Road to Revolution

Road to Revolution 1770-1776

Timeline of Events

What do you remember about the American Revolution??

French and Indian War Between 1756 1763, Britain + Colonies fought French + Native Americans in the French and Indian War ( also known as Seven Years War) The British and French were fighting for control of North America, especially the Ohio River Valley.The French, with the help of Native Americans, scored many victories. British navy defeated French vessels, preventing French from replenishing their troops and supplies. 1759, British defeated the French outside of Quebec, The Treaty of Paris of 1763 was signed to end the war and grant Canada and all the land east of the Mississippi River to Great Britain. 1763, Great Britain became worlds largest colonial power. 4French & Indian War

The Battle of Quebec in 1759 was a great British victory over the French in the French and Indian War.

Why is the French & Indian War Relevant?After winning the war, British leaders wanted the colonies to help pay for the costs of the war = TAXES Also used taxes to pay for expenses to maintain an army to defend the colonies. 1765, Parliament passed the Stamp Act : required that certain printed materials, such as documents and newspapers, carry a stamp showing that a tax had been paid to Britain. Stamp Act repealed in 1766 due to violent and frequent opposition

Why were the British Able to Defeat the French?

The Proclamation of 1763Proclamation of 1763An attempt to stop colonial expansion into Native American lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. King George IIIs solution to avoid another costly warAngered colonists who fought the French & Indian War to secure access to the Ohio River ValleyWestern farmers denounced the Proclamation Act and objected to the new tax policies

Prior to French & Indian War

After French & Indian War What do you think happened next??The American RevolutionUnpopular Acts Sugar Act of 1764Raised taxes on sugar and molasses Also new taxes on silk, wine, coffee, and indigo Quartering Act of 1765 Forced colonists to provide shelter for British troops Stamp Act of 1765Required stamps to be bought and places on most printed materials (newspapers, legal documents, diplomas, playing cards, letter paper)

Townshend Acts of 1767Put new custom duties on glass, lead, paper, paint ,and tea imported into the colonies Also gave customs more power to arrest smugglers

Vocabulary:Tariffs: taxesSmuggling: sneaking in Patriots: rebels, activists Loyalists: loyal to King George III

Declaratory Act The same day that Parliament repealed the Stamp Act, they passed the Declaratory Act: stated Parliament had the right to tax and make decisions for the colonies in all cases.

Sons & Daughters of Liberty Sons & Daughters of Liberty Groups of colonists opposing the new taxes imposed on them by Britain Organized outdoor meetings and protests

Tar & Feathering of a British officer under Liberty Tree Stamp Act Congress In October 1765, representatives from 9 colonies met calling themselves the Stamp Act Congress. Issued the Declaration of Rights and Grievances: arguing that only the colonists political representatives, not Parliament, had the right to tax them. NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATIONColonists ignored the Stamp Act by boycotting all British goods (including tea and cloth) The boycott was successful and British lawmakers repealed the Stamp act in 1766.

Boston Massacre Tension over the presence of British troops in Boston led to the Boston Massacre, the first episode which resulted in the loss of life. 1770, a crowd of protestors began taunting and throwing snowballs at a British soldier guarding a customs house. The officer fired into the crowd killing five protestors First casuality of war as Crispus Attucks, a Native American & black man Within weeks, the British repealed most the Townshend Acts except the Tea Act.

Tea Act of 1773 As an attempt to restore peace, Britain repealed all taxes except the Tea tax.Tea Act, 1773: allowed the struggling British East India Company to bypass American merchants and sell their tea directly to colonial shopkeepers. (made British tea cheaper than all other tea and gave the British a monopoly {control of economy} and decreased profits for American merchants. Colonies Reaction: Boston Tea Party Boston Tea Party That Fall, colonists in New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston blocked new shipments of British tea in American harbors. In Boston, 150 colonists dressed as Native Americans boarded a ship with tea products they dumped 342 chests of tea overboard as several people cheered on shore. WHY DO YOU THINK THEY DRESSED UP AS NATIVE AMERICANS?WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENED NEXT?

