CHAPTER 5The Road to Revolution

I. FRENCH & INDIAN WAR CAUSES

A. French and British claiming land 1. Ohio River Valley claimed by both2. Natives less threatened by French

(furs/fish)3. French build forts to secure land in Ohio

River Valley, won’t leave them4. British pushing west into French/Indian

landsa. George Washington – 21 year old surveyor

in Virginia militia

5. Washington creates Fort Necessity to defend against French, but loses it to France

a. This event leads to all out war

B. Albany Congress – meeting of colonial leaders in Albany, NY

1. Called for colonies to defend each other2. Asked Iroquois for help – they didn’t

C. Albany Plan – Benjamin Franklin1. Plan for colonies to work together – council

of 2. Rejected by individual colonies b/c they

want to control their own taxes & armies

II. FRENCH & INDIAN WAR BATTLESA. Fort Duquesne – 1755

1. Gen. Braddock – British General - goes to French fort to defeat for British

a. Arrogant British general

2. French and native allies ambush British armya. Braddock killed, over ½ men wounded or

dead

B. British defeated early, but end up winning

1. Better Leadership – William Pitt hires better trained and skilled officers

2. Victories lead Iroquois to side with Britisha. Help them take capital of Quebecb. French couldn’t protect territories without Quebec

C. War ends1. French are defeated – sign Treaty of Paris in

17631. Lose all territory east of Mississippi River to British2. Britain gets Florida3. New Orleans and territory west of Mississippi went

to Spain

III. COLONISTS RESIST CONTROL

A. Colonists fight with Indians over former French territory1. Pontiac’s War – Pontiac was leader of Ottawa

nationa. Formed alliances with other Indians and destroyed many

British forts in 1763b. Killed over 2,000 British settlersc. British forces eventually defeat

Pontiac & forces

2. Proclamation of 1763 – settlers had to stay east of Appalachian mountains

a. Passed to ease tensions with nativesb. Angered colonists

B. Colonists have more conflict with Britain1. Colonists identify with each other, not British,

especially after winning French & Indian War2. Wanted low taxes for their alliance against France3. Britain – huge debt for “protecting” colonies4. Sugar Act – placed import tax on several goods,

like molassesa. First tax imposedb. Harsh punishments for smugglers

5. Quartering Act – colonists had to house, feed and supply British soldiers

C. Stamp Act – buy special tax stamps for goods and activities – 17651. Newspapers, wills, licenses, insurance policies, land titles,

contracts, documents, etc.2. Many protests

a. Virginia House of Burgesses – passed resolutions against taxes from Britain

b. Patrick Henry made emotional speech comparing the colonies to Rome and their King to Caesar

c. New York merchants boycotted goods from Britain3. Stamp Act Congress – 9 states met

1. Sign petition to end Stamp Act and Sugar Act4. Britain repeals Stamp Act

D. Imposes Declaratory Acts – say that Parliament has complete and total control/authority over colonies

E. Townshend Acts of 1767 – only taxed goods brought into colonies1. Charles Townshend – head of British treasury

a. Wanted to weaken coloniesb. Tried to suspend New York assembly

2. Had to find goods being brought into colonies3. Imposed writs of assistance – allowed officials to make

searches of anything without saying what they were looking for

4. Colonists boycotted goods again5. Parliament repeals Townshend Acts – except tea

a. Wanted to show authority, but losing money in boycotts

7. Boston Massacre – soldiers fire upon a group of angry colonists throwing rocks at them

1. Soldiers tried in American courts1. John Adams defends soldiers – popular lawyer, believed

everyone had right to trial2. Two convicted – thumbs branded

8. Committees of Correspondence – set up to keep each other informed of British actions

1. Established by Samuel Adams – cousin of John Adams2. Wrote letters to each other and published pamphlets to get

information out3. United the colonists against Britain

D. FROM PROTEST TO REBELLION1. Tea Act – 1773

1. Tea from East India Trading Company sold directly to colonies – but still had to pay tax

1. Price was lower, but still tax2. Colonial tea merchants felt Britain trying to monopolize

tea industry

2. Sons of Liberty threatened ship captains carrying tea and merchants who would sell it

1. No tea unloaded in major ports2. Boston governor wanted it there3. Tensions mounted4. Boston Tea Party – colonists dressed as natives through

90,000 pounds of tea in harbor

2. Intolerable Acts – four laws passed by Parliament in response to Boston Tea Party

1. Closed port of Boston2. Increased powers of royal governor and abolished

upper house of Mass. Legislature3. Cut power of any colonial town meeting4. Increased power of 1765 Quartering Act5. People tried to help Boston – sent goods

3. Quebec Act – set up government for land gained from French

1. Took land away from colonies wanting to expand westward

4. First Continental Congress1. Meeting of Committees of Correspondences to discuss

how to handle Intolerable Acts2. 12 Delegates from each colony (except GA)

1. John and Samuel Adams, George Washington, Patrick Henry, & John Jay

3. Called for repeal of Intolerable Acts1. Said they could govern and tax themselves

4. Called for trained militia to stand up to British5. Called for new boycott on British goods6. Voted to meet again in May 1775

5. “Shot Heard Round the World”1. First shot of American Revolution - Lexington2. Happened when British went to seize weapons stored

by minutemen – citizen soldiers trained to be ready in minute’s notice

1. Soldiers went to take weapons2. Signal sent to alert minutemen3. Minutemen waiting when British soldiers go there4. Arguing – shot fired, 8 Americans killed

3. Concord – larger battle between colonists & British1. 400 Minutemen killed 3 British in battle2. British defeated, 300 more killed during retreat

E. WAR BEGINS1. Second Continental Congress – meeting of

delegates from colonies - Philadelphia1. Thomas Jefferson – Virginia lawyer, John Hancock –

Boston merchant, Benjamin Franklin2. Divided about wanting independence

1. New England colonies – independence2. Middle colonies – wanted own rules3. Agreed to prepare for war

3. Called for army – chose George Washington to command Continental Army

4. Printed paper money to pay for war

2. Patriots vs. Loyalists1. Patriots – favored independence, majority

1. Took control of government

2. Loyalists – loyal to Britain, around 1/31. From all colonies, but minority2. Leading merchants and land owners (wealthy)3. Government officials appointed by Britain4. Slaves and Natives5. Thousands fought in war against Americans,

1. 100,000 left after war – many to Canada

3. Petitioning the King1. Olive Branch Petition – sent to King George

1. Stated colonists were loyal to king2. Asked king to stop all fighting

2. Declaration of Causes and Necessities of Taking Up Arms

1. Stated colonists prepared to go to war for freedom2. “rather die freemen than live as slaves…”3. Written by Thomas Jefferson

3. King didn’t respond to Olive Branch Petition1. Said colonists were rebelling

4. Parliament voted to send 20,000 soldiers to colonies to put down rebelltion

I. Early Battles of War1. Fort Ticonderoga – fort controlling route

b/w Canada & Hudson River valley1. Held many weapons

1. Canons – America needed2. Ethan Allen leads 83 colonists (Green Mountain

Boys) to attack fort3. Surprised 42 British soldiers guarding fort4. Surrendered fort quickly

2. Bunker Hill – British lost first two attacks1. British outnumbered but colonists were farmers2. British won third attack b/c colonists out of ammo3. Washington brings cannons from Ticonderoga and

British surrender city4. Wins important, but British still much stronger