Chapter 5: The Revolution

Divided Population• Americans were divided

– 40% were “patriots” demanding revolution

– 40% were “moderates” hoping for a peaceful solution

– 20% were “loyalists” wanting to remain with England

• Key questions:– How did colonists happy with

relationship with England change to revolutionaries?

– How did the minority convince the majority to rebel?

– What were the goals of revolution?

– How did the US defeat England, which was the stronger military power?

French-Indian War• French-Indian War

(1754-1763) pushed France out of area west of Appalachians, but created huge debt for England

• England turned to taxation on Americans to help pay debt

• Proclamation of 1763 declared that Americans could not settle west of the Appalachians

• These two policies led Americans to protest

Taxes• Previous taxes had been only

loosely enforced

• 1764: Sugar Act passed and enforced, causing some protest

• Sugar tax was seen as justified way of regulating trade

• 1765: Stamp Act taxed paper products (newspapers, cards, legal documents), affecting most colonists

• “Direct” tax seen as “tyranny”

• Parliament repealed Stamp Act after protest

• 1767: Townshend Acts: direct tax on paper, lead, paint – leading to American boycotts

Protests• 1770: Boston Massacre:

English troops fired on protesting colonists, killing 5

• Parliament repealed Townshend Acts

• “Committees of Correspondence”: letter writers to unite colonies in protest

• Tea Act: give East India Company monopoly on tea in America

• 1774: Boston Tea Party• 1774: Intolerable Acts:

closed Boston harbor, shut courts

Declaration of Independence• 1775: Fighting began

between colonists and British around Boston

• Colonists created Continental Congress to discuss situation

• Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense arguing that Americans should rebel

• Continental Congress authorized Declaration of Independence– Social contract between

government and people

– If government broke the contract, people could change the government

War & Peace• 1776:

– English took New York City, most of New Jersey, some of Pennsylvania

– Americans surprised English at Trenton on Christmas night

• English tried to slice America into two by attacking middle colonies

• French aided US when US victory seemed possible, after Saratoga

• US used “guerrilla” warfare to pester English

• 1781: English surrendered at Yorktown

• 1783: Paris Peace agreement