Who: England vs. France

What: A war between the English and French in North America for colonial domination

When: 1754-1763

Where: North America

Why: The English and French claim to own the same land west of the Appalachians and the conflict between them rises to the point of war

England wins the war, ultimately giving them control of North America

Proclamation of 1763 – Cuts off colonists from expanding westward

The war puts England into deep, gouging debt

To pay off these debts, King George III decides to tax the colonies so the home country doesn’t feel the full brunt of it

Actual title is The American Revenue Act

Passes on April 5, 1764

Enforces the Sugar and Molasses Act already in effect and reduces the rate of molasses from six pence to three pence per gallon

Adds more foreign goods to be taxed –sugar, wines, coffee, etc.

It also regulates the export of lumber and iron

The real intention is to stop the colonists from finding loopholes in the original tax and to ultimately control them more

Passes February 17, 1765

Important in that it is the first tax placed directly onto the colonies

It’s basic resolution is to put a tax on every single piece of paper printed, written on, whatever the purpose for it may be

All papers must be stamped with Britain’s emblem to show the tax is paid on it

Passes March 24, 1765The colonists now have to house British soldiers in their homes without complaintThe colonists feel less than thrilled about this act and therefore refuse to complyThis causes Parliament to pass the New York Restraining Act of 1767 to prevent the governor from signing legislation until the colonists comply with the actThe Boston Massacre occurs as a result of it

March 5, 1770In response to the Quartering ActColonists threw snowballs at Captain Thomas Preston who in turn ordered soldiers to fire on them5 Bostonians died – Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Samuel Maverick, and Patrick CarrJohn Adams and Josiah Quincy II defended the British during trial for the MassacreOnly two British soldiers were found guilty of manslaughterThis occurrence led the Royal Governor to evacuate the army occupying Boston and is also a key part on the road to the revolution

Pass June 29, 1767

Named after Charles Townshend

Place even MORE taxes on imported goods –glass, oil, tea, paint, lead, paper

Passes on May 10, 1773

Does not actually pose a new tax; it basically gives the East India Company the opportunity to sell their tea to the colonies at a bargain price, but there is still a tax on it

Gives rise to the Boston Tea Party

Pass in the spring of 1774A result of the Boston Tea PartyThe first act closes the Boston Harbor, which goes into effect on June 1The second act is the Administration of Justice Act, which goes into effect in the summer of 1774

Known as the “murder act”Changes the procedure of trials in the colonies

The third act is the Massachusetts Government Act, which also goes into effect in the summer of 1774

Proposes extreme change to the traditions of town meetings

In response to the Tea ActColonists disguised as Native Americans dump 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act on December 16, 1773The Intolerable Acts are passed as a result of the Boston Tea PartyPaul Revere is assumed to have been one of the dumpersThere are now annual reenactments of the Boston Tea Party in Boston, Massachusetts where it took place

Meets in Philadelphia from September 5, 1774 to October 26, 1774

Every state sends delegates to this secret Congress except Georgia, whose Royal Governor does not allow for it

Patrick Randolph of Virginia selected as President

Delegates meet to decide what the colonists should do about the acts

They agree to boycott British goods and sign a petition to King George III demanding that the Intolerable Acts be repealed

The colonists are not quite in favor of independence yet –many still want to be good Englishmen and only want to make reconciliations with England

Milestones on the road to revolution include:

Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death!” speech, March 23

The ride of Paul Revere, April 18

The first battle at Lexington and Concord, April 19

“Shot heard ‘round the world”

Milestones continued…

Second Continental Congress convenes, May 10

George Washington is named Commander in Chief, June 15

The Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17

Washington assumes command of the Continental Army, July 3

Milestones on the road to revolution include:Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense which challenges British authority in the colonies, January 15

The Virginia Declaration of Rights is published, June 12

The First Virginia Constitution which is proposed in May, adopted June 29

The ratification and signing of the Declaration of Independence, July and August

Richard Henry Lee’s resolution to declare independence is heard in Congress, which is held in Philadelphia again, June 7

A committee comprising of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston is appointed to create a declaration of independence, June 11

Jefferson creates two copies of the declaration, June 12-27

The “fair copy” is read to Congress, June 28

After the reading, Congress debates revisions, July 1-4

Congress declares independence, July 2

Congress adopts the Declaration (printed by John Dunlap), July 4

First public reading of the Declaration, July 8

Delegates begin to sign the Declaration, August 2

Background picture featured on all slides:

flattop341. “The Whites of Their Eyes.” Flickr. 15 Jul 2007. 19 Feb 2011. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/flattop341/966016897/?reg=1&src=share>.

Information“American Revolution: First Continental Congress.” Traitors, Seamstresses, and Generals: Voices of the

American Revolution. 28 Feb 2011.

<http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312848/ccf.htm>.

“Boston Tea Party.” Old South Meeting House. 24 Feb 2011. <http://www.oldsouthmeetinghouse.org/osmh_12345

6789files/BostonTeaPartyBegan.aspx#teaact>.

Information“French and Indian War.” Ohio History Central. 1 Jul 2005.

20 Feb 2011. <http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=498>.

“Parliament passes the Quartering Act.” 2011. The History Channel website. 24 Feb 2011. <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/parliament-passes-the-quartering-act>.

Information“Revolutionary War Timeline.” ushistory.org. 19 Feb

2011. <http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/revwartimeline.htm>.

“The Coercive Acts.” The Coming of the American Revolution 1764-1776. 28 Feb 2011. <http://www.masshist.org/revolution/coercive.php>.

Information

“Timeline of Events Preceeding the Boston Tea Party.” The Boston Tea Party Historical Society. 22 Feb 2011.

<http://www.boston-tea-party.org/timeline.html>.