The Revolutionary Period

The Impact of the French & Indian War

Who was fighting who in the French and Indian War and Why?

• The British and their Indian allies were fighting the French and their Indian allies… why?

• Much of the continent’s interior was “grey area” where BOTH French and British laid claim… this war was fought to figure out who would keep claim of it.

• The conflict between the French and Brits extend beyond colonial control… they’ve been at each other’s throats for nearly a century before this episode. This war was known as the “Seven Years War” outside of the colonies

How did the French and Indian War affect the people living in the colonies?

• The war was devastating to colonists along the frontier. Colonists were expected to participate in the fighting; most were not permitted time to evacuate their families or defend their homes.

• In the Battle of Ft Necessity, the British General was killed but his aide, 23 yr old George Washington, had 2 horses shot out from under him and 4 bullet holes in his coat when it was over.

Treaty of Paris (1763) Who Got What?

• France loses Canada to the Brits• All lands east of the Mississippi are British

(except for New Orleans)• Britain trades Cuba back to Spain in exchange

for Florida (Spain gets it back again later).

How did the War affect the British Government?

• Super-expensive war… for EVERYONE involved, but the Brits really spent a LOT of money.

• The debt strained the relationship between the British government and the colonies. The government didn’t think the colonies gave as much help as they should have. The colonists felt the opposite. In the end the colonists felt incredibly disrespected.

What was the Albany Plan and why was/is it important?

• This was a plan cooked up by Benjamin Franklin and other key colonial leaders during the F&I War. The British Military command was treating the colonial militias poorly. In an effort to have more local control over the war effort, the Albany Plan would have created a Union among the colonies in the form of a grand council. The colonies shot the idea down.

• Its important because even as early as 1754, the colonies were considering doing things on their own independent of the British authority.

Weakened loyalty after the War• The Brits were MUCH snobbier toward the native

tribes than the French had been… Pontiac’s Rebellion… forts destroyed, thousands of colonists killed… angry colonists.

• In response to the Rebellion, the King ordered the Proclamation of 1763, closing the Appalachian range and west… angry colonists. Keeping colonists out required a constant military presence… very costly. They still couldn’t keep colonists out… angry Indians… loss of British authority.

Britain’s Financial Solution Backfires• In 1763, Britain got a new Prime Minister… he was

determined to bring down the empire’s debt… unfortunately, Brits were already some of the most taxed people on the planet.

• Many Brits thought the colonies should be held responsible for paying for the war, since it was their security the Empire was protecting. The colonists didn’t see it that way. By this time, the colonies felt like the empire was trying to destroy their way of life and the relative freedom they enjoyed.

The Sugar Act and the Stamp Act

• The Sugar Act had been around for a while, now they were enforcing it… only annoyed people.

• The Stamp Act, on the other hand, was not a trade act paid by rich merchants… this one affected EVERYONE. Furthermore, it was only levied on the colonists, who had no representation in Parliament. “no taxation without representation”… Colonies riot!

• Sons of Liberty and Stamp Act Congress organized• Eventually, the Stamp Act was repealed… Declaratory

Act passed to “save face”

Townshend Acts

• Parliament switched to trying an import duty (tax) on things like paper, tea, paint, and glass. The money collected was to be used only for the British troops stationed in the colonies.

• The colonists didn’t view the troops as protectors… more like jailors. Colonists were not willing to accept ANY taxation without their consent.

The Boston Massacre

• Violence against the Townshend Acts prompted Parliament to send troops to Boston. Here, a tense stand-off between angry colonists and a group of troops ended fatefully in the shooting death of 5 colonists.

• This event will be used as a rally cry to whip up support against the poor treatment of the colonies by the Parliament.

The Tea Act and the Boston Tea Party

The Coercive (Intolerable) Acts

• This was a series of actions taken by Parliament to punish Boston and Massachusetts (the heart of the rebellion). Self government was virtually eliminated. The Quartering Act was extended to include private homes. Panic and rage tore through the colonies.

The Intolerable Acts led to the creation of the First Continental Congress

• Delegates from every colony met in Philadelphia to review their options and prepare.

• A colonial militia force was organized with George Washington as its General

• A year later, the Revolution would begin at Lexington and Concord