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Why Revolution?By Charles Hail

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Why Revolution?

I used this lesson in my observation at ISUS. It is meant to be an overview of factors leading to the American Revolution.

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Factors Leading to the Revolution & the Declaration of Independence People’s views England’s Reactions

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Sense of Independence

The Atlantic Ocean separated the 13 colonies from British rule and influence.

Many in England felt the colonies were only there to serve them.

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The Navigation Laws

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The Navigation Laws

These were laws that prevented the colonists from trading with anyone but England.

These laws were poorly enforced for many years and this led to smuggling.

John Hancock, as well as many other colonists became wealthy because of smuggling.

In 1763 the British Navy began to enforce these laws, upsetting many colonists.

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The Stamp Act

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The Stamp Act of 1765

This new tax covered about 50 items that used stamped paper.

Some of the items taxed included playing cards, marriage licenses, and diplomas. (Diplomas!?!)

Colonists were outraged and protested with the non-importation agreement.

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The Non-Importation Agreement

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The Non-Importation Agreement This was an agreement among

many colonists to boycott British goods and to no longer export goods to England.

Do boycotts still work? Can you think of any recent

boycotts?

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Tarring and Feathering…

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Townshend Acts of 1767

These laws were put into effect to try to make up the money not made from the Stamp Act.

This was an import or duty tax on glass, lead, and tea.

Smuggling again became widespread.

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The Boston Massacre

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Boston Massacre

On March 5, 1770 a group of 60 Boston patriots were together on the street, compared to 10 British soldiers.

Someone in the crowd struck the soldiers with sticks and clubs.

The soldiers fired into the crowd, killing five people and wounding six.

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Boston Massacre Continued… The fist person to die was Crispus

Attucks, a former slave and the son of an African American father and a Native American mother

March the fifth was celebrated as “Massacre Day” in many colonies until the July 4, 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence made it a bigger holiday.

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The Boston Tea Party

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Boston Tea Party

“Legal” tea was now cheaper than the tea that was being smuggled in.

The British East India Tea Company was bankrupt and England needed the tax money from the tea it already had.

England granted the B.E.T.C. a monopoly of the tea market in the colonies.

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Another look…

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Boston Tea Party Continued… Many colonists were outraged by

the monopoly and struck back. On December 16, 1773, rebels

from Boston, dressed as Native Americans boarded the ship in Boston Harbor carrying the tea and dumped it overboard.

This made the King mad and the Intolerable Acts were put in place.

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The Intolerable Acts

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The Intolerable Acts, 1774 Boston Harbor was closed until

restitution was made for the tea. Restrictions were put on town

meetings. British officials who killed colonists

were allowed to return to England for trial.

In response the colonists formed the first Continental Congress.

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Then…

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Then…

England began to send troops to the colonies, especially New England.

Local militias began to form to help stop the enforcement of the laws.

In April 1775, British troops marched to Lexington and Concord and the first shots of the revolution were fired.

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More…

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More…

On May 10, 1775 the Second Continental Congress met.

On July 4, 1776 the Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence.

The war went on for fourteen months (April of 1775 to July of 1776) before it was official. Why?

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The Declaration is read!