Economic InterferenceEconomic Interference

• April 1770- Parliament repealed the Townshend Acts, but kept Tea Tax

• Colonists boycotted British tea and smuggled it in from Holland

• British tea companies lost money and their tea rotted in ports

• Tea Act of 1773– East India Company could sell to the colonies and no

one else– Colonists were enraged

Colonial Unity ExpandsColonial Unity Expands

• Samuel Adams –Committees of Correspondence to

communicate with neighboring towns–Groups exchanged numerous secret letters–Other colonies followed the same idea

• New York• South Carolina• Rhode Island

The Boston Tea PartyThe Boston Tea Party

• Protests against the Tea Act began to take place

• In Charleston, SC colonists unloaded tea and let it rot on the docks

• In New York City and Philadelphia, colonists blocked the tea ships from landing

• In Boston, Sons of the Liberty organized the Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea PartyThe Boston Tea Party

• Evening on December 16, 1773• Men disguised as Native Americans boarded tea ships

“We then were ordered by our commander to open the hatches and take out all the chests of tea and throw them overboard… In about 3 hours from the time we

went on board, we had thus broken and thrown overboard every tea chest to be found in the ship; while

those in other ships were disposing of the tea in the same way, at the same time.” – George Hewes

• 342 chests of tea were destroyed• Colonial leaders offered to pay for the tea if Britain

repealed the Tea Act- Britain refused.

The Boston Tea PartyThe Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea PartyThe Boston Tea Party

The Intolerable ActsThe Intolerable Acts

• Parliament was furious with the Boston Tea Party

• “We must master them or totally leave them to themselves and treat them as aliens.” – King George III

Attack on Rights and LibertiesAttack on Rights and Liberties

• 1774- Parliament passed laws to punish the Massachusetts colony

• Britain: Coercive Acts• Colonies: Intolerable Acts

– Closed port of Boston until tea was paid for– Banned town meetings– Replaced elected council with appointed one– Increased governor’s power– Protected British officials accused of crimes– Allowed British officers to house troops in colonists’

homes

The First Continental Congress MeetsThe First Continental Congress Meets

• Other colonies sent food and money to support Massachusetts

• September 1774: delegates from all colonies except Georgia met in Philadelphia– Called the First Continental Congress

• Decided to ban all trade with Britain until the Intolerable Acts were repealed

• Each colony began to train troops• Georgia still participated even though it did not send delegates

– This was a key step in history– Most colonists were not ready to call for

independence, but they wanted to keep their rights

British Control Begins to SlipBritish Control Begins to Slip

• Colonists hoped another boycott would lead to repealing the Intolerable Acts, like the Stamp, Sugar, and Townshend Acts

• However, Britain stood firm and even increased restrictions and sent more troops

• By the end of 1774, many colonists were preparing to fight

• Colonists believed that a fight against Britain would be short, because Britain would change its policies

Patrick HenryPatrick Henry

“Gentlemen may cry peace, peace – but there is no

peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from

the north will bring to our ears the clash of

resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle?… I know not course others may take; but as for me, give me

liberty or give me death.”

The Revolution BeginsThe Revolution Begins

• Both the colonists and the British were spying on one another

• The British knew that the Massachusetts militia was storing arms and ammunition in Concord

• John Hancock and Sam Adams were Patriot leaders and were in Lexington

• April 18, 1775: Gage ordered his troops to arrest Hancock and Adams and destroy the supplies in Concord

The Midnight RideThe Midnight Ride

• The Sons of Liberty were prepared• Paul Revere and William Dawes were sent to spread the

news about British troop movements• “One if by land, two if by sea”

Lexington and ConcordLexington and Concord

• April 19, 1775: more than 700 British troops reached Lexington

• Captain John Parker and 70 militiamen were waiting

• British ordered colonists to drop muskets, colonists refused

• “Shot heard around the world”

