Introduction and Origins to the American Revolution

Introduction and Origins to the American Revolution

SYNOPSIS : The war of independence was a people s revolution sparked by the colonists yearning for independence from the British

Details - The American Revolution was a war between the kingdom of England and the 13 colonies in the North American continent. - The American Revolution took place between April of 1775 til July of 1783 - Other names for The American Revolution are the War of Independence, US War of Independence, and the American Revolutionary War - Many battles took place between 1775 and 1783, but three have most importance in the American Revolution

BATTLES Battle of Lexington and Concord : April 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill : June 1775

Battles Continued Battle of Saratoga October 1777 This battle was very important because it was the turning point of the war in which the British surrendered to the colonist and gave the colonists their first win.

Details : - About a decade before the Revolution had even started, there were conflicts with the British by taxing the colonists with such things like: - Stamp Act of 1765 - Townshend Tariff of 1767 - Tea Act of 1773 - This brought much tension between the colonists and the British that in 1775, the colonists battled the Brits in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts; the starting of the revolution.

Details ( COnclusion) - July 4th 1776 - The Declaration of Independence is a document adopted by Congress declaring independence for the 13 colonies from Great Britain. - From here on then, there were many other fights to figure out whose land would belong to whom in the United States, but they had finally declared themselves a nation.

Connections : - The way that the colonists were tired of not having say the way they rebelled in the Battle of Lexington and Concord where there was less violence more of words said, there are protests these days for specific purposes, like NON- GMO projects, Verizon workers. - American Independence and all the American rights that we enjoy today, stemmed from the American Revolution

Questions : - What acts were said that started the tensions leading to the American Revolution? - Other than the American Revolution, what were the other names of the American Revolution? - Why was there tensions between the colonists and the British in the first place?

Causes of the American Revolution (Gaby E-S)

SYNOPSIS The American Revolution resulted from the British Empire attempting to stay in control of the colonies after the Seven Years War

DETAILS

Conclusion of Seven Years War Pros: Britain controlled North American continent east of the Mississippi including French Canada Cons: Britain doubled debt to 13.5 times annual revenue

1760: Britain attempts to consolidate over North American colonies Outcome: resistance from colonies

1760: King George III takes crown -Represented an authoritarian vision of empire where colonies would be subordinate (lower in rank or position, under the control of another within an organization)

Royal Proclamation of 1763 King George III forbade settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains because he wanted to avoid any costly wars with the Native Americans. Result: Colonists protested and demanded territory

1764: Sugar Act and Currency Act.

Currency Act Restricted colonies from producing money Hard money (gold and silver) were scarce in the colonies Lack of currency: 1. Prevented the colonies transatlantic economics 2. Damaged in 1764 because of postwar recessionperiod of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced, had already begun

1765: Stamp Act Stated that many documents had to be printed on paper and stamped to show the duty had been paid This included: Newspapers pamphlets Diplomas legal documents and even playing cards

Resistance to the Stamp Act: Formed three different groups: 1. Legislative resistance by elites 2. Economic resistance by merchants 3. Popular protest by common colonists

Legislative resistance Virginia Resolves Passed by the House of Burgesses in 1765 Declared that colonies were entitled to All the liberties, privileges, franchises, and immunities...possessed by the people of Great Britain

1765: Stamp Act Congress Nine colonies sent delegates Congress issued the Declaration of Rights and Grievances - declaring allegiance to the King and all the subordination to Parliament. It also reasserted that colonies were entitled: To be tried by a jury only be taxed by their own elected representatives

Economic Resistance Merchants- prepared non-importation agreements New York: Upwards to two hundred merchants agreed not to import, sell, or buy any goods from Great Britain Philadelphia: merchants gathered to agree that they would not import any goods from Great Britain. Result: 1766- London merchants sent their complaints about the Stamp Act to Parliament

Popular Protest Boston: violent riots Crowds burning the appointed stamp distributor for Massachusetts, Andrew Oliver, and the home of Governor Thomas Hutchinson Result: 12 Stamp distributors resigned

