THE AMERICAN

REVOLUTIONAmerican History I

Review• Why did the colonists feel that the British Parliament had

no right to tax them?

• Colonists had no representation in Parliament to make known their

needs and desires

• Who were the Sons of Liberty?

• Led by Samuel Adams, secretive group of colonists that resisted

British control

• How did the colonists view the event called the “Boston

Massacre?”

• Colonists viewed the Boston Massacre as a British attack on

defenseless colonists, even though it’s still unknown who fired first

• How did GB react to the Boston Tea Party?

• Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts – shut down Boston Harbor,

forced colonists to house British soldiers, and placed Boston under

martial law

2.2 – DECLARING

INDEPENDENCE

Preparing for Conflict

• First Continental Congress –“colonies should fight back if England uses force” → PREPARATION! (but not independence yet)

• Many eastern New England towns formed militias made of Minutemen• Militia – ordinary citizens who perform

military actions

• Minutemen - Another word for the colonial militia men who fought in the American Revolution

• Colonists began stockpiling guns and ammunition

Revere’s Ride

• March 1775 - British General Gage hears…• There is a large stockpile of

guns/ammunition hidden outside of Boston in the small town of Concord.

• John Hancock and Samuel Adams are staying in Lexington, near Concord

• Gage ordered Redcoats (British troops) to confiscate stockpile and arrest Hancock and Adams

• Paul Revere, member of the Sons of Liberty, saw Redcoats organizing in Boston and organized a network of riders to warn colonists of British actions

Revere’s Ride• April 1775 - Revere, William

Dawes, and Samuel Prescott rode in the night to spread the word of British troop movement toward Lexington and Concord.• Colonists rang bells and shot guns (prearranged signals) to warn

others of the troops

• Before Concord, Revere was captured and questioned at gunpoint by British troops• Dawes escaped but did not finish the ride.

• Prescott escaped and continued to Concord to warn colonists and Minutemen.

Lexington

• By morning, when Redcoats reached Lexington, 70

Minutemen were waiting.

• British commander ordered Minutemen to disarm and leave

• Colonists remained armed

• SOMEONE shot their gun

• Shots then fired from both sides

• Battle of Lexington

• 15 minutes

• 18 Minutemen killed/wounded

• 1 Redcoat injured

Concord

• Redcoats marched on to Concord and found an empty

arsenal and 3,000-4,000 Minutemen waiting

• British attempted to march to Boston but Minutemen fired

on them

• Many Recoats killed

• Remaining Redcoats hurried to Boston, humiliated

• Lexington and Concord (April 1775) – considered the

first battles of the American Revolution

• “The shot heard around the world.”

Redcoats – marching

in straight lines with

defined Generals and

Commanders

Militia (Minutemen) are

disorganized, but

somewhat effective

because they catch the

Redcoats off guard

Second Continental Congress

• Summer 1775 - Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia• Delegates from the colonies met to discuss plans of action → much

debate over what to do next

• Named the colonial army the Continental Army

• Chose George Washington (43 yrs) to be Commander in Chief of army

• Authorized the printing of colonial money to pay troops and deal with foreign nations

• NOT officially declaring independence yet… just preparing for war

Battle of Bunker Hill

• June 1775 – Redcoats humiliated and ready to fight• Marched to an area outside of Boston near Bunker Hill where some

Minutemen were stationed

• Battle of Bunker Hill – June 1775• Minutemen held fire until the last

moment

• “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!”

• Redcoats stormed the hill 3 times

• Last surge was successful, Minutemen ran out of ammo

• British victory, bloodiest battle of the war

• 450 Minutemen wounded

• 1,000 Redcoats killed/wounded

Olive Branch Petition

• July 1775 – Second Continental Congress still in session

• Most colonists still considered themselves British citizens (very

angry British citizens)

• Olive Branch Petition

• July 1775

• Sent by the Congress to King

George III

• Urged a return to the “former harmony”

between England and the colonies

• Last ditch effort for peace

Olive Branch Petition

• REJECTED by King George III

• Declared the colonies in rebellion

• Urged Parliament to order a naval blockade (cut off trading) on the

American coast

Colonies are in rebellion!

I will cut off their trade to

suffocate them

financially!

I have a giant hat.

Common Sense Changes Colonists’

Minds• January 1776 – anonymous

pamphlet (50 pgs) circulated the colonies

• Common Sense (Thomas Paine)• Attacked King George III• “Destiny” for the colonies to become a

separate nation• Trade freely with other nations• Get foreign aid to defeat England• Develop a better society based on

equality

• 500,000 copies sold

• Why significant? - Very influential in persuading undecided colonists to support independence

Summer 1776

• Colonies ready to declare

independence as a unit

• NC already declared

independence

• VA wanted to follow NC

• Second Continental Congress

(still in session), debates

declaring independence

• Thomas Jefferson appointed to

prepare a formal declaration

explaining the rebellion and

desire to be free

Declaration of Independence

• 1776• Written by Thomas Jefferson

• Based on the ideas of John Locke (Enlightenment thinker)• People have “natural rights”…

• Life• Liberty• Pursuit of happiness

• Government gets its power from its citizens (the “consent of the governed”).

• People should rebel against a government that denies its citizens these “unalienable rights.”

Declaration of Independence

• “All men are created equal…”

• The belief that FREE MALE citizens are equals and should be

treated so by the government.

• NOT including women, Native Americas, and African American

slaves… or really any poor person

• July 2, 1776 – Congress voted to officially “rebel” or be

free

• July 4, 1776 – adopted and signed the Declaration of

Independence

Americans Choose SidesPatriots Loyalists (Tories)

Supported American independence Remained loyal to England

• Farmers, merchants, artisans,

landowners, elected officials

• Quakers (but didn’t fight)

• African American slaves (maybe

freedom if America wins?)

Who? • Judges, Councilors, or Governors

• Lived in rural areas – didn’t know of

the events in the cities

• Native Americans (viewed as smaller

threat than colonists)

• African American slaves (maybe

freedom if England wins?)

• New opportunities for economic

gains

• Why not – can it get worse?

Why? • Didn’t want to be punished as rebels

if British won

• Scared of new government