4:1 tensions between parliament and colonist 1. boston massacre at a british customs house, colonist...

4:1Tensions between Parliament and

Colonist• 1. Boston Massacre• At a British customs house, colonist taunt

soldiers, shots were fired killing about 5, but as word spread throughout colonies so did the story.

• Parliament looks to the colonies’ resources to finance debts from French/Indian War & other European Wars.

• 2. Stamp Act

• A direct tax - directly on taxpayer.

• Vs. Indirect tax - on goods/services

• This required colonists to purchase special stamped paper for every legal document

• (license, newspaper, will, playing cards

• 3. Sons of Liberty• Secret resistance group organized by Boston

shop-keepers to see that all shops did boycott British goods

• 4. Samuel Adams• SoL founder, powerful/influential political activist

• 5. Boycott• Collective refusal to use/buy as act of protest

• 6. Townshend Acts

• An indirect tax by Charles Townshend. Placing a tax on imported goods such as glass, lead, paint, paper, plus a 3-penny tax on tea.

• 7. Colonists react to these acts…

• With rage & well organized resistance protesting “taxation w/o representation”

• So Boycotted Br. Made cloth and tea

• 8. The “Liberty”

Local merchant, John Hancock’s ship seized by Br. Agents claiming he smuggled wine w/o paying tax….triggering riots against custom agents

• 9. Red Coats = British soldiers

10. Boston Massacre

Committees of Correspondence were established to help colonies communicate with each other

• 11. Tea Act• 1773 Br. East India Company that had

held a monopoly on tea imports were going bankrupt due to boycott so Br. Prime Minister granted company to sale directly to colonist free of taxes instead of thru the colonial tea company/sellers. (Hoped they’d buy cheaper tea, but instead protested) by…..

• 12. Boston Tea Party 12/16/1773• Group of Rebels dressed as Indians

dumped 114 chests x 3 ships = 18,000 lbs tea in protest.

• 13. King George III• 1760 becomes King of Great Britain,

furious over destruction of Br. Property,• Passes the…..

• 14. Intolerable Acts (1774) (as called by the colonist)– 1. Shut down Boston Harbor– 2. Quartering Act-gave Br. Right to house

soldiers in private vacant homes/buildings– 3. Placed Boston under Martial Law-rule

imposed by military forces

• 15. 1st Continental Congress (Sept 1774)

• 56 delegates met in Phil. To draw up colonial rights to run own affairs, supported protests and stated if Br. Used force against Colonists would fight back.

• Will meet again if demands not met.

• 16. Minutemen- civilian soldiers preparing for fight stockpiling gunpowder/firearms

• 17. Dr. Warren ordered Paul Revere to:

• Warn Adams and Hancock the British were coming to arrest them & townspeople b/t Lexington/Concord and to destroy hidden gunpowder/firearms.

• “A glorious day for America”

• Adams’ quote to Hancock as they escape British & hear minutemen defeating British at Concord

4:2 Ideas help start a revolutionOBJ: Contrast attitudes of

Loyalist/Patriots• 1. 2nd Continental congress meets May

1775 with debates….

• 2. Colonial militia recognized as Continental Army and appoints….

• 3. Battle of Bunker Hill

• 4. Olive branch petition –

• Sent by Congress to Britain urging peace between them

• 5. King George responds….

• Flatly rejecting it and ordered a naval blockade of American coast!

• 6. “Common Sense”-

• -50-pg. pamphlet by Thomas Paine, attacking King George III (sold 500,000 copies of which profits donated to the cause)

• 7. “Common Sense” was effective…

• It eased many colonists fears of needing Britain to survive & saw that others felt the same

• 8. Thomas Jefferson prepared a Declaration of Independence explaining reasons for colonies actions…..”Life, Liberty & Pursuit of Happiness”

• 9. July 4, 1776 The Declaration of Independence was adopted

• 10. It was a huge decision on taking sides. Colonies were in a bit of a civil war, as well as, with Britain

• 11. Patriots

• 12. Loyalist

• * 4 parts of Declaration of Independence:

• -Preamble

• -Rights of People

• -Unfair acts/ Grievances

• -Declare Independence

• * John Hancock - President of Continental congress

4:3 Struggling Toward Saratoga

• 1. Valley Forge – Continental Army camp in winter 1777-78 under clothed and under fed.

• 2. Mercenaries –

• Soldiers who fight solely for money

• 3. Victories at Trenton (NJ) & Princeton were very important to Washington’s troops…

• Motivated many to re-enlist & continue fighting

• 4. Gen. Burgoyne - Leader of British troops

• 6.

• Colonial Strengths: Weaknesses:

• British Strengths: Weaknesses:

• 7. The turning point for colonists w/ French…

• They signed an alliance of cooperation w/Americans & would not make peace w/ Br. Unless they recognized Am. Independence

• 8. Continentals – paper $

• Inflation = rising prices ($ buys less)

• 9. “Molly Pitcher” –

• Nickname given to Mary Ludwig Hays McCarly…carried pitchers of water to men at cannon

• 10. Women contributed to War efforts:

• managing farms, shops, cook, sew,

• Some fought

• 11. African Americans during war:

• 1000’s escaped to freedom, moved west, joined Native Am., 5000 served in army and were impressive

4:4 Winning the Warobj: summarize the British

surrender

• 1. Yorktown – VA where Br. (Cornwallis)

• Surrendered to Am. (1781)

• 2. Marquis de Lafayette (Fr)

• Friedrich von Steuben (Prussian)

• Both helped Washington fight British

• 3. Charles Cornwallis – ambitious Gen. of British forces

• 4. British strategy in south:

• - to rally Loyalist for support, est. base then move north to recapture colonies

• 5. British’s greatest victory:

• The capture of Charles Town, SC & Savannah

• 6. Cornwallis’ fatal mistake:

• led his army of 7500 onto peninsula b/t James & York Rivers

• 7. Benedict Arnold – (traitor)

• Popular patriot leader found guilty of using gov’t supplies for personal use. Angry at congress, he shifted support to Britain handing over West Point to Br.

Cont. army 1775-80

Br. Army 1780-81

• 8. Treaty of Paris – 1783

• Confirmed Am. Independence & set boundaries of the new nation

• Atlantic to MS. River

• Canada to FL border

• 9. Issues the treaty left unresolved:

• protection of Native Am. Land &

• Setting time for when Br. Had to leave

• 10. Native Americans after war :

• -destroyed or displaced (pop. Dropped 50% E. of Ms. R)

• Now Colonies are faced with the challenge of creating a Government….– Who can participate?– How will we be a gov’t of the people?

Describe British surrender