American smuggling. The Act called for a tax of threepence on every gallon of molasses, taxed wine and other goods, and provided for strict enforcement.

8. The Stamp Act—1765 Official government stamp required
First internal tax paying for British protection
The colonists hated the Stamp Act. It deeply impacted and infuriated American lawyers who dealt with legal documents. Many of these lawyers, including Sam and John Adams, were vital contributors to the Revolutionary Movement.

9. More Major Causes The Townshend Acts Boston Massacre Boston Tea Party
The Intolerable Acts
Great Britain didn’t stop there. The British continued to pass a series of laws to restrict the colonies and hold them partly responsible, once again, for British protection from possible attacks by the French or native Americans. The Townshend Acts eventually led to the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party, but the Intolerable Acts, as the colonists nicknamed them, prompted the large-scale revolt by outraged colonists against Great Britain’s King George III.

10. The Townshend Acts—1767
Import duties on tea, lead, glass, and paint colors
Money used to pay royal governors
“No taxation without representation”
The Townshend Acts, or duties, were the last straw. They were an attempt to get Americans to pay extra taxes on a variety of items most often used in the Colonies, such as tea, red and white lead (paint pigments), glass and paint tints. The money raised by taxation was used to pay royal governors in Great Britain and the colonists had no official representation within the government. “No taxation without representation” became a rallying cry for American revolutionaries.
Townshend

11. Boston Diary
“Dined with three hundred and fifty Sons of Liberty, at Robinson’s, the Sign of Liberty Tree in Dorchester…. To the Honour of the Sons, I did not see one Person intoxicated, or near it.”
—John Adams (1769)
This diary excerpt shows the seriousness of the colonists. Listen.
Single click the speaker icon to hear the clip >>>>

12. Boston Massacre—1770 Crowd of colonists threaten British soldiers
British open fire killing five Americans
Parliament canceled the Townshend duties
It’s hard to believe, but a snowball fight led to the very first casualties of the War. It took place, in the center of Boston, five years before the first actual battle. Americans were throwing snowballs at British sentries. One British soldier fell on ice, causing his rifle to discharge. This accidental firing led to the historical Boston Massacre in which five colonists were killed. Crispus Attucks was the person of color casualty of the Revolutionary War. Parliament canceled the Townshend duties, all except for the tea tax, shortly after.

13. Boston Tea Party—1773
British sold tea even more cheaply than smuggled tea
Colonists dressed up as Mohawks
Colonists boarded tea ships
Tea was dumped overboard
Tea, along with beer, was the favorite drink in the Colonies. When the British undersold smuggled tea, thus threatening American trade, the Sons of Liberty, an organization of colonists ready for revolution against Great Britain’s king, had a “tea party” at Boston Harbor. The group disguised themselves as Mohawk Indians, crept onto the Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and the Beaver, and dumped 342 crates of tea into the Boston Harbor water. Mixed reaction met the event, and some colonists, including Ben Franklin, thought the tea should be paid for. Many colonists promised to change their drinking habits to something other than British tea, but that movement was short-lived.

14. Tea Party Diary
“Last Night 3 Cargoes of Bohea Tea were emptied into the sea. This Morning, a Man of War sails. This is the most magnificent Movement of all.”
—John Adams (1773)
This piece from Adams’ diary shows how excited the colonists were to strike out against the British.

15. The Intolerable Acts—1774 Closed the Port of Boston
American town meetings banned
British officials in trouble sent to Great Britain for trial
The British had to retaliate to save face. They couldn’t let this act go unpunished. They responded to the Tea Party by toughening their stand against the Colonies, passing a series of “Intolerable Acts,” which restricted the Colonies in numerous ways, including closing the Port of Boston (essential to the colonists for importing and exporting goods), banning colonists from holding town meetings, and having British officials who had committed crimes sent from the colonies to Great Britain for trial, where they were rarely prosecuted.

16. First Continental Congress
56 Delegates
Included George Washington, Patrick Henry and Sam Adams
Direct response to Intolerable Acts
Met in Philadelphia – 1774
Fifty-six colonial leaders, including George Washington, Patrick Henry, and Sam Adams, decided to figure out what course of action to take after the Intolerable Acts were passed. They met in Philadelphia in 1774 and became known as the First Continental Congress.

17. Colonists Agreed To: Boycott British goods
Arm themselves and form militias
Appeal to the king
The First Continental Congress agreed to the following measures to let Great Britain know they meant business: boycott British goods, arm themselves, and form trained militias, and appeal directly to King George III.

18. King George III Refused To:
Allow American colonist representation in Parliament
No respond to colonists’ complaints and official grievances
The king seemed to be too dignified and important to be bothered with trivial demands by the menial colonists. King George III, the leader of Great Britain, continued to be bothered by the rebels in the 13 colonies. He refused to allow for colonist representation in Parliament. He did nothing to pacify the American colonists and continued to disregard their requests.
King George III

19. American colonists stockpiled weapons in Concord, Massachusetts
“The Shot Heard Round the World”
American colonists stockpiled weapons in Concord, Massachusetts
800 British troops marched through Lexington on the way to Concord
Paul Revere: “The British are coming!”
Enough was enough, American colonists stockpiled weapons in Concord, Massachusetts, outside Boston. Then fighting began. The first battles occurred outside Boston, in Lexington and Concord. It is often called “The Shot Heard Around the World” as 13 colonies decided to challenge the mighty British Empire. Paul Revere, one of the Sons of Liberty, warned colonists, “The British are coming!”

