The Road to Independence

Road to WarCh. 4, Section 3 & 4Townshend ActsThe Townshend Acts used all the money collected for imported goods to pay the salaries of British soldiers. The Townshend Acts also caused a tax for glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea.Cause: Britain still needed money, but they needed a way to tax the colonies without offense. Effect: The colonists boycotted British goods again

Sons of LibertyMany people joined the Sons of Liberty (the Daughters of Liberty were founded later)Sons of Liberty gathered around Liberty Trees in which they would hang lanterns and conduct mock hangings of British OfficialsA good part of the Sons of Liberty were willing to take extreme methodsHomes of loyalists were destroyedtarring and feathering was used liberally (sometimes resulting in death)

The Boston Massacre

Two regiments of British soldiers set up camp on Boston Common.

They suffered insults and beatings when walking the streets

British soldiers were paid very little, and they were not provided with the necessities of life (food, etc)

As a result, many searched for work in their off hours

One soldier searched for work near Greys Ropewalk. A small number of colonists showed their displeasure by rioting

A guard named Private Hugh White stood guard outside of the Boston Customs House

March 5, 1770A crowd of 60 gathered and began to harass himOne suggested that his commanding officer was a cheat who did not pay for a wig he had purchasedPvt. White dared the accuser to step forward, and then hit him in the head with his musketAnother soldier chased the man down the street with his bayonet

The crowd grew even larger and they began to pelt Pvt. White and other soldiers with snowballs, rocks, and oyster shells

The soldiers became enraged and began shouting threats back

British officers arrived and tried to calm both the crowd and the soldiers

British Captain Thomas Preston gathered 7 soldiers to rescue Private WhiteWhen he arrived, he ordered Pvt. White to fall in to the detachmentThe crowd surged forward and made it impossiblePreston then ordered his men to form a defensive line, which angered the crowd of about 400 colonists even more

Riot ActCaptain Preston summoned a Justice of the Peace to read the Riot Act

The Riot Act was a warning to crowds that had gathered illegally that if they did not disperse in 30 minutes, they would be fired upon

It did not discourage the crowd, who threw snowballs at the Justice of the Peace

Soon after, a club flew from the crowd and hit a British soldier in the headThe soldier fired a shot into the airOther shots followed

In the end, 5 colonists were killed, another 6 were woundedCrispus Attucks- shot twice in the chestSamuel Grey- shot in the headJames Caldwell- shot twice in the backSamuel Maverick- 17 years old, shot in the abdomenPatrick Carr- shot in the hip, exited side

To Sam Adams, the Boston Massacre was an opportunity for propaganda!

He referred to the event as the Boston Massacre, despite the fact that only 5 of the 400 people present were killed

Adams asked Paul Revere to make an engraving of the event to promote rebellion (the engraving was highly inaccurate)

Posters were hung around Boston and information about the event was spread through the colonies

Adams attempts to propagandize the event failed, as most people thought the outcome of the trial was fair

To inform citizens in Massachusetts about the actions of the British, Sam Adams set committees of correspondenceSoon, committees of correspondence were set up in all 13 coloniesThis helped Americans unite against the BritishTea ActThe Tea Act was a tax on all imported tea from Britain.Cause: The colonists boycott against British goods had hurt their trade, so the British repealed the Townshend Acts after the Boston Massacre. Parliament only kept the tea tax.Effect: The Sons of Liberty organized a protest against the Tea Act known as the Boston Tea Party.

Boston Tea PartyThe Boston Tea Party was a protest organized by the colonists against the British. All the colonists dressed up as Indians and snuck on-board the British ships in the harbor. Then they threw all the tea on the ships into Boston Harbor. Cause: The colonists were upset by the Tea Act.Effect: The Intolerable Acts were passed to keep the colonists under control.

Intolerable ActsThe Intolerable Acts were four strict laws that gave the British a sense of more control over the colonies. First of all, they closed down the port of Boston until the colonists paid for all of the tea they threw into Boston Harbor. Second, they forbade any meetings without the governors permission. Next, they made the colonists house and feed British troops. Finally, instead of British officials being tried for crimes in the colonies, they would be tried in Britain. Also, King George the third appointed General Thomas Gage the new governor of Massachusetts.Cause: The Boston Tea Party.Effect: The colonists started the Revolutionary WarReview 4 #3 1. What were the 3 things that the Townshend Acts of 1767 did?What were (a) writs of assistance and (b) why were they considered unfair by many colonists?How did merchants and planters protest the Townshend Acts?What group held meeting around liberty trees and hanged effigies of British officials?What violent methods of protest were used by the group above?What act required that colonists pay for the lodging of British soldiers (as well as bedding, candles, and drinks) ?What happened to the New York Assembly after they announced their refusal to abide by the act above? How did the mob of Bostonians colonist initially demonstrate their outrage at the British during the events leading up to the Boston Massacre?Why were the events of March 5, 1770 referred to as the Boston Massacre ?What was the purpose of the committees of correspondence?.

