Stirrings of Rebellion• As a result of the __________ War England was in debt

– The Stamp Act was the first tax passed that directly affected the colonists

• The Stamp Act required colonists to purchase special paper

stamped for: – Legal documents – Newspaper– Pamphlets

– Playing cards & Dice • Colonists lost all respect for British officials in America• Growing resentment led to cities ready for protest

Protest

• Sons of Liberty– Secret resistance group – Samuel Adams

• Powerful & influential political activist

– Staged protests & demonstrations throughout colonies – Threats & harassment caused stamp agents to resign

• Colonists prevented any stamps from being sold

Tar and Feathering

Protest• Stamp Act Congress

– Delegates from 9 colonies met in NYC– Issued the…

• Declaration of Rights & Grievances – Parliament could not impose taxes on the colonists because they

had no representation

– October 1765• Major cities boycotted British goods until the Stamp Act was

repealed

– March 1766• Stamp Act repealed • Declaratory Act: asserted Parliament’s right to make laws for

the colonies

Townshend Acts 1767

• Indirect taxes on imports– Glass, lead, paint & paper

– 3 penny tax on tea • Samuel Adams called for another boycott

– Women were asked to join• Stopped buying British goods & began weaving their own cloth

& tea

• John Hancock’s ship, the _________, was seized in suspicion of smuggling – June 1768: British station 4,000 troops in Boston in reaction

to violence

Boston Massacre

• March 5, 1770– Fist fight breaks out between dockhands

and guards • The clash leaves 5 dead including

– _________________________

– Adams & others gave the clash its name & played on the idea that the men were defenseless against the guards

The Boston MassacreThe Boston Massacre

Road to War

1771-1775

The Gaspee IncidentThe Gaspee Incident (1772) (1772)Providence, RI coastProvidence, RI coast

• British Royal Navy ship assigned custom duty – Ran aground

chasing a merchant ship

– Set on fire by colonists

Committees Committees of Correspondenceof CorrespondencePurposePurpose *Created by MA & VA *Created by MA & VA

govt.govt.

* Line of * Line of communicationcommunication

*warn neighboring *warn neighboring coloniescolonies about incidents with Br. about incidents with Br.

* broaden the * broaden the resistanceresistance movement. movement.

Tea Act (1773)

• Set up by Lord North• Gave British East India Company a

monopoly on imported tea • Permitted the Co. to sell tea directly to Permitted the Co. to sell tea directly to

colonists without a middleman = (cheaper colonists without a middleman = (cheaper tea!)tea!)

Tea Act Tea Act (1773)(1773)

8 Gave the British East India Co.Gave the British East India Co. Hit hard by colonial boycottsHit hard by colonial boycotts

Many members of Many members of Parl. held shares.Parl. held shares.

Permitted the Co. to Permitted the Co. to sell tea directly to sell tea directly to cols. without col. cols. without col. middlemen middlemen (cheaper tea!)(cheaper tea!)

Boston Tea Party

• December 16, 1773• 116 Sons of Liberty rebels

disguised as Native Americans– Dumped 90,000 lbs of tea into Boston

Harbor

Boston Tea Party Boston Tea Party (1773)(1773)

• 1. What is martial law?

The Coercive or The Coercive or IntolerableIntolerableActs Acts (1774)(1774)

Lord NorthLord North

1.1. Shut down Boston Shut down Boston Harbor- until repayment Harbor- until repayment

2.2. Thomas Gage Thomas Gage appointed governor of appointed governor of MA MA

4.4. New Quatering Act: New Quatering Act: Kept soldiers in vacant Kept soldiers in vacant homes & other buildings homes & other buildings

3.3. Gage kept Boston Gage kept Boston under Martial Law under Martial Law

First Continental Congress First Continental Congress (1774)(1774)

55 delegates from 12 55 delegates from 12 coloniescolonies

AgendaAgenda How to How to respond to the respond to the Intolerable Acts?Intolerable Acts?

*1 vote per colony *1 vote per colony

representedrepresented..

*Drew up a declaration of colonial rights

•Colonies should run their own affairs

•Supported revolt in MA & stated they wouldFight back against British force

•Agreed to meet again in May 1775 if Demands were not met

The British Are The British Are Coming Coming . . .. . .

Paul ReverePaul Revere & & William DawesWilliam Dawes make make their midnight ride to warn the their midnight ride to warn the

MinutemenMinutemen of approaching British of approaching British soldiers.soldiers.

Paul Revere

Grant Wood- 1931

The Shot Heard The Shot Heard ’’Round the WorldRound the World!!

LexingtonLexington & & ConcordConcord – April – April 19,177519,1775

Lexington & Concord

• Night of April 18- British troops left Boston with two goals– 1. Capture Samuel

Adams & John Hancock in Lexington

– 2. Take colonial arms & ammunition stored in Concord

Lexington & Concord

• British found local militia in Lexington• In the confusion a shot was fired

– the British opened fire on the militia– 8 minutemen killed & others wounded

• British marched on to Concord – Destroyed arsenal before Americans

forced them to retreat to Boston– Followed British killing 73 and wounding

others

Lexington & Concord

• British continued their march to Boston & found no arms

• Their return to Concord became a slaughter

Lexington & Concord

• Between 3 & 4 thousand minutemen were waiting for them – Fired from behind stone walls & trees

• By the time reinforcements arrived- the British were bloody & humiliated

• The colonists were now enemies of Britain

The Second Continental The Second Continental CongressCongress

• May 1775- Philadelphia • Delegates fall into 2 categories:

– Radicals & Moderates • Congress acted as an independent

government – George Washington appointed

commander of army – Authorized printing of colonial $$

Battle of Bunker Hill

• June 1775– First formal battle of Revolution – British General William Howe

• As redcoats marched uphill the militia held their fire until last minute

– Militia destroyed the British but British advanced 2 more times

– Third round was success

– Colonists lost 311 men while the British lost over 1,000 men

• British victory because the militia was forced to retreat

Olive Branch Petition

• Most colonists felt loyal to the king – Resented his ministers

• July 8, 1775– Congress sent King the

________________ urging for “the former harmony”

– King George rejects the petition and called for a naval blockade of the coast

Olive Branch Petition

Thomas PaineThomas Paine: : Common SenseCommon Sense

Common Sense

• January 1776 • Published anonymously

– Thomas Paine – 47 pages

• Attacked King George & the monarchy – Time for colonists to proclaim an independent

republic – Independence: America’s Destiny

• A better society free from tyranny

Declaration of Declaration of Independence Independence

(1776)(1776)

Declaration of Independence

• 2nd Continental Congress- urged each colony to form its own government

• Thomas Jefferson was chosen to express the committees points – Jefferson drew on the ideas of John Locke– People obey a government in return for natural

rights

• July 2 1776 - delegates voted unanimously that American colonies were free– Read formally to the public on July 4th

Declaration of Declaration of IndependenceIndependence

Independence HallIndependence Hall

New New National National SymbolsSymbols