8 the thirteen colonies rebel
DESCRIPTION
Notes 10/25TRANSCRIPT
THE THIRTEEN COLONIES REBEL
Proclamation of 1763British law that forbade settlement west of Appalachian Mts.
Quartering Act
Colonies required to house & supply British soldiers
England is in debt
Very expensive for Britain to keep army in America
Impressment – forcing Americans to serve in
British Navy
Mercantilist policy1. Strict enforcement of Navigation Acts2. Sugar Act – (1764) taxed sugar, etc.
from anywhere except Br. discouraged trade with other countries
3. Currency Act (1764) outlawed paper money
4. Stamp Act – placed stamp on legal documents, newspapers, etc.
“No taxation without representation”James Otis
Colonies thought they had no representation in Parliament
Virtual representation – members of Parliament represented all people in the British Empire
Stamp Act Congress protest sent to England (9 colonies represented)
Sons of Liberty group of protestors
Boycott – (refuse to buy) British goods Led to the repeal (withdraw) of Stamp Act
DECLARATORY ACT
Declared Parliament’s authority to make laws binding on the Am colonies “in all cases whatsoever.”
Townshend ActsCharles Townshend
chancellor of the exchequer1) import taxes on glass, lead, paper, paint, & tea2) established new system of customs commissioners3) suspended New York Assembly
Writs of assistance search warrants of any building for any reason
Colonists began manufacturing their own products
In Boston the Quartering Act was enforced
Resentment of Br. Soldiers because they took away jobs from American workers
Boston Massacre
citizens taunted Redcoats – fired into crowd of protestors
5 killed – Crispus Attucks the first to die
•Townshend Acts repealed
•Tea Act tax on tea to help Br. East India Co. gave them a monopoly
Cheaper than smuggled tea
•Boston Tea Party Sons of Liberty disguised as
Mohawk Indians secretly threw 342 chests valued at $90,000 into Boston Harbor
Committees of Correspondence
• Groups organized by Sam Adams to keep up communication between colonies
• Elevated events to “national” importance
Coercive Acts - to punish the coloniesIntolerable Acts - named by colonists• Boston Port Act – closed the port of Boston• Massachusetts Gov’t Act - more power
given to Mass. royal governor• Quartering Act - quartered in private homes• Administration of Justice Act - Br officials
tried in Britain, not in colonies
More troops sent to Boston to enforce the Acts
Suffolk ResolveDr. Joseph Warrendeclared Coercive Acts unconstitutional and should not be obeyed
Quebec Actset up gov’t for province of Quebec without an elected assembly
1st Continental Congressmet in Philadelphia at
Carpenter’s Hall
• All colonies except Georgia
• Met in Philadelphia in 1774
• Agreed to support Massachusetts
• Would not obey Intolerable Acts
• Organized an embargo (ban on all trade with Britain)
• Each colony should begin training soldiers
Minutemen – members of the militia ready in a moment’s notice (elite force)
Patriots – those opposed to British king & policies
Loyalists or Tories – those loyal to the king
Few expected war
Patrick Henry of Virginia“…I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
General Gage (British) learned of munitions kept in Concord
4/18/1775 moved 700 British troops to Concord
Old North Church – signal of how troops would move“1 if by land, 2 if by sea.”
Paul Revere, William Dawes, Dr. Samuel Prescott
warned of British move to Concord
In a.m. tired Br. Troops faced Patriots at Lexington
first shots of Revolutionary War
“shot heard ‘round the world”
Continued on to Concord
minutemen met them
Sneak attacks on British all the way back to Boston
Revolutionary War had begun!
Ft. Ticonderoga (British)
store of artillery
taken by Ethan Allen & Green Mt. Boys
and Benedict Arnold
Second Continental Congress
May 1775 - Philadelphia
Some felt their job was to prepare for war
Created Continental Army led by . . .
George Washington
Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill)
• Patriots occupied peninsula across from Boston
• Patriots created earthen fortress (redoubts)
• British tried 3 times to take it• Huge British losses• Result:
Americans would not be easily beaten
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• Olive Branch PetitionJuly 1775 Congress sent to George IIIPatriots’ attempt for reconciliationKing refused – wanted to teach colonies a lesson
• Washington received artillery fromFt. Ticonderoga
• British left Boston• Most Americans afraid to make a break for
independence• Thomas Paine (Br) wrote Common Sense
called for American independence
What do we do now?
• Continental Congress drew up resolutions
1) called for colonies to become independent states
2) try to form foreign alliances
3) prepare a plan of confederation
• Appointed committee to draft a Declaration of Independence
• Thomas Jefferson wrote the declaration
• July 4, 1776
Declaration is adopted
• Listed reasons the colonies had no choice but to declare themselves independent
• This was treason in Britain’s view
• Americans declared their independence.
• Now they must win it!!