How many strikes did the How many strikes did the British have against them so far???British have against them so far???

1. Navigation Acts2. Sugar Act3. Beginning of the Quartering Act4. Stamp Act5. Townshend Acts

1. Smuggling2. Boycotting3. Sons of Liberty

What was the Colonial Reaction???What was the Colonial Reaction???

4. Daughters of Liberty5. Boston Massacre

The Gaspee Incident (The Gaspee Incident (17721772))

• Providence, Providence, Rhode Island

• A group attacked a A group attacked a British customs ship off British customs ship off the coastthe coast

• This boat patrolled This boat patrolled looking for looking for smugglers

• Colonists boarded the Colonists boarded the ship and burned itship and burned it

• King George wanted King George wanted those colonists brought those colonists brought back to England to be back to England to be tried in courttried in court

• Colonists became Colonists became scaredscared

Committees of CorrespondenceCommittees of Correspondence

PurposePurpose warn neighboring colonies about neighboring colonies about incidents incidents with Britain with Britain

broaden the broaden the resistance movement movement

Massachusetts and and Virginia assemblies set it upassemblies set it up

Communication network network linking leaders linking leaders in nearly all the in nearly all the colonies colonies

Tea Act (Tea Act (17731773))• British East India Company:British East India Company:

• Monopoly on British tea Monopoly on British tea importsimports

• Many members of Many members of Parliament held shares held shares

• Permitted the BEIC to Permitted the BEIC to sell tea sell tea directly to to colonists without colonists without middlemen middlemen (cheaper tea!)(cheaper tea!)

• Lord Frederick North: British Lord Frederick North: British Prime Minister

• He expected the He expected the colonists to eagerly choose colonists to eagerly choose the cheaper teathe cheaper tea

• Colonists Colonists protested

Boston Tea Party (Boston Tea Party (17731773))

•December 16, 1773December 16, 1773

•Boston colonists disguised themselves as Boston colonists disguised themselves as Native Americans

•They went on board 3 They went on board 3 British ships in the Boston ships in the Boston harborharbor

•They dumped They dumped 18,000 lbs. of the East Indian Company’s lbs. of the East Indian Company’s Tea into the harborTea into the harbor

Colonial Colonial ActionAction

The Intolerable Acts (The Intolerable Acts (17741774))

Lord NorthLord North

1. Shut down Boston Harbor because colonists refused to pay for damages

2. Quartering Act: became even more strict authorizing British commanders to house soldiers in vacant private homes

3. General Thomas Gage: commander in chief of British forces in North America was appointed governor of Massachusetts

British Response

4. General Gage placed Boston under Martial Law or when the British military takes over the town

First Continental Congress First Continental Congress ((17741774))• 56 delegates from the colonies met in delegates from the colonies met in

PhiladelphiaAgenda Agenda How to respond to the Intolerable Acts?

• They They supported the the protest in protest in Boston and and stated that if the British stated that if the British used force against the used force against the colonists then they colonists then they should fight back.should fight back.

• Colonies began Colonies began preparing for a fight by:preparing for a fight by:

• MinutemenMinutemen-- civilian soldiers

• Stock weapons and Stock weapons and gunpowdergunpowder

• 1775- cold, long winter and food was scarce• General General Gage put the British soldiers on food

rations and their morale was low• Gage heard about colonial preparations

especially in towns just outside of Boston• He sent men to Concord to check things out

• British soldiers reported back to Gage about the stock of weapons and that Samuel Adams and John Hancock were staying nearby

•Gage waited for the snow to melt and cleared roads

•He marched his soldiers to Lexington and and ConcordConcord

•He wanted them to take any weapons and destroy them

The Road to Lexington and Concord

The British Are Coming . . .The British Are Coming . . .

Paul ReverePaul Revere makes his makes his midnight ridemidnight ride to warn to warn the minutemen of approaching British the minutemen of approaching British soldiers.soldiers.

