The Road to the American

Revolution

Activating Strategy

■From 1763 to 1776, key events occurred that slowly convinced colonists to sever ties with Britain & declare independence

■ In groups, examine the next 6 slides and decide as a group how much unrest that would have caused the colonists.

■ 0 -------------------------------------------10■None--------------------------------------- A LOT

Proclamation of 1763

“ Don’t

move

West!!!!”

Mob reaction to the Stamp ActFor the 1st time, many colonists refer to fellow

boycotters as “patriots”

The “Sons of Liberty” & “Daughters of Liberty” were formed to protest British restrictions &

became the leaders of colonial resistance

The colonial boycotts were effective & Britain repealed the Stamp Act

This was a series of “indirect” taxes on lead, glass, paper, tea, etc.

More Boycotts

Colonists created committees of

correspondence to communicate with each other

Paul Revere’s etching of the Boston Massacre became an American best-seller

Colonists injured British soldiers by

throwing snowballs

& oyster shells

With only 4 dead, this was hardly a “massacre” but it

reveals the power of colonial propaganda

Crispus Attucks was the first person killed during the massacre

“Bostonians Paying the Excise Man”

Tarring and feathering of Boston Commissioner of Customs John Malcolm

Boston Tea Party

Led by Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty.Main purpose was to prevent payment of British-imposed tax on tea and protest to Tea Act.

Consequence was for Parliament to pass Intolerable Acts.

On December 16, 1773, American Patriots dressed as Indians threw almost 15,000 lbs of tea from British ships into Boston Harbor.

First Continental Congress

“We have to help Boston”

Lexington & Concord

About 700 British Army regulars were ordered to capture and destroy military supplies that were reportedly stored by the Massachusetts militia at Concord.

The first shots were fired just as the sun was rising at Lexington. Militia outnumbered and fell back.

CasualtiesColonists:50 killed,5 missing,39 woundedBritish: 73 killed, 6 missing, 174 wounded

Met from May 10, 1775,

to March 1, 1781

Communicated with the King through the Olive

Branch Petition

Created the Continental Army (from local militias);

Appointed George Washington leader of the

Army; Signed the Declaration of Independence

The Second Continental Congress

Conclusions■By December 1775, the British and

American colonists were fighting an “informal revolutionary war”…but: –Colonial leaders had not yet declared

independence–In 1776, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense

convinced many neutral colonists to support independence from Britain

–By July 1776, colonists drafted the Declaration of Independence

Examining Excerpts from Thomas Paine’s Common Sense

■ With a partner, read the excerpt from Common Sense and cite six pieces of evidence to support Paine’s position on independence.

Declaration of Independence Intro.Video clip at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_56cZGRMx4

(Stop the clip when the singer begins playing the violin.)

Why was it, “ too late to apologize” ?

What can you infer from the

lettering ofthis

document?

• The Declaration of Independence (1776) stated that when a government does not function for the betterment of its people, the government is ineffective, and it is the right of the people to overthrow that government (based on the ideas of John Locke).

• In June 1776, fifty-six delegates from the thirteen colonies met in Philadelphia to debate the question of independence from Great Britain.

• Congress appointed a “Committee of Five” to draft a statement presenting the colonies case for independence. Although there was a committee, Thomas Jefferson is known as the primary author of the Declaration of Independence.

With a partner, read the excerpt from the Declaration of Independence and cite six pieces of evidence to support Jefferson’s position on independence.

Common Sense Declaration ofIndependence

■ Class Discussion:–Rank order the top 3 events that

contributed the most to the growing divide between Britain & her colonies•Should Common Sense be included in this

top 3 ranking? If so, where? If not, why? –What changed the most over this

13-year period (1763-1776)?–What could the English gov’t have done to

prevent this?–What could the colonists have done?

Group Activity■ It is June 1776 & you are gathered to decide

“Should the colonies declare independence?”–Students are divided into 2 groups:

Patriots and Loyalists–Goal: Convince the “Undecided ” colonists

to join your side by presenting reasoned arguments for the following issues:

1. If the colonists declare independence, how will they

govern themselves?

2. If the colonists declare independence, how will they ensure that they will remain

united?

3. If the colonists declare independence, who will the

new nation trade with?

4. If the colonists declare independence, what will the new nation do about taxes?

5. If the colonists declare independence, how will the

new nation deal with Indians?

6. If “liberty” is so important, what will independence

mean for slaves, women, and poor people?

Summarizer

■Explain how England’s changing policy towards its colonies lead to rising calls for independence.