1766: Sons of Liberty Formed in most of the colonies to direct and organize further popular resistance Result: had a dual effect of sending a message to Parliament and discouraging colonists from accepting appointments as Stamp collectors No stamp distributors= the Act became unenforceable

Declaratory Act and Townshend Acts 1766

Declaratory Act Stated that Parliament had the full power and authority to make laws...to bind the colonies and people of America...in all cases whatsoever. Reserved parliament s right to impose taxes on the colonies

1767: Townshend Acts -Created new customs duties on common items instead of direct taxes Common items included:led, glass, paint, and tea -Created and strengthened formal mechanisms to enforce compliance, including: A new American Board of Customs Commissioners More vice-admiralty courts to try smugglers

Results of the Declaratory Act and Townshend Acts -Increased the presence of the British government in the colonies -Circumscribed the authority of the colonial assemblies Reaction of the colonists: resistance

Women s resistance to the Townshend Acts

Circulated subscription lists and gathered signatures First political commentaries in newspapers written by women appeared Townshend Acts prevented new imports of British clothes Result: women would spin cloth for their family and even for the community.

Committees of Correspondence Formed by the colonies to keep each other informed of the resistance

Boston Massacre

1768: Britain sent regiments to Boston to help enforce the new acts and quell the resistance 1770: crowds gathered outside the Custom House and hurled insults and snowballs Led to soldiers firing gunshots Five Bostonians dead Result: Soldiers were tried and word spread through the resistance networks

Resistance led to repeal 1770: Parliament repealed all new duties except tea Reason: to assert that Parliament still retained the right to tax colonists

Connections In today s society, the voice of the people is still present. We make sure that our freedom is still ours at all costs. The bathroom bill regarding transgender citizens shows the unfairness still present today. The Black Lives Matter movement also shows that stereotyping is present in our country. Both issues are being fought by the people until justice is served.

Questions 1. What is the difference between the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act? 2. Name and describe at least two acts passed by Parliament to maintain their control over the colonies. 3. Name the three groups that made up the resistance against the Stamp Act. 4. Who do you think was directly affected by the Stamp Act?

INDEPENDENCE Synopsis: The colonists began to create rebellions and militias to commit some of the most notable acts in history, such as the Boston tea party, and fight against British laws (intolerable acts), actions (Boston tea party) and occupation (Quartering Act) and the colonies began to support each other however they could for independence.

Details After the Boston Massacre tensions between the colonists and the motherland cooled. Groups such as the Sons of Liberty continued to end importation even after the repeal of the Townshend acts. The Tea Act was passed which allowed tea to be directly sold to the colonists for a lower price. The colonists resisted and boycotted.

On December sixteenth, British ships were sitting in Boston harbor full of tea. A town meeting was held by the colonists and a few men disguised as Natives snuck onto a ship. The proceeded to dump 342 chests full of tea into the Boston harbor. This became known as The Boston Tea party. Following this act, Philadelphia, New York and Charleston had similar Tea Parties. The Ladies of Edenton were a group of 51 women from North Carolina who pledged to do whatever they could to support the boycotts.

The British response was swift as they decided to pass the Coercive Acts also known as The intolerable acts. This shut down importation to Boston and cut off all trade. The Massachusetts government was forced to put the colony entirely under British control and dissolved all meeting and organization. Any British official was to be tried in Britain and not by any colonial court. Then the Quartering Acts were passed, which allowed British military to stay in colonists houses. The colonists responded by taking over government buildings in Massachusetts and colonists in other states did the same.

Britain government passed the Continental Act in which specific colonists were appointed to higher positions and to stay loyal to the king. However some were not loyal to the king while some were. However, on April 9th, 1775 British platoons moved to seize local militias in Lexington and Concord. In Lexington, a shot was fired and the battle began and moved all the way to Concord. The Minutemen (a quick reaction force) who were alerted acted quickly and held concord and pushed the British back to Boston. Over 20,000 men invaded Boston and trapped the British and set up fortifications on Breed s hill, also known as Bunker hill.

