American

Revolutionary War

The American Revolution

1775-1883

• The revolutionary war in America is also known as the American revolution.

• It was fought between great Britain and the

thirteen colonies.

• The result was the formation of a new nation-the United States of America.

• Fighting between British soldiers and the American Patriots began April 19,1775, at Lexington and Concorde, Massachusetts.

• The war’s last major battle was at Yorktown, Virginia in 1781.

• Britain formally recognized America independence with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783.

Events leading to the American Revolution

• Britain was deeply in debt following the French and Indian war (1754-1763) in which it

defended against the takeover by France.

• Once the war was won, Britain began passing

laws and taxes to increase its control over the colonies and regain some of the money it had

spent.

Major issues that angered

the colonists were:1. The Proclamation of 1763 – England’s

King George forbid colonist to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains.

2. The Sugar Act of 1764 – placed a

3 cent –penny tax on each gallon of molasses that entered the colonies from outside the British Empire.

3. The Stamp Act of 1765 – required colonist to pay for tax stamps on newspapers, and various legal documents. Parliament abolished the Act in 1766.

4. The Townshend Acts of 1767 placed a duty on imported goods including glass, lead, paint, and paper. Americans responded by not buying British goods.

5. The Tea Act of 1773 – To avoid paying

the tea tax, colonial merchants

smuggled tea in from the Netherlands. In 1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act, which made it possible for the East India Company to sell tea below the price of the smuggled tea. Britain

believed that the colonists would buy the English tea since it was cheaper.

BOSTON TEA PARTY

On December 16, 1773, Samuel Adams led patriots, disguised as Indians, on a raid of British ships docked in Boston’s harbor. They dumped the cargoes of tea overboard. This was later called the Boston Tea Party.

6. The Intolerable Acts of 1774 –

were Britain’s response to the Boston

Tea Party. One act closed Boston’s

harbor until the colonists paid for the

destroyed tea. Another took away nearly

all power from Massachusetts’

legislature. Control of the colony was

given to the newly appointed British

governor, General Thomas Gage.

Colonial Militia and

MinutemenBritain had large

numbers of well trained militia.

Soldiers’ uniforms included bright

red jackets. The

colonists called the soldiers

“redcoats”.

• The colonies did not have a central

government, army, or navy. Each

colony did have a small citizen army

called the militia.

• Some members of the militia were

ordinary citizens such as farmers,

craftspeople, and businessmen. They

were prepared to drop everything and

become volunteers at a moment’s

notice. They were called minutemen.

• Fighting began in April at Lexington and Concorde.

General Gage received secret orders to arrest

Massachusetts’ troublemakers.

• Boston patriots learned about the orders. They fled

the city. Gage found out that Americans had stored

arms and gun powder in the nearby town of

Concorde.

• Joseph Warren, a Boston patriot, discovered Gage’s

plan. He sent three carriers Paul Revere, William

Dawes, Samuel Prescott to ride and warn the

citizens.

Lexington and Concord,

Massachusetts 1775

The Treaty of Paris 1783• Peace talks began in Paris in 1782. Richard

Oswald, a wealthy British merchant, represented Britain. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay represented the new Unite States.

• A treaty was agreed upon on November 30, 1783.

• The Treaty recognized the independence of the new nation and established its borders –from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River; north to Canada; and south to Florida

Benjamin Franklin

John Jay

John Adams

George Washington

The Declaration of

Independence 1776

• All the events and battles occurred before the colonies declared their independence from England.

• By the summer of 1776, it was clear that there could be no turning back.

• A committee was appointed to draft a document declaring the colonies to be

free and independent states.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the

Declaration of Independence.

It is one of the best political documents ever written.

On July 4, 1776, Congress adopted

the Declaration of Independence.

End of presentation

Hope you enjoyed it!

Let’s Practice

How much do you remember?

1. The Revolutionary War lasted from

_________ to ____________.

2. The colonist won their freedom from _______ at the end of the Revolutionary

War.

3. Name of the Peace Treaty which defined the new borders of the United States. It was signed in 1783._______________

4. First President of the U.S. ____________

5. Number of colonies that made up the Original Colonies _____________

6. Two places in Massachusetts where the

war began ___________ and _________.

7. Pilgrims left England in this ship. _______

8. Who wrote the Declaration of

Independence? ___________________

9. Date in which Congress adopted it (refer to your answer in no. 8) _______________

1. The Revolutionary War lasted from 1776 to

1783.

2. The colonist won their freedom from

England at the end of the Revolutionary War.

3. Name of the Peace Treaty which defined

the new borders of the United States. It was

signed in 1783. Treaty of Paris

4. First President of the U.S. George

Washington

Number of colonies that made up the Original

Colonies. 13

6. Two places in Massachusetts where the war

began Lexington and Concorde.

7. Pilgrims left England in this ship. Mayflower

8. Who wrote the Declaration of

Independence? Thomas Jefferson

9. Date in which Congress adopted it (refer to

your answer in no. 8). July 4, 1776