The Road to the Revolution. What drove the colonists to declare independence from Great Britain?
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Transcript of The Road to the Revolution. What drove the colonists to declare independence from Great Britain?
Chapter 6 The Road to the Revolution
Essential Question What drove the colonists to declare
independence from Great Britain?
Section 1Tighter British Control
The Colonies and Britain Grow Apart King George II – British monarch Issued Proclamation of 1763: British
Proclamation that forbade the colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.
colonists who hoped to speculate or buy western land became angry.
King decided to keep 10,000 soldiers in the colonies to enforce proclamation “ Housing was very expensive.
Passed the Quartering Acts- Colonists had to house soldiers.
New laws were used to control and restrict freedom of colonists
Parliament Taxes the Colonists
Had debt from French and Indian War Also had to pay the soldiers
Taxed colonists for▪ Frontier defense▪Colonial government
Sugar Act- (1765) placed a tax on sugar, molasses, and other products shipped to colonies.
Stamp Act- (1766) required all legal and commercial documents to carry an official stamp showing that the tax has been paid.
Such as: wills, contracts, newspapers, diplomas
Colonists Defy Parliment
Battle Cry of Colonists “No Taxation without Representation”
Patrick Henry- member of House of Burgesses. He demanded resistance. Some said that this was treason.
Colonist Organize 1765 delegates from 9 colonies formed
the Stamp Act Congress. They drafted a petition to the King
protesting the Stamp Act
Sons of Liberty: Secret Society that opposed British
Colonists Threaten British Profits Boycott- Widespread refusal to buy
British Goods Refused to buy British Goods hoped
to hurt merchants and merchants would go to Parliament to get Stamp Act repealed.
The Boycott worked and the Stamp Act was repealed.
At the same time, the Stamp Act was repealed, Parliament passed the Declaratory Act- It stated that Parliament had supreme authority over colonists.
Section 2
Crispus Attacks- sailor of African American and Native American ancestry who died at the Boston Massacre.
Tension spread throughout colonies over Great Britain.
Tightening British Control
How to control unruly colonists without taxing them.
Declaratory Act- Gave Parliament right to legislate for the colonies
Colonists did not feel threatened by the Declaratory Act
Colonists ignored the act and went on about their normal lives
Since the Stamp Act was gone, Britain still needed to raise money.
Charles Townshend – Finance ministers of Great Britain raise revenue in America.
1767- Townshend Acts- placed duties on numerous imports to the colonies such as: Glass Paper Paint Lead tea
Writs of Assistance: search warrants – to enter homes and businesses to search for smuggled or illegal goods
Passes laws without consent of colonists
Colonist Protest Boston merchants organized boycott
“colonies all united”
Political Activism Spreads
Daughters of Liberty: women who organized against Great Britain. They sewed their own clothes, so they would not have to buy from Britain.
Samuel Adams: Leader of the Sons of Liberty
Boston Massacre Boston Massacre: Fall of 1768 1000 additional soldiers arrived in Boston
under command of General Thomas Gage. Group of colonists were verbally attacking
red coats. The crowd grew and the soldiers feared for their lives. Five people were killed.
Boston colonists were outraged. Flooded Colonists with Anti-British
Propaganda; newspapers, pamphlets, and Political posters.
John Adams Lawyer defended the soldiers in court He sided with the colonists but believed
that everyone was entitled to a fair trial. He said soldiers acted in self defense. They were acquitted .
Economic Interference
1770-repealed Townshend Act- Colonial Boycott worked.
Kept the tea tax- to show colonist still had some rights
Tea increase anger Colonists were smuggling tea from
Holland. British tea companies lost money in
America and tea went unsold and rotted in ports.
East India Company: Exclusive right to sell tea to the colonies
Committees of correspondence – Communicate with their neighboring towns and colonial leaders.
The Boston Tea Party
December 16, 1773 A group of men disguised as Native
Americans boarded three tea ships that were docked in Boston Harbor.
They destroyed 342 chests of tea to protest the tea act.
Colonial leaders would pay for tea if Britain repealed Tea Act. Britain ruled out compromise. Pushed Colonists to open rebellion.
Section 3 The Road to Lexington and Concord
Captain Parker – Militia – Force of armed civilians pledged to defend their community.
1/3 of militia were minutemen: colonists ready to fight within minutes of notice.