Boston Tea PartyTea was incredibly popular in the coloniesThe British East India Company was the major source of tea in the coloniesThe company was in great financial trouble and the British government decided to help

TEATEATEATEATEABoston Tea PartyParliament passed the Tea Act of 1773 to help reduce the 15 million pounds of tea in British warehouses

The act actually lowered taxes in the colonies and allowed the British East India Company to sell tea directly to colonists rather than through Colonial merchants

The British thought the colonists would be pleased by this action

To the surprise of Parliament, the Tea Act was unpopularAmerican merchants argued it was an attempt to destroy colonial merchants by cutting them out of the tea tradeThe Sons of Liberty argued that it was a trick to get colonists to accept British taxes

Boston Tea PartyDaughters of LibertyThe colonists again instituted a boycottDaughters of Liberty served coffee or liberty tea made from raspberry leaves

Sons of LibertySons of Liberty wanted to prevent ships carrying British tea from unloading their cargoThey rowed quietly out to three ships in the Boston Harbor and boarded them

The men dumped 342 crates of tea into Boston Harbor, valued at about $90,000When they were finished, they quietly rowed back to shore

King George III was outraged!

He asked Parliament to pass a series of very harsh laws designed to punish the people of Boston.

The Intolerable ActsDid several things:Closed Boston Harborlimited representative governmentBritish officials charged with major crimes were to be tried in EnglandQuartering Act was extended to include private homes

1st Continental CongressMet on September 5, 1774 to discuss the colonies reaction to the Intolerable Acts & Tea ActModerates who wanted to work out problems fought against radicals who wanted to take strong action

1st Continental CongressThe meeting consisted of a lot of argumentsIn the end they did the following:Denounced the Intolerable ActsCalled for a boycott of all British goods as well as and exporting banUrged colonies to train militiasThe delegates also agreed to meet again in May 1775

Major General Thomas Gage

In 1775, Major General Thomas Gage learned that minute men had a store of arms in Concord

Gage planned an attack and set out on April 18, 1775 with 700 British troops

Luckily for the colonists, Paul Revere, a Boston silversmith, had set up spies in Boston to watch Gage

Paul RevereRevere stationed Robert Newman in the steeple of the North Church

If the troops were on foot, he was to show one lantern from the steeple

If the troops were traveling by ship to get across the Black Bay to Concord, he was to show two lanterns

Paul Reveres RideRevere saw 2 lights on the night of April 18, 1775 so he knew the troops were headed to Concord by sea

Both Paul Revere and William Dawes made the Midnight Ride (along different routes) informing citizens that the British are coming! (He actually shouted, The Regulars are out!)

Battles at Lexington & ConcordAt dawn on Lexingtons green, 70 minute men stood ready for battle. They were led by militia Captain Jonas Parker

British Major Pitcairn (Royal Marines) ordered the rebels to lay down their arms

Parker told his men to stand their ground. He was again warned by the British to disperse his troops.

Suddenly, a shot rang out

Lexington & ConcordNo one knows who fired the first shotBoth sides began shooting and many of the minutemen ran from the fields. The rebels that remained, fired back at the BritishIn the end, 8 minute men were dead (including Parker) and 10 were woundedOnly one British soldier was wounded, none were killedThe British entered Concord and went house to house looking for weapons and ammunition but found very littleThe British officers ordered their men to march back to Boston

Lexington & ConcordAlong the route, the British met 300 colonial militia on the North Bridge (just outside Concord)Fighting broke out, and the colonial forces drove the British backAs the British retreated, they were picked off by snipers hiding in trees and in the fields (likely 11,000 militia participated).

In the end the casualty count was as follows49 dead5 missing41 wounded

73 dead26 missing (presumed dead)174 wounded

Word of the Battles of Lexington and Concord spread quickly

Many colonists realized that war was now inevitable

There was no possibility of resolving the differences between the colonies and Great Britain peacefully

Review 4 #41. What did the Tea Act of 1773 do?2. Why did colonists oppose the Tea Act of 1773? 3. How did the sons of Liberty demonstrate there anger regarding Governor ThomasHutchinsons decision to require that 3 tea ships remain in Boston harbor? 4. List three things the Intolerable (Coercive) Acts did? 5. How did colonists outside of Massachusetts demonstrate their support for the people ofBoston? 6. In what year did the First Continental congress meet? 7. What was accomplished during the first meeting of the Continental Congress? 8. Why did Major General Thomas Gage march 700 troops to Concord? 9. Where was (a) the first engagement between British troops and Massachusettsmilitiamen, and (b) what was the result ? 10. Where was (a) the second engagement between British troops and Massachusettsmilitiamen, and (b) what was the result ? 11. The first battles of 1775 convince many colonists of what?