1. Road to Revolution

2. Competing Empires British French Came to stay – needed to farm
Family units were making permanent homes
They had large numbers of settlers
Had bad relationships with Native Americans
Came to make $$$ and go home
Young single men who planned to leave after they made $$$
There were not that many of them
Didn’t bother Native Americans much because they did need to seize land – just hunt on it. (Mostly fur traders)

3. Beginning of French & Indian War (Seven Years’ War)
French built fort (Duquesne) too close for comfort to Virginia colony
Governor sent militia troops to tell them to leave
Led by George Washington
Built Fort Necessity
French didn’t listen – sent Washington home
In preparation of war, British try to unite colonies
Albany Plan of Union – failed because the colonies didn’t want to be one unit – wanted to keep their individuality and control over themselves
Send General Braddock to defeat eh French who have made an alliance with the Indians already
He’s arrogant and won’t listen to the colonists who give him advice on how to fight in North America
Gets ambushed and half his men are killed as is he
British loose most of the early battles

4. Turning the Tide
British get better generals in and start to win some battles
They get help from the Iroquois Indians
French loose too many battles and surrender
Sign the Treaty of Paris in 1763 which gives up all their land in North America and British push west all the way to the Mississippi

5. Results of the War Great Britain is in major debt
French are bitter toward the British
Colonists learn how to fight Indian style
Native Americans loose the most – never have security after that
Continue to try to fight the British
Pontiac’s War gave the British enough headaches that they banned colonial settlement east of the Appalachian Mountains
Called the Proclamation of 1763

6. Colonial Resistance & Rebellion
How the British felt
How the Colonies felt
“You colonists cannot move west! We cannot afford fights with the Indians!”
“Man we are in a lot of debt! We need to make some money! Let’s tax the colonists!”
“The Americans are like children – they need us to make good decisions for them.”
A. Its not fair to limit our expansion. We fought in the War also!”
“Don’t tax us if you won’t at least let us have representatives in Parliament.”
C. “We see you as our brothers, not our superiors. Let us govern ourselves!”

7. The first, annoying taxes
Sugar Act
Quartering Act
1764 – import tax (duty) on many items such as molasses (sugar)
Harsh penalties for smugglers – came from a judge not a jury
TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!!!!
1765 –Required colonists to house, feed & supply the troops
Upset all colonists who felt they had no say
Why leave the soldiers anyway? As babysitters!

8. The Stamp Act – The first big deal
1765 – required colonists to buy stamps for all printed documents from playing cards to newspapers to wills etc.
Stamp Act Congress was formed & began major protests & boycotts
Sons of Liberty was formed in Boston
Petitions were written to the King & Parliament to repeal it
It was repealed in 1766, but the Declaratory Acts were passed
Said Parliament had total control over the colonies

9. The Townshend Acts 1767 - Tax on imported goods, such as tea
Established Writs of Assistance
Angered colonists and protests resumed
British repeal all but the tea tax but send 4,000 troops to Boston, where the most protesting was going on
1 soldier for every 4 citizens
Leads to the Boston Massacre where 5 colonists are killed

10. The Tea Act
Colonists had begun smuggling in Dutch Tea due to the Tea Tax
Parliament passed the Tea Act to help the East India Co.
This reduced the cost of tea for the colonists
Upset them anyway because it was giving the East India Co. a monopoly on tea
Would put colonial tea merchants (smugglers)out of business
Colonists reacted by throwing tea into Boston Harbor

11. Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts)
Response to the Tea Party
Closed Boston Harbor
Put soldier in charge
Colonists reacted by holding the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia
Demanded a repeal
Declared the right to tax themselves
Called for the training of militias (Minutemen)

12. The Shot Heard Round the World
British General Thomas Gage Sends 700 troops to seize weapons being kept at Concord, just outside of Boston
Paul Revere and William Dawes rode through the night to alert the minutemen “The British Are coming”
Lexington is on the way to Concord, and 77 minutemen were waiting for the British there.
8 Americans are killed
Another battle occurs at Concord
Over 300 British are killed

13. Second Continental Congress
1775: Philadelphia Some attendees were:
Thomas Jefferson (Virginia)
John Adams (Massachusetts)
Benjamin Franklin (Philadelphia)
Couldn’t agree if they should declare independence or not
Thomas Jefferson writes the Declaration of Independence and they all end up signing it – July 4th, 1776
Now we are the 13 states – not colonies!!

14. Colonists Split Patriots Loyalists Wanted break from England
Wanted Independence
2/3 of colonists
Remained loyal to the king
1/3 of colonists
Many African Americans sided with the British hoping to win their freedom
Many fought for the British and thousands left the country during and after the war

15. Early Battles –Fort Ticonderoga
American’s took the lightly guarded fort and got cannons which were needed
Hauled the cannons on sleds 300 miles through forests to Bunker Hill
Washington uses the cannons to force the British out of Boston

16. Early Battles – Bunker Hill
British won at a terrible cost. Charged up a hill and lost 1000 soldiers
Only won b/c the Americans ran out of ammunition
Americans proved they could fight this professional force