Intolerable Acts King George III- was upset by the Boston Tea Party Master them or treat them like aliens – Choose to
Master. 1774 Parliament passed laws to punish
Massachusetts Colony
Coercive Acts
Also called the Intolerable Acts This was a direct attack on the
colonies 1. closed the port of Boston until the tea
was paid for 2. banned town meetings 3. replaced elected council with an
appointed one 4. increased Governor’s power over the
colonists 5. protected British officials accused of
crimes being tried by colonists
Allowed British officers to house troops in private dwellings
Appointed Gage governor of Massachusetts
Intolerable Acts: other colonies helped support of Massachusetts.
First Continental Congress
Met in Philly (1774) Voted to ban all trade with Britain
until intolerable acts was repealed Started training troops Not ready for independence but
wanted to keep rights. Didn’t repeal intolerable acts- Just
made More restrictions Sent more troops to colonies
Forced unelected official to resign. Provincial Congress with power to collect
taxes and raise money for own army.
John Hancock: Committee of Safety- Call of Militia.
Patrick Henry: Give me Liberty, or give me death. Thought fight would be short with Britain-show
of Force. British Parliament would change policies.
Revolution Begins
Spies Samuel Adams: Had information
network of British activities. General Gage- Had information about
militia storing supplies and ammunition in Concord.
In 1775 – Gage ordered troops to arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock and destroy supplies
Sons of Liberty were ready sent Paul Revere (The Midnight Ride) and William Dawes
Harbor of Charleston : One lantern by land Two by water. In the Old North Church In Lexington Joined by Dr. Samuel Prescott
continued when British patrol stopped Dawes and Revere
700 British troops were in Lexington Capitan john Parker – 70 militia men
waiting Nearly 4000 minutemen and milita men
arrived and peppered retreating redcoats
Lexington and Concord -1st battle Ralph Waldo Emerson- “Shot heard
around The World” Americans have to choose sides and
back up political beliefs Loyalists- Tory- supported British Patriots- Rebels- supported
Americans
Section 4
Declaring Independence Margaret Gage- has suspicion she let the
secret out of the bag for the colonist. She was torn between England and
America
The Siege of Boston
British Troops retreated to Boston – over 15,000 militiamen surround Boston
Boston was under seige – encircled by military forces determined to force the British to surrender.
The Continental Army is Formed
Boston was not easily attacked because they were surrounded by water.
They wanted to capture British fort to north.
Fort Ticonderoga – on Lake Champlain
Ethan Allen- led a band backwoods fighters called Green Mountain Boys
Captured the Fort – Large Artillary or Cannon
Agreed on Continental Army- George Washington – Commanding General
Second Continental Congress- meet in Philadelphia This was America’s government during
war Agreed on Continental Army- George
Washington –Commanding General.
Battle of Bunker Hill
Charleston – Militiamen positioned on Bunker Hill and Breeds Hill
General William Howe British 2,200 soldiers Colonial William Prescott- As British
climbed the Breeds Hill “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their
eyes” Forced the militia off the hill Redcoats won Battle of Bunker Hill 1,000
killed or wounded
The Olive Branch Petition
Sent the petition to London- wanted Harmony between colonies and England. (Most people were against ) Rejected the King
England navy blocked the ports Hire German soldiers to fight Washington knew under trained and
poorly equiped
Washington Arrives
Washington – Gain supplies and train troops
Bold Plan Invade Quebec- Hoped to draw
Canadians into the patriots cause one of the leaders Benedict Arnold – officer played a role Fort Ticonderoga
Americans were defeated after several months
British lay trapped in town – Boston crossed the Bay thousands of America troops waited on the Hills
Cannons were being hauled from Fort Ticonderoga
Positioned the cannons on Dorchester Heights over looking Boston
Withdrew Troops General Howe (British General) over
7,000 loaded on ships would never return.
Pamphlet called “Common Sense” Thomas Paine (Political Radical) Convinced Americans it is time to fight for independence.
Declaration of Independence- Ben Franklin John Adams Roger Sherman Robert Livingston Thomas Jefferson- Composed the declaration
Thomas Jefferson
Excellent Writer From Virginia Had to have Virginia Support for
Independence to go through July 4, 1776 – Declaration adopted –
John Hancock- President of Congress