The Battle of Bunker Hill was a successful attempt to dislodge the colonists from their fortifications. The British continuously sent men into the battlefield to slowly advance on the hill. Although the colonists abandoned the post, the British suffered massive casualties. In other middle colonies, New York, Philadelphia and New Jersey. The Congress struck a compromise, agreeing to adopt the Massachusetts militia and form a Continental Army, naming Virginia delegate, George Washington, commander-in-chief. The Declaration of the Causes of Necessity of Taking Up Arms was passed to justify the decision

On August 13th 1775 the petition reached Britain where it was declined. The king saw it as the colonists being influenced by men who wanted to wage war. Following this, all over the colonies men and women spoke about independence. A writer named Thomas Paine published Common sense which challenged monarchy and all the logics of Britain. Lord Dunmore who was pushed out of Boston became desperate and issued the Dunmore Emancipation which stated that all former slaves who joined the British would be given freedom.

On May 10th 1776, the colonies began to communicate and form revolutionary groups and create their own constitutions. This entire resolution was offered by Richard Henry Lee. In his resolution he used Natural Law which states that all men are created equal under one God. On July 2nd, it came to a vote 12-0 with New York being the last colony to vote. This was the official legal Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Jefferson drafted that Declaration of Independence and edits were made by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, and then again by the Congress. The congress approved the document on July 4th 1776, the first step on independence. The second step was winning it on the battlefield.

Connections There are still nations today who fight for independence. Whether it be from dictators like Assad or countries like Somalia which yearn for freedom from Al-Shabab. Every day these people suffer in their war torn countries and desire nothing more than peace and stability under a fair government. The people of Ukraine are still fighting to retain their rights as Russia tries to take back the land it once owned. Just like the colonists, these people dream of peace and prosperity not just for themselves but also for their families

Questions 1-Who published the first, unofficial Declaration of Independence? 2-What happened to the British at the battles for Lexington and concord? Where were they pushed back to? 3-What did the men disguise themselves as to board the British ships and dump the tea?

War for Independence

Synopsis The American Revolution was not just a rebellion by the Colonies in order to obtain freedom from the British, but a global conflict involving the French, Spanish, Dutch, British, the Colonies and many Native American tribes, that lasted from 1775-1783.

Details: Initial Conflict - The war begins in 1775 at Lexington and Concord. - The British believed the colonists were not willing to fight a full-fledged war. - The colonial army, otherwise known as The Continental Army, was lead by General George Washington. - The Colonists force the British to retreat and win at Boston. - July 4th, 1776 The U.S. Congress declares independence.

Details: Armies - In 1775 the British Army was a volunteer force of about 45,000 men spread out over the world. - In order to combat the Colonies, the British government hired German mercenaries called Hessians. - The Continental army was almost entirely comprised of local militias made up of citizen-soldiers.

Details: Major Conflict - - In October of 1776 the British launched an attack on Brooklyn and Manhattan. The Continental Army retreated to New Jersey. George Washington launched surprise attack on Trenton on Christmas Day 1776. In 1777, British General Burgoyne led an army from Canada through upstate New York, to meet with a group of General Howe s forces coming from Manhattan. Howe abandons the plan and instead sails to Philadelphia, leaving Burgoyne alone. (Battle of Saratoga) Benjamin Franklin successfully negotiates the Treaty of Amity and Commerce (Turned war into a global conflict)

Details: Conflicts continued - General Howe took the capital city of Philadelphia in 1777 but returned to New York in the winter. - George Washington realized that he had to fight in a non-traditional style if he wanted a chance to defeat the British. - Skirmishes - As long as the Continental army was alive and intact, the war could continue. - 1778, the British focus on the south. Campaigns in Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia capture major cities for the redcoats.