The Shot Heard ’Round the The Shot Heard ’Round the World!World!Lexington & Concord – April 18,1775Lexington & Concord – April 18,1775

• The British soldiers reached Lexington and saw 70 minutemen in lines

• Gage told them to leave

• They began walking away but still had their muskets aimed at the soldiers

• Then someone fired

• British soldiers fired too

• 8 minutemen died and 10 wounded

• Only 1 British soldier was injured

• The battle lasted 15 minutes•British marched to Concord but did not find any weapons

•They began marching back to Boston

•They met the opposition of 3,000- 4,000 militia

•The remaining British soldiers marched back to Boston, humiliated

Ideas Help Start a RevolutionIdeas Help Start a Revolution

The Second Continental CongressThe Second Continental Congress((17751775))

•May, 1775, men convened in Philadelphia to decide what to do next.

•John Adams was a fierce Patriot. He wanted each colony to set up its own government.

•He also wanted this Congress to declare the colonies independent.

•He suggested the Continental Army and wanted a General to lead them.

•George Washington was put in charge of Army.

•Congress also authorized the printing of money to pay troops.

•Congress organized a committee to deal with foreign relations.

Attempt at PeaceAttempt at Peace

Olive Branch Olive Branch PetitionPetition

•Still a strong sense of loyalty from the colonies.

•They were ready for war but wanted peace.

•More loyalty toward King George III but blamed his ministers.

•July, 1775: Congress sent the King the Olive Branch Petition.

•King George rejected this peaceful attempt.

•He issued a proclamation stating that the colonies were in rebellion and urged Parliament to order a naval blockade of the coastline.

Thomas Paine: Thomas Paine: Common SenseCommon Sense•50-page pamphlet attacked King George.

•Paine declared colonists need to claim their freedom.

•Independence was every American’s destiny.

•Only Independence would give Americans the chance to create a better society- one free from tyranny, with equal social and economic opportunities for all.•150,000 copies sold

Declaration of Independence Declaration of Independence (1776)(1776)•Proposed by Virginian delegates

•Voted unanimously on July 2, 1776

•Author: Thomas Jefferson

•He was chosen because of his knowledge and skill of writing.

•Natural Rights based on the Enlightenment movement.

““Life, Liberty, Life, Liberty, and the pursuit and the pursuit of Happiness”of Happiness”

Declaration was adopted on July 4, Declaration was adopted on July 4, 1776!1776!

Declaration of IndependenceDeclaration of Independence

Independence HallIndependence Hall

New New National National SymbolsSymbols

Americans Chose SidesAmericans Chose Sides

• Revolutionary or Loyalist to the Crown?• Communities and families were divided, friendships ended.• Many Loyalists consisted of those with power: judges,

councilors, or governors.• Some colonists remained loyal because they assumed the

British would win the war.• They also doubted a new government if the Colonies did win.

•PatriotsPatriots consisted of farmers, artisans, merchants, and landowners.

•People who could potentially make a profit if the colonies were independent.

•Patriots made up nearly half the population.

•Quakers generally supported the Patriots but did not fight for religious reasons.

•African Americans fought on the side of the Patriots, but a lot fought on the side of the British because of promised freedom.

•Native Americans supported the British because they thought colonial settlers were a bigger threat to their lands.

Battle at Bunker HillBattle at Bunker Hill• Misnamed: Breed’s Hill, North of Boston.Misnamed: Breed’s Hill, North of Boston.• General Gage decided to attack colonial militia on a hill General Gage decided to attack colonial militia on a hill

near of Bunker Hill.near of Bunker Hill.• Nearly Nearly 2,3002,300 British soldiers. British soldiers.• British attack British attack up hillup hill..• Colonists Colonists heldheld their fire until the their fire until the lastlast minute. minute.• They ran They ran lowlow of ammunition after 3 attacks. of ammunition after 3 attacks.• BritishBritish are are successfulsuccessful..• Colonists lost Colonists lost 450450 men, British over men, British over 1,0001,000..• Deadliest battle of the War.Deadliest battle of the War.