SSUSH3 The student will explain the primary causes of the American Revolution.

a. Explain how the end of Anglo-French imperial competition as seen in the French and Indian War and the

1763 Treaty of Paris laid the groundwork for the American Revolution.

b. Explain colonial response to such British actions as the Proclamation of 1763, the Stamp Act, and the Intolerable

Acts as seen in Sons and Daughters of Liberty and Committees of Correspondence.

Jamestown and the Development of Virginia.

Sent by the Crown to establish colonies, find gold. (Virginia Company)

House of Burgesses (Jamestown, 1619) – first elected assembly in North America

Relations with Native Americans

Pohawtan/Pocahontas at Jamestown – first English encounter with Natives.

As demand for tobacco grew, settlers began expanding further in to Indian territory.

Virginia governor William Berkley refused to start armed conflict with Natives.

Nathaniel Bacon led a rebellion against the governor for his refusal to protect the interests of the farmers.

Development of the Colonies: 13 Original

New England: MA, CT, RI, NH

Middle Colonies: NY, PA, NJ, DE

Southern Colonies: VA, MD, NC, SC, GA

Religion in New England

Pilgrims left to find religious freedom.

Plymouth Rock, MA (Puritan colony)

Salem Witch Trials (mass hysteria; seen as “link” between medieval and the “Enlightenment”)

New England and Religion

Roger Williams – creation of Rhode Island

Anne Hutchinson – spoke out for the rights of women in the Puritan church

Half-way Covenant – a way to get the newer generations interested in Puritan church; seen as the beginnings of the 1st Great Awakening.

New England and Native Americans

King Phillip’s War – dispute between Natives/New Englanders; development of “American” identity.

Loss of the Massachusetts Charter

Document gave colonist’s certain rights; Crown took those rights away; began more control.

Creation of the “New England town”

Church/Meeting commons in the center; place for “democracy-style” meetings

First seeds of the republic traced back to these town-hall meetings in New England.

Middle Colonies Dutch in New

Amsterdam Wars with England;

eventually in control by English, renamed New York.

William Penn ; Quaker who founded Pennsylvania Colony founded for

religious freedom.

French interested in FUR in Canada.

European struggle for lands! Demographics of a changing society! Enlightenment and the Great Awakening! Slavery and Mercantilism! Beginnings of self-governance! Sectionalism! Relations with Natives!

Relations with ever-powerful British colonists and the Natives became strained.

The French, wishing to acquire passage from St. Lawrence River to MS River, tended to treat Indians with more respect.

Both sides fought for control of OHIO RIVER VALLEY.

Future President George Washington commanded British troops.

Hence began French/Indian War

French and Native forces versus British.

Initial military loses by Washington, but he continued to rise in the ranks of the army

Eventually the British would conquer the French Canadian capital city of Quebec at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. (1759)

Treaty of Paris (1763) signed, formally ending the French and Indian War.

RESULT: French OUT of North America. British control all lands EAST of MS River, Spanish gain control WEST of MS River.

After French allies were defeated, Native Americans fought to keep encroaching British forces from taking more land in the OHIO RIVER VALLEY.

British called his uprising of Native Americans against the victorious British Pontiac’s Rebellion.

British signed Proclamation of 1763 with Natives, stating that they would not settle lands west of Appalachian Mountains.

British amassed a HUGE war-time debt from fighting the French around the world.

Wanted stronger control over their colonial possessions. After all, they spent years fighting for it.

Benjamin Franklin proposed the Albany Plan of Union; whereas all 13 colonies would unite under British rule and cooperate with one another in times of war. (Colonies talk to each other)

Remember, at this time, the colonies viewed themselves as separate “entities”; after the French and Indian War, this “disunity” began to evolve slowly into “unity”.

Colonial transgressions shifted from the French towards the British. And the British helped fuel this fire with a series of taxes levied on the colonies to help shoulder some of the financial costs of the empire.

George Grenville (right); assumed charge of colonial policies; pushed for taxes on the colonists.

Sugar Act – first act passed; taxes on sugar and molasses used in making rum

Stamp Act – 2nd tax passed; taxes on anything paper: newspaper, licenses, deeds, even playing cards

Colonists oppose England passing legislation on them without their approval.

Townshend Acts – taxes on glass, paint, tea; outcry forced crown to send in troops to restore order

Boston “Massacre” – protests between colonists and British troops turned deadly (March 1770)

Samuel Adams – establishes Sons of Liberty (to protest taxes) and Committees of Correspondence; groups kept opposition to England alive through communication

Daughters of Liberty – led protest of British cloth by making their own clothing

Boston Tea Party – most of the Townshend Act taxes were dissolved except the tax on tea.

December 1773 – colonists board ships in Boston Harbor owned by British East India Company and dump thousands of dollars in product overboard. This inspired countless other protests across the colonies.

Intolerable Acts – included the Quartering Act and also closed Boston Harbor to trade

1st Continental Congress – legislative body that was formed to address the problems of the colonies against British rule (Fall 1774)

“Give me Liberty or give me death!...I am not a Virginia, but an American!” – Patrick Henry (left)

Paul Revere’s famous “Midnight Ride” (“One if by land, two if by sea”)

Battle of Lexington-Concord – (April 1775) “Shot heard ‘round the world”

2nd Continental Congress (May 1775); collective effort to help New England by ALL colonies by sending troops (militias)

Appointed Virginian George Washington to command the Continental Army

Loyalists – colonists LOYAL to England; mostly well-educated, older and rich. Most numerous in Southern colonies.

Patriots – colonists who wanted freedom from England; minority of colonists (most were neutral). Most numerous in New England.

Battle of Bunker Hill – June 1775; King George officially declares colonies in rebellion

“Olive Branch” Petition – July 1775; letter sent to King George III professing allegiance to him but not Parliament. George III rejected it.

Describe the cause/effect relationship of two of these events that led the colonists to declare their independence from England: Stamp Act

Boston Massacre

Townshend Acts/Boston Tea Party

1st Continental Congress

Committees of Correspondence

Battle of Lexington/Concord

Olive Branch Petition

EXAMPLE: How did the Stamp Act lead to the Boston Massacre?