American RevolutionUnit 4

Conflicting Claims

Both Britain and France claimed the Ohio Valley.

French and Indian War

The French and Indian War began in North America in 1754 with the Battle of Fort Necessity.

France and Britain had formed alliances with many of the Native American tribes in the Ohio Valley.

Benjamin Franklin came up with an idea called the Albany Plan of Union, stating that the colonies should unite to fight the French, but the colonies were not yet willing to fight as one country.

The War Expands The colonists wanted to win

the war so they asked Parliament to send an army to help fight the French and their Native American allies.

General Edward Braddock led the British and attacked the French at Fort Duquesne.

Britain sent more troops and supplies to the colonies, and the war slowly turned in its favor.

The French and British started fighting in Europe.

Treaty of Paris 1763

The French and Indian War ended in 1763 and Britain got most of Canada, all French lands east of the Mississippi River, and Spanish Florida. France lost nearly all of its lands in North America.

More Troubles

The colonists wanted to settle in the lands that were now under British control, but these lands were already home to many Native Americans groups.

Ottawa chief named Pontiac united groups along the Mississippi river and attacked British forts and colonists.

Britain’s King George III tried to end the fighting by making the Proclamation of 1763 that said all lands west of the Appalachian Mountains belonged to the Native Americans and white settlers needed to leave.

Sugar Act - 1764

After the French and Indian War ended, British leaders looked at their budget and realized that they needed more money to pay off the cost of the war.

They decided to tax sugar and molasses and collected the taxes from the colonists to raise money for Britain.

Some merchants objected to the tax, but the government kept taxing the sugar.

Stamp Act - 1765

Parliament put taxes on paper items in the colonies such as newspapers, legal documents, and even playing cards. They had a special stamp on them to show that the tax had been paid.

The colonists were angry because no one represented them or spoke and acted for them in Parliament.

Benjamin Franklin

He spoke against Britain’s tax laws. He believed Parliament should take back the tax law.

“No Taxation Without Representation” Mercy Otis Warren, a

Massachusetts writer, disagreed with the new tax and began writing plays that accused British leaders of being greedy.

Patrick Henry, the governor or Virginia, stated Parliament did not represent the colonies. He was accused of treason which is being guilty of working against his own government.

“No Taxation Without Representation”

Colonial leaders met in New York City and became known as the Stamp Act Congress where they would speak out against the Stamp Act. (Congress is a formal meeting of representatives.)

Colonists Work Together

The colonists tried to force Britain to take back the Stamp Act by writing letters to Parliament, choosing not to buy taxed goods, or boycotting by not buying any British goods.

Sons of Liberty Liberty meant freedom to make their own

laws. The Sons of Liberty captured several tax

collectors who tried to collect taxes. They covered the tax collectors with sticky tar and dumped feathers on them.

Daughters of Liberty

Women also took action against the Stamp Act. The Daughters of Liberty spun thread and wove their own cloth instead of buying British cloth.

The Stamp Act is Repealed in 1766

Many colonists opposed the Stamp Act that Parliament voted to repeal or take back the Stamp Act.

However, Parliament passed the Declaratory Act the very next day which stated that Britain had the full power to make laws for the people in America in all cases.

Committees of Correspondence A committee is a group of people formed for

a special purpose, and correspondence means communicating usual through letters.

The colonists formed Committees of Correspondence to spread information more quickly between colonies. The members would write letters to each other about what was happening in their town and colony.

Committee members wrote letters to other cities and towns and asked people in the other colonies to protest, or work against, British policies.

Samuel Adams

Samuel Adams organized the first Committee of Correspondence in Boston in 1764. He spoke out many times against imperial policies, which were laws and orders issued by the king and the British Parliament.

Townshend Acts -1767

The Townshend Acts taxed imports such as glass, tea, paint, and paper, that were brought into the colonies.

Colonists boycotted British goods again. The Daughters of Liberty asked people to stop drinking British tea, and merchants would not import taxed goods.

Parliament repealed the Townshend Acts except for the tax on tea.

Boston Massacre Colonists were angered by

British soldiers in their towns. They made fun of the soldiers’ bright red uniform jackets. Some of the soldiers became so angry that they destroyed colonial property.

One of the worst fights took place in Boston where soldiers opened fire.

Crispus Attucks was an African American sailor that was killed in the Boston Massacre. He was one of the first person killed in the fight for the colonies’ freedom.

Tea Act Parliament passed the Tea Act in 1773 and

it gave Britain’s East India Company a monopoly on tea. A legal monopoly gives complete control of a good or service in an area to one person or group.

The Tea Act meant that colonists had to buy their tea from the East India Company, but they decided to boycott tea.

Some even made a kind of teat from local sassafras trees.

Boston Tea Party

On December 16, 1773, the Sons of Liberty dressed as members of the Mohawk tribe and dumped more than 300 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor.

Their angry protest became known as the Boston Tea Party.

Coercive Acts

In March 1774, Parliament coerced, or forced, the colonists to follow laws they felt were unfair.

Parliament was punishing the colonists for destroying tea.

The Boston Harbor was under blockade so that other ships could not enter or leave the harbor.

The colonists were also ordered to quarter British soldiers, which meant they had to give them food and housing.