• 8 militiamen lay dead

Lexington and ConcordLexington and Concord

• British marched to Concord where they destroyed supplies

• A battle broke out forcing British to retreat• Nearly 4000 Minutemen and militiamen arrived• “It seemed as if men came down from the clouds”• 1000 British soldiers arrived a prevented a total

destruction• Americans had to choose sides

– Loyalists– Patriots

The Conflict SpreadsThe Conflict Spreads

• Most colonists still wanted peace, but blamed Parliament for the terrible events

• The Olive Branch Petition– Document sent to the king from the colonists– Asking for harmony– King rejected it– Announced new ways to punish the colonies

• Use British army to block American ships from leaving ports• Hired thousands of German soldiers to fight in America• “When once these rebels have felt a smart blow, they will

submit.” – King George III

Colonial SoldiersColonial Soldiers

• Decided not to back down from Britain’s punishments

• Were arrogant and thought they were equal to British troops

• George Washington knew otherwise• British soldiers were professionals• Colonial troops had little training and were

poorly equipped• Difference between militia and minutemen

Washington ArrivesWashington Arrives

• Washington arrived at militia camp in Boston in summer of 1775

• Began to gather supplies and train soldiers

• Decided to invade British forces in Quebec

• Americans failed in their attack

Rebellion becomes RevolutionRebellion becomes Revolution

• Americans had a decision to make• Thomas Paine’s Common Sense helped to

make this decision– Believed all men should have the right to vote– Criticized the belief that kings were chosen by God– Sold more than 100,000 copies in 3 months– Emphasized a fight for independence

A Time for DecisionA Time for Decision• Continental Congress was still undecided• May 1776- each colony was to develop its own

government• June 7- Known as “free and independent states”• Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas

Jefferson, and others were appointed to draft the Declaration of Independence– Chose Jefferson to compose

• July 4, 1776– Congress adopted the document– John Hancock (president of congress) was the first to

sign– “There, I guess King George will be able to read that”

The Declaration is AdoptedThe Declaration is Adopted

• Based on idea of natural rights• “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are

created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

• If government doesn’t protect these rights, it loses the right to govern

• This action was treason to Britain• Now, they needed to win their freedom on the battlefield.

• What is a civil war?

• Americans were divided based along social, religious, and ethnic lines

• Most Southern states did not allow African Americans to fight

• British offered freedom to those who joined the British army

• The North had about 5,000 African Americans serving in the Continental army.

• Native Americans became involved

Loyalis ts25%

Patriots40%

Neutral35%

40%

• June 1775, George Washington became commander of the Continental Army

• Many problems– Untrained and undisciplined soldiers– Part-time soldiers– Needed a large and well-trained army to last through a war– Lacked basic supplies like blankets, shoes, food, and guns and

ammunition– Many women had to help

• Britain thought Americans would be easy to defeat

• British were experienced and professional

• Had troubles of their own–Difficulty recruiting soldiers–Enlisted for life: so not many made that commitment

–Had to hire mercenaries from Germany

• December 25, 1776• Washington’s troops went to Trenton, New Jersey• Surprise attack on German soldiers who were

sleeping after their Christmas celebrations• Captured and killed 900 German soldiers and

supplies• Another victory in New Jersey just 8 days later• Proved the American general was better than

many had thought• Army began to attract more recruits

• Burgoyne’s army continued south• American troops led by Horatio Gates blocked their way

–Burgoyne attacked the Americans–Americans fought back–Burgoyne was forced to retreat!–British moved slowly through the rain to Saratoga, were

exhausted–Americans surrounded British and fired on them night and

day–Burgoyne surrendered

• Prevented British from isolating New England• Showed Europeans that Americans might win• Some European countries joined the Americans

• French were still bitter with Britain about French and Indian War

• Became an American ally after the Battle of Saratoga

• Sent funds, supplies, and troops• Persuaded Spain to be an ally as well• Spain attacked British troops from the South• British troops were spread thin• Both Spain and France wanted to increase their

own territory

• Winter 1777-1778• Washington’s army (12,000) camped at Valley Forge in

Southeast Pennsylvania• Lacked supplies: only blankets and many did not have

shoes, not enough food• 1/4 died from malnutrition, exposure, or diseases (small

pox or typhoid fever)• New Years Day 1778- Women stepped in to help

–Drove 10 teams of oxen in bring supplies–2,000 shirts and other items–Oxen were killed to provide food

