CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTIONARY

WAR

(THE AMERICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE)

Let’s Begin with a Timeline

1500s-1600s: EXPLORERS -Christopher Columbus discovered

America in 1492

-Juan Ponce de Leon discovered Florida

in 1513

1600s: First COLONISTS -Jamestown was established in 1607

-The Mayflower arrived in 1620

1500

1550

1600

1650

1754-French and Indian War

1775: Revolutionary War Begins

1776: Declaration of Independence

1861: Civil War Begins

1700

1850

1800

1750

Colonist Times

The colonists moved to America in early 1600s and made colonies

The colonists were BRITISH citizens (meaning they were still citizens of England, even though they were living on another continent)

The colonies were meant to make money for England (remember all that America had- fish, wood, indigo, whales)

Colonies Continued…

The colonists were ruled by the King of England

However, the colonists had a lot of freedom They may have legally been apart of England,

but you couldn’t really tell The colonists had their own town halls to

discuss colonial issues Colonists were very independent

Causes of the American Revolution

1) The French and Indian War2)Proclamation of 17633) The Sugar Act4)The Quartering Act5) Stamp Act6) Tea Act7) Boston Massacre8) Boston Tea Party9) Intolerable Acts

French and Indian War- 1754-1763

A seven year war between the French and the Indians in America VS England and the colonists

French lost and gave up their land in America Britain spent a LOT of money on the war Britain needed to find a way to make up all

that money….so they started to tax the colonists…

Proclamation of 1763

Britain made a law that the colonists couldn’t move west of the Appalachian mountains

Britain reserved that area for the Indians

Colonists were mad that they couldn’t do what they wanted and move

TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION

England just wanted the colonists to help pay for the war, so they started making taxes…that’s fair, right?

After all, Britain started the war to protect the colonists from Indian attack

BUT: the colonists did not have a say in the British government (since they were in America, not Britain!) meaning they couldn’t help decide the laws

That means the colonists were being taxed like citizens, but weren’t given the same rights as citizens in Britain

That would be like… The head of Arizona schools, Tom Horn, is making

all students in Roosevelt pay taxes to help improve all Arizona schools

Well, that’s a good reason, since we’re all apart of Arizona

BUT: students in the Roosevelt District don’t get a say in School Board Meetings and could NOT help decide how their money was being used

What if the tax money was being spent on stuff you thought was bad, but you couldn’t say anything because you weren’t included in the meetings?

The Sugar Act

Colonists had to pay a tax on all molasses that was shipped to America

It also placed a tax on the importation of additional items, such as silk and wine

The Colonists were very mad and many refused to buy these things

Instead, colonists paid others to smuggle these items into the country

The Quartering Act

England had a lot of soldiers in America from the French and Indian War

England didn’t have enough money to house and feed all of the soldiers

England made a law that colonists had to allow soldiers to sleep and eat in their houses

Obviously, colonists were not happy that they had to spend money and time to help British soldiers!

That would be like…

A soldier who was in the U.S. today could walk up to your door and tell you that he was staying for the night.

Your parents would have to make more food for him, or go out and but more food and YOU would have to give up your bed for him to sleep…

The Stamp Act

Britain still needed more money…. Colonists had to pay a tax on every

piece of paper printed (newspapers, documents, licenses…)

That would be like…

If Mr. Horn, the head of Arizona schools, made all of us pay a nickel every time we used a piece of paper.

What all do we use paper for…? Imagine if every time you wrote an invitation or

drew on a piece of paper, you had to pay 5 cents!

Imagine how much teachers would have to pay!!!

The Boston Massacre-1770

Since the colonists were so mad and kept making trouble for England, England sent soldiers to the colonies

On night, at a British office in Boston, a group of sixty colonists starting throwing snowballs at the English soldiers

A gunshot was fired, and in the end, 5 colonists were killed and 11 injured

The Tea Act- 1773

England made a law that ONLY the East India Company could sell tea in America

The tea was actually sold at a cheaper price

But the colonists rebelled against it because it was another example of “taxation without representation”

Colonists refused to buy the tea

The Boston Tea Party- 1773 The British would not allow ships to

leave Boston Harbor if they still had unsold tea on them

50 colonists dressed as Indians boarded three ships and dumped 90,000 pounds of tea into the water

The Intolerable Acts- 1774 Obviously, the English were mad about the

Boston Tea Party As a punishment, Britain made new laws:

-They closed the port of Boston, and said

they would not open it until the dumped tea

had been repaid

-England took control over the Massachusetts

government and would appoint all officials.

-Sheriffs and juries would be chosen by the English government