King George IIIs Response Coercive/Intolerable Acts :passed in 1774 by Parliament to punish Massachusetts and discourage other colonies to not challenge British authority.One law shut down Bostons port until the tea that was destroyed was paid for. Other laws banned town meetings Quebec Act: extended Quebecs boundaries to include what is now Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin

Colonies Response: believed the intolerable acts violated several traditional English Rights ( right to trial by jury, right to not be forced to quart or house troops in their home) First Continental Congress The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on September 5, 1774. 55 delegates from the 12 colonies, with the exception of Georgia attended. decided to boycott British goods and agreed to hold a 2nd Continental Congress in May of 1775 if problem remained unresolved. Sent Declaration of Rights and Grievances : stated their loyalty but condemned the Coercive Acts. Lexington & Concord In the Spring of 1775, British troops in Boston were sent to seize the arms and supplies of militias stored in Concord, Ma. On their way, the British ran into colonial militias in LexingtonBy the time the British got to Concord, they faced more militias and found that the supplies had been moved The British were harassed all the way back to Boston, 99 killed 174 wounded. News spread, and colonial militias surrounded British troops in Boston.

Colonist Response The Second Continental Congress: 1st formation army under George Washington Desperate for supplies, Continental Congress met British at Battle of Bunker Hill where they killed or wounded 1,000 British soldiers July 1775, Congress sent the Olive Branch petition to King George III in an attempt to negotiate peace and for rights. Thomas Paines pamphlets, 1776 called Common Sense, began circulating. Paine said King George and Parliament were acting like tyrants and only full independence from Britain would secure the rights of Americans.Colonial Militias began to form King George IIIs response: reject the colonies negotiation and sent more troops

Birth of a New Nation July 4,1776, the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson, based on a large part on the ideas of John Locke. Declared the colonies to be free and independent states free from all allegiance to the British crown.Like Locke, emphasized Life, Liberty, and Property are natural rights and its is the governments duty to protect those rights. If the government did not protect the rights, they can be overthrown.

Advantages in the War: American Advantagehome ground advantagefighting for their freedomsupport of the French (man power and financial assistance)

British AdvantageFormal Military training Superior monetary advantagebest navy in the worldTurning Point of WarBritish General Cornwallis was forced to surrender to combined American and French forces under Gen. George Washington at Yorktown in 1781. Treaty of Paris of 1783: recognized the independence of the American colonies and granted the Americans control of the western territory from the Appalachians to the Mississippi River. Road to a United Government The Articles of Confederation : the nations 1st constitution Did little to provide for a strong government Lacked the power to deal with many problems Approved in 1781 By 1787, 55 delegates met in Philadelphia to revise the Articles. Decided to throw out the Articles of Confederation and write a plan for an entirely new national government. This meeting became known as Constitutional Convention.

The Constitution The proposed constitution created a federal system : where power would be shared between the national government and the state governments.National government: had power to levy taxes, raise an army, regulate trade, and create national currency ( $$) The writers used Montesquieus ideas of a divided government into 3 branches, each with some power to check the work of the others. President(Executive): power to execute laws, veto legislature, supervise foreign affairs, and direct military Legislative branch: had 2 houses ( Senate & House of Representatives) Judicial (Supreme Court): enforce the constitution The Preamble We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Bill of Rights 1789, 10 amendments were passed that guaranteed freedom of religion, speech, press, petition, and assembly. History behind Bill of Rights: Magna Carta set before King John in 1214The natural rights theory of the Enlightenment

Affects of American Revolution Aided the revolutionary spirit in France for the French Revolution in 1789. Inspired Latin America, from 1807-1825Revolts against Spain in Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, and Bolivia. In the 20th Century, independence movements began to arise throughout the world Nationalist leaders in Africa, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia looked to the U.S. for political principles and a model of a constitutional government China, where there is still no representative government, provided a stirring example for citizens who what a free and open society.

Track 05The American Vision: Modern Times Soundtrack 2006iTunes 10.4.1.10, QuickTime 7.7