• In February–Almost 5,000 soldiers were too sick to fight–Another 3,700 lacked either shoes or clothes

• Shipments for troops were often stolen by government employees

• Many local farmers were Loyalists and refused to sell food to the army

• 2,000 soldiers deserted• Many soldiers had amputations and then died from future

infections

• Americans showed much endurance

• Most would desert typically

• Some did desert, but the army stayed together because of the “Love of our Country” – Colonel John Brooks

• Washington inspired the troops to keep fighting

• German officer, the Baron von Steuben, trained the army–Focused on sanitation

• Within 1 month the troops were executing drills quickly and precisely

• The army came out of Valley Forge even stronger

• After 3 years of war, Britain was still not close to a victory

• Change their strategy–Thought if they moved South, they would have more supporters

–Expected Southern slaves to join

• British were having difficulty controlling the South

• Guerrilla: Someone who does not follow the regular “laws” of war; engages in ambushing

• Many guerrilla rebels were in the South countryside

• Rebels successfully cut off the British supply line

• 1781: without orders Cornwallis marched to Virginia

• Set up base on a peninsula• Washington and a French army met with a

French fleet of ships• The fleet blocked the Chesapeake Bay

from receiving supplies

• Battle of Yorktown began–British tried to protect themselves–French captured their forts–Cannons bombarded Yorktown–Cornwallis had no way out and had to surrender

• Some fighting continued in the South and on the Frontier• But…

–Yorktown was the last major battle of the war–“It is all over!” gasped British prime minister Lord North–British leaders were forced to resign–New leaders began to negotiate a peace treaty

• Persistence even though they faced many obstacles

• Civilians and soldiers were involved• 1783- the last British ships left New York

City• “through almost every possible suffering

and discouragement for the space of eight long years, was little short of a standing miracle.”- George Washington

“There was as much sorrow as joy… We had lived together as a family of brothers for several years,… had shared with each

other in the hardships, dangers, and sufferings incident to a soldier’s life; had

sympathized with each other in trouble and sickness; … and now we were to be…

parted forever.”

- Joseph Plumb Martin

• British officer surrendering to a mounted American officer, with French troops on the left and Americans on the right

• Cornwallis pretended to be ill in order to avoid public humiliation

• No one knows exact numbers–Estimated 25,700 Americans died–1,400 Americans remained missing–8,200 Americans were wounded–British suffered about 10,000 deaths

• Most soldiers were broke–Instead of getting paid, soldiers were given land in

the West• National debt of about $27 million• Many Loyalists lost property• Between 60,000 and 100,000 Loyalists left the

country; many went to Canada• Tensions remained between Loyalists and Patriots

• Peace negotiations began September 27, 1782• The treaty was finally signed on September 3,

1783

• The United States was independent• Boundaries

–Mississippi River on the West–Canada on the North–Spanish Florida on the South

• U.S. could fish off Canada’s coast• Each side would repay debts• British would return enslaved persons captured• States would return property to Loyalists

–Neither side fully lived up to their terms• Americans did not repay all war debts or return

Loyalist property• British did not return slaves

• Many new disagreements with Spain regarding boundaries• British refused to give up military outposts in the Great Lakes area

• Treaty of Paris did not take into consideration Native American lands

• Rejected the Proclamation of 1763• Native Americans were furious with

British• Americans were excited about

westward expansion• Native Americans’ land was at risk

• People began to see the conflict between slavery and fighting for freedom

• Colonies began to end slavery, especially in the North

• Slaves began to fight for their freedom–Slavery in the South still continued

• People began to fear what would happen to America if it continued to depend on slavery, including Thomas Jefferson