Highlights of the American Revolution

Mr. OrlandoSouthwest Junior HighAmerican History 8

How did the American Colonists go from loyal English subjects to Treasonous Revolutionaries in 13 short years?

The Simple Answers:– British Bungling– Economic Realities– The Enlightenment– Historical Inevitability

The Roots of the Current War Are Almost Always in the Last War

The End of the French and Indian War– English Debt increases– The Proclamation of 1763

10,000 British Troops to be stationed on the frontier to protect the colonists and control them

No settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains

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The British Tax Acts

Parliament passed a series of acts in the 1650s called the Navigation Acts.– Colonial goods being shipped to England had to

use English ships, even if other ships offered lower rates

– Colonists were prohibited from sending certain products: sugar, tobacco, etc. outside of England’s empire.

– This led to smuggling, people began to trade illegally with other nations, both in Europe and the West Indies

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Enforcing the Navigation Acts

Using Writs of Assistance, customs officials would enter and search homes and warehouses for goods that might be smuggled.

Many colonists considered this to be an outrageous abuse of power

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The Sugar Act of 1764 and the Stamp Act of 1765

The Sugar Act of 1764– The act LOWERED the tax on molasses imported

by the colonists.– Why lower the tax? It was hoped that by lowering

the tax more people would actually pay it instead of smuggling in molasses.

– If more citizens actually pay the tax, British revenues would increase

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The Sugar Act

James Otis– A lawyer in Boston argued that a person should be “free

from all taxes but what he consents to in person or by his representative.”

– “No Taxation without Representation” There were NO major protests or reaction to the act.

People were upset, people wrote letters, circulated petitions, but there were no customs officials attacked, no riots in the streets.

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The Stamp Act

After the successful introduction of the Sugar Act, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act as a further method of raising revenue.

The Act required a tax to be paid on all printed material in the colonies– Newspapers, Playing Cards, Will and other legal

documents– To show that the tax had been paid, a stamp would be

applied by British colonial officials, a colonial merchant who sold goods without a stamp could be accused of smuggling

The Stamp Act

As protests mounted, a member of Parliament called those opposing the tax the “Sons of Liberty”

Sam Adams organized a group in Boston to oppose the Stamp Act and they took the name and ran with it

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The Stamp Act

The most effective way to fight the Act proved to be a boycott of British goods by the Colonists.

Soon British merchants had lost so much trade that they begged Parliament to repeal the Act

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The Boston Massacre

March 4, 1770 An on going fight between dockworkers and off-duty

British soldiers becomes the spark 5 colonists are killed after the British open fire on a

mob The Massacre was used as propaganda to rally all

of the colonies together

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The Boston Tea Party

In December of 1773, three tea ships arrived in Boston. The governor ordered the tea unloaded, and Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty had a party.

A TEA PARTY! 342 chests of tea dumped in Boston Harbor, by a

group of men disguised as Mohawks

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The Intolerable Acts

King George III responded– “The die is cast, the colonies must now either submit or

triumph.” Parliament passed the Coercive Acts, called the

Intolerable Acts by colonists Boston Harbor (one of the colonies busiest ports)

was closed until the Massachusetts colonists paid for the destroyed tea.

The Intolerable Acts

The Acts prohibited town meetings and public gatherings

Sent 4,000 more troops to Boston, and required Bostonians to quarter these troops in their homes

And expanded the boundary of Canada to the Ohio River (which would allow loyal British subjects to settle where the Proclamation of 1763 had prohibited the colonists from going)

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The Continental Congress

September 1774 Delegates from all colonies except Georgia John Hancock, the wealthiest man in the colonies serves as

President https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a36F6vwB-t0 Sent a statement to Parliament demanding the repeal of 13

acts passed since 1763 Set up a strong boycott of British goods Passed a resolution to form militias, and gather arms to

prepare to defend themselves

Lexington and Concord

On April 18, 1775, the British sent troops out of Boston by boat to confiscate Patriot arms in Lexington and attempt to arrest Sam Adams and John Hancock

Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott ride and warn the militia (the Minutemen) that “The Redcoats are Coming”

In the dawn, on the Lexington village green, a shot rings out, both sides open fire. Five Patriots die.

On the way back to Boston, British troops are attacked on all sides by Minutemen hiding behind walls and trees (an ungentlemanly way of fighting). 73 British soldiers die, 174 are wounded.

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The Second Continental Congress

June 1775 Congress reconvenes, they appoint George

Washington to command the Continental Army and the militias.– This would be a major sore point for the rest of the war.

Only a fraction of the army would be Continentals, bound to serve for longer than 6 months and subject to absolute authority. Militias would make up the bulk of the army and they could by a vote choose to refrain from any battle or engagement, and if they didn’t want to come when they were called they didn’t have to.

Bunker Hill

On June 16, 1775 Col. William Prescott places 1,200 Americans on

Breed’s and Bunker Hills to try and drive the British out of Boston

The British charge the positions three times, losing 1,100 killed or wounded, before the Americans run out of ammunition and are forced to retreat

The Declaration of Independence

April 1776 Congress forms a committee to draft a declaration of

independence Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger

Sherman, and Robert Livingston John Adams suggests that Jefferson write a draft for the

others to consider The Congress adopted a resolution to declare independence

on July 2, 1776. On July 4, they formally adopted Jefferson’s statement as

the explanation for their resolution of the 2nd.

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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. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

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The British Attack New York

Washington’s 9,000 troops were pinned into two forts in Brooklyn and surrounded by 20,000 British and German Soldiers.

A favorable wind and miraculous fog allowed them to retreat into Manhattan, but when the British attacked in force, Washington’s troops were defeated and forced to burn New York City and retreat up the Hudson past Harlem and into New Jersey

Thomas Paine, “The Crisis”

These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and sunshine patriot will in this crisis shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value.

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The Crossing

December 26, 1776In a surprise attack on German

Hessians at Trenton, Washington takes 900 prisoners, 106 are killed or wounded and only 4 Americans are wounded, none killed.

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Washington Crossing The Delaware

Saratoga (New York)

7,000 regulars, 2,000 Canadians, 400 Germans and 1,000 Indians

“Indians must be employed” underlined by King George’s own hand, meant that bounties would be paid by the British for Patriot scalps.

Americans have their first victory of the war This is a turning point in the war

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Help from France and Spain

France and Spain begin to openly support the Americans. Eventually the French will send troops to fight side by side with the Americans under the Comte de Rochambeau (French dude)

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The Treaty of Paris

Signed on September 3, 1783 Recognition of American Independence and

withdrawal of all British Troops The Mississippi River would be the western

boundary Canada would not extend below the Great Lakes Americans could fish in freedom on the

Newfoundland Great Banks

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Summary

The roots of the current war are almost always in the last war– The French and Indian War

Costs will be passed on the Colonists The British try to raise taxes

– The Navigation Acts– The Sugar Act– The Stamp Act– The Townshend Acts– The Tea Act– The Intolerable Acts

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Summary

The Boston Massacre– Used a propaganda against the British

The Boston Tea Party– Colonists use violence as a means of protest

Lexington and Concord– The British attack the Colonials, the Colonials use guerilla tactics to

fight back The Declaration of Independence

– Thomas Jefferson declares the end of British rule in the Colonies The Crisis

– Thomas Paine writes the ideological reasoning behind American patriotism

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Summary

The Crossing– Washington defeats the Hessians at Trenton, America’s first true

victory Saratoga

– British attack from Canada is defeated France and Spain begin giving aid to the Colonials

The Treaty of Paris– The United States of America is recognized as a independent country

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