20. The Armed Militia Known as “Minutemen”
70 Minutemen on the Village Green
Known as the Battle of Lexington and Concord
Uncertain which side fired first
50 Americans killed and 45 wounded or missing
65 British killed and 208 wounded or missing
This was truly a mismatched battle from the start, but the outcome was monumental. Farmers and shopkeepers responded to Paul Revere’s call to arms by being ready to fight at “a minute’s notice,” earning them the nickname “Minutemen.” Seventy Minutemen were waiting for the British soldiers at the Village Green, on April 19, Historians are still uncertain about which side fired the first shot. Approximately 50 American colonists were killed and 45 were wounded or missing; the British, on the other hand, lost approximately 65 soldiers and 208 were wounded or missing. The battle was a humiliating defeat for the British, who had more organized, highly trained militias. However, they didn’t use guerilla warfare as the Minutemen chose to do and thus the British were unprepared for ambushes and easily slaughtered.

21. Lexington and Concord

22. Lexington Diary
“At 10 of the clock last night, the King’s troops marched out from the bottom of the common, crossed over to Phips Farm, marched on ’till they came to Lexington.”
—Timothy Newell (1775)
This is an excerpt from Timothy Newell’s diary. “At 10 of the clock last night, the King’s troops marched out from the bottom of the common, crossed over to Phips Farm, marched on ’till they came to Lexington.” –Timothy Newell (1775)

23. Lexington Famous Quote
“Stand your ground, don’t fire unless fired upon. But if they mean to have a war, let it begin here!”
—Captain Parker
Many British soldiers felt bad about shooting their countrymen. Listen to Captain Parker’s words.
Single click the speaker icon to hear the clip >>>>

24. Second Continental Congress
Decided to officially separate from Britain
Committee selected to draft the reasons for separation
Thomas Jefferson selected to write document
Met in Philadelphia
It was time to make the split from Great Britain official. After the initial battles of the war, the Second Continental Congress convened in May 1775 in Philadelphia to call for an official separation from Britain. A committee including Thomas Jefferson was selected to write a draft of all the reasons the colonists wanted complete separation from Britain. Jefferson was chosen by congressional vote to draft the document.

25. The Declaration of Independence
Written by Thomas Jefferson
It is the “Birth Certificate of the United States”
Document listed rights and grievances against King George III
4 parts
Preamble
Declaration of rights
List of Grievances
Resolution
A new country was about to be born. Thomas Jefferson was the unanimous choice to draft the document that would become the “Birth Certificate of the United States,” the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin and John Adams aided Jefferson with Declaration revisions. The document clearly listed colonists’ rights and their grievances against King George III.

26. Key Quotes in the Declaration
“We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal”
“That they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights”
“That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
Many of the phrases that Jefferson included in the Declaration of Independence came from the works of the British political philosopher John Locke. Several of the Declaration’s quotes are well-known by most Americans even today. Some edited to match today’s punctuation rules include: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights and that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Locke

27. The Declaration of Independence
John Hancock first to sign in large print
Anyone who signed it and was caught would be hanged
“We must all now hang together, or most assuredly we will all hang separately." —Benjamin Franklin
John Hancock, as President of the Second Continental Congress, wanted the king to know he meant business. He signed the Declaration in very large letters to send a message to King George III, signing in large print so “King George could read it without his glasses.” Any colonist whose signature appeared on the document and who was apprehended by British soldiers or officials would be hanged in public as a warning to other colonists. This possible horrible death was worth the risk to the men who signed The Declaration of Independence. In the words attributed to Benjamin Franklin, “We must all now hang together, or most assuredly we will all hang separately.”
Hancock

28. Independence Diary —Christopher Marshall (1776)
“There were bonfires, ringing bells, with other great demonstrations of joy upon the unanimity and agreement of the Declaration.”
—Christopher Marshall (1776)
The Declaration put into words what many revolutionaries were feeling. “There were bonfires, ringing bells, with other great demonstrations of joy upon the unanimity and agreement of the Declaration.” – Christopher Marshall (1776)

29. Choosing Sides Patriots – Supported the Revolution
Loyalists – Americans who supported the King
Red Coats/ Lobsterbacks – British Army
When teams were divided up to pick sides in the battle, American colonists were split. One-third were for the Revolution; they called themselves Patriots. One-third who named themselves Loyalists were against it. One-third apparently didn’t care to choose sides.
When it was all said and done, two major groups of the War emerged. The first lineup included the Patriots fighting against King George III. The second group were the Loyalists teamed up with the king’s Red Coats, called Lobsterbacks, fighting against the Patriots.

30. Five were captured by the British, though eventually released
What Happened to those who Signed?
Five were captured by the British, though eventually released
Approximately 12 had their homes ransacked and burned
One lost his son in the Continental Army
Several suffered wounds in various battles
Signing the Declaration of Independence wasn’t a task for the weak or fragile. Many of the men were opening themselves and their families up to great suffering and tribulation. It’s interesting to note what happened to some of them. Five were captured by the British Army, approximately twelve had their homes ransacked and burned, one lost his son in the Continental Army, and several suffered wounds in various battles during the Revolutionary War.