Civil War Historic Sites Gettysburg. The English Colonies in “New England” The PILGRIMS...
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Transcript of Civil War Historic Sites Gettysburg. The English Colonies in “New England” The PILGRIMS...
Civil WarHistoric Sites
Gettysburg
The English Colonies in “New England”
The PILGRIMS established the first colony at Plymouth, followed by
the PURITANS at Massachusetts Bay. Later,
colonies in New Hampshire, Rhode Island
and Connecticut were founded. Some farming
was done, but trading w as a major source of income.
The Middle Colonies •The Middle Colonies
included New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
•The land was more suitable to farming than New England, but trade was also important to the economy.
The Southern Colonies
•The Southern Colonies included Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
•Their economy was based primarily on agriculture and used slavery.
3 Major Reasons for Migration to America
•To seek out wealth and treasure.•To claim land they felt was readily available.•To escape political and religious discrimination at home.
By 1732, the English had
established 13 colonies along
the Atlantic Seaboard.
Spain, France, and Britain All Wanted to Control North America
Beginnings of Conflict
Three times between 1689 and 1748, Britain and France had fought for power in both Europe and North
America. Each time the war had ended in an uneasy peace. By the 1750’s war was about to break out
again.
The very bitter
“French and Indian War” ended
with the British
taking over France’s in
colonies and claims
North America.
North America
as it looked
in 1763.
Britain told settlers not to move west across the
Appalachian Mountains, but many already
had. Britain was trying to avoid further conflict
with Native Americans.
The French and Indian War had also been very costly to fight.
Many in the British government felt that the American colonists should help pay for the cost of the war.
After leaving the colonies mostly alone for 150 years, Britain started to take much more control over them.
Various taxes were imposed.
Colonists understood that taxes are needed, but what bothered them the most, was TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.
After several conflicts, including the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party, more violence was about to explode.
The Shot Heard ‘Round the World
In Massachusetts, newspapers called on citizens to protect American liberty.“MINUTEMEN” were volunteers who were ready to fight on short notice.
More and more troops arrived in Boston.
In early 1775, the British heard that in the village of Concord, weapons were being stored.
Concord, Massachusetts
as it looks today.
On the night of April 18, about 700 troops left Boston to head toward Concord. The Sons of Liberty were watching, and were warned by two lanterns hanging from the Old North Church that the British were moving toward Concord by water — “One if by land, two if by sea.”
Riders were sent out to warn the people of Concord. One of them, Paul Revere, shouted “The Redcoats are coming!”
The Old North Church was once the tallest building in Boston.
The next morning, just a few miles from Concord at a small village called
Lexington, the British met up with about 70 Minutemen. They ordered them to
leave, but they didn’t. Suddenly, a shot, that no one knows for sure who fired, went off. In the ensuing brief
skirmish, 8 colonists died.
“The Shot Heard ‘Round the World”
April 19, 1775 – Patriots’ Day
Lexington Green
Lexington Green
The British found very little in Concord, but what they did find, was torched. Some
Minutemen thought the town was on fire. Just outside town, the Redcoats clashed with about 300 Minutemen, starting at a place called the Old North Bridge. The whole rest of the day, the British were
chased back to Boston. 73 of them were killed, and 200 were wounded or were missing. Many wondered what would
happen next.
The Old North Bridge near Concord
The Battle of Bunker HillJune of 1775 Despite losing
this battle, the Americans, led
by George Washington, were able to
eventually drive the British out
of Boston. Some
Americans still thought we should seek
peace with the British.
Common Sense
In January of 1776, a pamphlet called “Common Sense” appeared on the streets of
Philadelphia. “I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common
sense,” said its author, a man named Thomas Paine. Thomas Paine’s “plain arguments” boldly urged the colonies to declare their independence from Britain.
Thomas Paine’s pamphlet,
“COMMON SENSE” had a
great effect on the American people.
The Fateful Step
Common Sense also affected many members of the Continental Congress.
Many felt it was time to declare independence from Great Britain.
Delegates faced a difficult decision. There would be no turning back if they declared independence. If they were caught by the British, they would be hanged as traitors.
Writing the Declaration of Independence
• The congress chose a committee to create a declaration of independence. The committee included: John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman.
• Their job was to tell the world why they were breaking away from Great Britain.
• Thomas Jefferson was actually chosen to write the document. He finished it in late June of 1776.
Thomas Jefferson, at age 33, was
the main author of the
Declaration of Independence.
On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted that the 13 colonies should be “free and independent states.” Two days later
on July 4, the delegates accepted the official Declaration of Independence, and
ever since, Americans have celebrated the 4th of July as INDEPENDENCE DAY.
What is in the Declaration of Independence?
“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.”
The Declaration of Independence contains 3 specific parts.
#1 - Basic Rights• How do people protect their basic rights?• The Declaration says governments can
exist only if they have the permission of the people.
• If a government takes away its citizen’s rights, then it is the peoples’ “right and duty to throw off such government, and provide new guards for their future security”.
#2 - British Wrongs• The Declaration also lists the bad things
the British had done.• Jefferson documented how King George
III had abused his power.• The king was condemned for disbanding
colonial legislatures and sending troops to the colonies in times of peace.
• Other wrongs were also listed.
#3 - An Independent Nation
• The last part of the Declaration of Independence announces that the colonies have become “the United States of America”.
• All official ties with Britain are cut.• As a free and independent nation, the
United States could make alliances and trade with other countries.
Choosing Sides• Just because we had declared our
independence didn’t automatically mean we had it. IT HAD TO BE EARNED!!!
• People now had to choose which side to be on.
• PATRIOTS -- People who supported independence.
• LOYALISTS -- People who remained loyal to Britain.
• The country was pretty evenly split.• About 1/3 were patriots, 1/3 were
loyalists, and 1/3 were in the middle.• New England had the greatest number of
patriots.• The Middle Colonies and the South had
higher numbers of Loyalists.• Many Loyalists were forced to flee to
Canada or England, and many lost their homes, stores, and farms.
The Middle States of
New York, New Jersey,
and Pennsylvania were host to several key
battles of the Revolution.
Fortunately, the British strategy of cutting off New England from the rest of the country
was thwarted.
It was the American victory at Saratoga
that convinced France to
aid the Americans.
In 1780 and 1781, the British focused on the South, which had a higher number of
Loyalists. Both sides, saw
successes, and by October
1781, a large British army
found itself in Yorktown, Virginia.
The British army under General Cornwallis was surrounded on
land and sea by a combined force of the Americans
and French. They had no choice but to surrender.
Americans, with French help, were victorious over the British at the Battle of Yorktown.
Making Peace• Americans rejoiced, while the British were
stunned.• Peace talks began in Paris in 1782.• Britain was ready to end the war, so the
Americans got most of what they wanted.• Our borders now went from the Atlantic to the
Mississippi River, and from Florida to Canada.
• It had been 8 long years since Lexington and Concord!
In 1783, the borders of the United States extended from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River, and from
British-controlled Canada to Spanish-controlled Florida.
George Washington’s
Farewell
The Revolution had been a long and difficult struggle for Americans. They had fought a
more-powerful nation with better-armed and better-trained soldiers. Money, arms, and
soldiers from France helped win the war, but the strength and courage of men like Washington played a major role in the American victory.