Details: British War Campaign - By 1781, the British support for the war was decreasing rapidly. - War was very costly. - They were fighting France, Spain, and Holland. - Battles were being fought all over the world including; Canada, Guatemala, India, Barbados, The Bahamas, Portugal and Morocco. - British resorted to bribing American slaves to fight on their side for the promise of freedom after the war.

Details: Peace - - The Continental Army took advantage of the British s southern campaign and decided to trap them in at Yorktown. The British were awaiting supplies from New York however, the Franco-American troops arrived first and were able to force General Cornwallis to surrender. This American victory left Britain with no strategy and a very unpleased population who saw no more use for the American colonies. The Treaty of Paris was signed and the war came to an end on September 3rd, 1783.

Connections to the War for Independence - Since the American revolution there have been dozens of patriotic movements for Independence, such as; India s Independence from Great Britain. - The French aiding the U.S. Was in their best interest because Great Britain was their enemy. This is similar to how the United States helped Great Britain to defeat the Nazi s in WW2 because Germany was their enemy.

Details: Consequences of the War - Even though the Americans were very pleased with their victory it had come with a huge price. During a single winter at Valley Forge in 1777-8 over 2,500 American soldiers died from disease and exposure alone. War was not only fought on battlefields far from civilization, very often it was fought near or within a town or city. During war time, an estimated 30,000-100,000 slaves deserted their masters.

Questions 1) What were the German mercenaries hired by the British called? 2) What the strategic mistake Britain made that ultimately lead to their defeat? 3) What was the new style of fighting George Washington decided to implement? 4) How do you think the war would have turned out if the seven years war had never happened?

Consequences of the American Revolution

Synopsis: The consequences of the American Revolution greatly impacted the United States with political, social, and economic changes in society.

Details One immediate outcome of the American Revolution was the creation of state constitutions in 1776-1777. The state constitutions created: - new nation politics the increase in political participation religious toleration westward expansions

Details - the state constitution was based off of the idea of popular sovereignty. - Popular sovereignty is when the people have power and authority in the government. - The bill of rights were created to protect the rights of the people. - Massachusetts established a three branch government. This type of government includes a system of checks and balances, which is what we use today. - 1776 was made the year of independence.

Economy The end of the American Revolution was the end to mercantilism as well. Mercantilism is a system of regulating trade. It is intended to gain profit by exporting more than importing. The British had many restrictions on their trade. The Revolution opened up free and domestic marketing.

Women - Women's lives had long term effects from the American Revolution - Although women were not granted complete equality, they still had some benefits. - Women were given the responsibility to raise young kids and teach future citizens. - They were finally opened to an opportunity of education.

Loyalists - Around 60,000 loyalists left America after the American Revolution. - They moved to places such as Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec. - Former loyalist slaves hoped to seek a new home or freedom from the British after the war. - British military commanders sent them to places such as Canada, the Caribbean, or Great Britain. - They, however, did play an important role for the settlement in Nova Scotia.

Slaves - The war allowed many Americans to free their slaves. This eventually led to antislavery movements. - It caused a revolutionary generation of slaves. A revolutionary generation is a generation of people who have been majorly impacted due to an event. - Slave revolts became common as tensions rose.

Native Americans - A revolutionary generation was created for the Native Americans as well. - Many tribes remained on the British side, such as the Shawnee, Creek, Cherokee, and Iroquois. - The natives, however, were still displaced and pushed to the west with little to no rights. - The end of the American Revolution was also the end of Native American independence.

Connections Similar to the colonists victory, there are other cases in history in which large groups of people have come together to fight a for a cause. In 1920, the 19th amendment allowed women to vote. Many famous women's rights supporters include Mary Wollstonecraft, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Gay rights movements were also fought for. In June of 2015, gay marriage was legalized by the United States.

Questions - Who were two groups of people that created revolutionary generations after the American Revolution? - What were two things that changed after the making of the state's constitution? - If the colonists had lost the war, where do you think we would be today? What would be different?