Or The Intolerable Acts

The First Continental Congress

Colonial leaders met in Philadelphia and sent a petition (a signed request) to the king.

This petition reminded the king of the colonist’s basic rights as British citizens such as the right to life and liberty, the right to assemble, and the right to a trial by jury.

Lexington and Concord The colonists quickly formed militia

units called Minutemen because they were said to be ready to fight at a minute’s notice.

The British general Thomas Gage heard that Samuel Adams and John Hancock were meeting in Lexington and the Minutemen had weapons nearby Concord. The British wanted their march to Lexington to be a secret.

However, Paul Revere (a member of the Sons of Liberty) found out about the plan and rode to Lexington to warn the others.

Lexington and Concord - 1755

When the British arrived in Lexington, Minutemen were waiting.

No one knows which side fired first, but shots rang out.

Fighting that day moved the colonies closer to becoming the United States of America.

Fighting at Lexington and Concord marked the start of the American Revolution.

The Second Continental Congress

The colonies heard the news of the fighting at Lexington and Concord.

The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775 at the Pennsylvania State House.

The delegates were divided about avoiding fighting or going to war. The Congress agreed that the colonies should prepare for war.

What did the Second Continental Congress do?

First, Congress formed an army of full-time soldiers.

George Washington was chosen as the army’s commander in chief, the leader of all the military forces. John Adams, a delegate from Massachusetts, suggested Washington because Washington had served in the French and Indian War.

Congress printed its own paper money, which became known as Continental currency. Congress paid the soldiers in bills called Continentals.

General George Washington

Battle of Bunker Hill The first major battle of the Revolutionary War took place

at Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. The colonial commanders arrived at Breed’s Hill. They

ordered the soldiers to build earthworks, or walls made of earth and stone. It helped the colonists defend themselves.

British General Thomas Gage learned of this and ordered 2,400 British soldiers to capture Breed’s Hill. When the British drew close, the 1,600 colonists behind the earthworks started shooting.

To save bullets, colonial commander Putnam shouted, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”

What was the result of Bunker Hill?

The colonists ran out of ammunition on Breed’s Hill. The British climbed over the earthworks, and the colonists had to flee.

The British won the battle, but they suffered heavy losses.

Many British soldiers and colonists were killed and wounded.

The Olive Branch Petition

Congress sent another petition to King George III on July 5, 1775, asking for peace.

The olive branch is an ancient symbol for peace.

When the Olive Branch Petition reached London, it did little good because the British leaders were very angered by the Battle of Bunker Hill.

King George III promised to crush the colonists’ rebellion.

Declaring Independence

The colonists were starting to think that their problems with Britain could not be settled.

Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called Common Sense suggesting that the colonists ruled themselves.

Congress Debates Independence

Many people began talking about Thomas Paine’s ideas and called for independence, or the freedom to govern themselves.

John Adams said independence was the only way for colonists to have liberty.

At the Second Continental Congress on June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia told the other delegates that they should write a resolution which is a formal group statement.

Thomas Jefferson Congress chose a committee

to write a declaration, or official statement, about independence to be sent to the king.

Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the first draft of the Declaration of Independence because he was a lawyer and had studies government and law. He used his knowledge to explain his ideas.

The Declaration of Independence

Thomas Jefferson carefully planned the Declaration of Independence.

The first part of the Declaration of Independence was called the preamble and it explained why the colonies had the right to break away from Britain and form a new nation.

The next part stated the people’s rights such as the right to live, be free, and seek their own happiness.

Congress Approves the Declaration

After Thomas Jefferson finished writing his draft of the Declaration, it was read aloud to the delegates. They discussed it for several days and made edits.

On July 4, 1776, Congress voted to accept the final wording of the Declaration of Independence. It was publicly read aloud at the Pennsylvania State House.

News of the Declaration quickly spread to the other colonies.

Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence was

signed by all the members of the Second Continental Congress. John Hancock, the president of the Congress was the first to sign it.

Signing the Declaration of Independence was dangerous because ifthe Americans lost the war, the British would try the signers for treason, a crime punishable by death.

The Declaration’s Importance

When the Declaration of Independence was approved in 1776, only white men who owned property could vote. Some people believed that was unfair.

Abigail Adams, the wife of John Adams, wrote a letter to her husband, John Adams, stating that congress should recognize women’s rights.

Even though it took many years for other groups of Americans to share fully the promise of the Declaration of Independence, it inspired people around the world to work for freedom and equal rights.

Articles of Confederation The Second Continental Congress

decided that each state would govern itself, but all would work together on national issues.

This first plan of government was called the Articles of Confederation. John Dickinson helped write the Articles of Confederation.

It was approved by Congress in 1777 and later by the states.

Under the Articles, each state elected representatives to serve in a national legislature. It was called the Confederation Congress. Each state had one vote in Congress.

Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation left most power with

the states. It limited the powers of the national government.

Before Congress could pass any law, representatives from at least 9 or the 13 states had to approve it, but the representatives rarely agreed.

Congress had the power to declare war, make treaties, and borrow money. However, it could not control trade or collect taxes.

Congress could ask the states for money but could not force the states to pay. Congress could ask for an army, but the states had to provide the soldiers.