Road to Revolution

British Action

Rationale Colonial Reaction

Rationale

Repeal of Stamp Act

and passage of Declaratory Act

rejoicing over repeal; ignoring Declaratory Act

Stamp Act petitions, boycott, violence

Currency Act smoldering resentment

Sugar Act Boston experimented with boycotts

Proclamation of 1763

resentment and failure to comply

PROCLAMATION LINE OF 1763

• Continued hostilities between Native Americans and British made newly acquired land too dangerous

• Would have required too much money and too many resources to control

• British prohibited colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains

• Colonists settled there anyway!!!

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Sugar Act

• 1764

• Duty placed on imported sugar

• Intention was to actually enforce

• Money would be used to pay for cost of maintaining 10,000 men army in colonies.

Currency Act

Restricted the use of paper money by the colonies

PROBLEM – too much paper money was issued -> currency depreciated

This inflation was harmful to merchants in Great Britain, who were forced to accept the depreciated currency from colonists for payment of debts

Stamp Act• Required special embossed paper• Revenue measure• Must be paid for in hard money

(silver and gold)NewspapersLegal documentsLicensesShip’s papersPlaying cards

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Repeal of Stamp Act/Passage of Declaratory Act

Nonimportation movement – boycott of English products

Pressure from English merchants1766

• repeal of Stamp Act• reduction of duty of Sugar Act• Declaratory Act passed = PARLIAMENT HAS

FULL AUTHORITY TO MAKE LAWS IN COLONIES

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1. Sugar Act of 1764

2. Stamp Act

3. Declaratory Act of 1766

4. Townshend Acts

5. Tea Act of 1773

6. Coercive Acts

British Actions:

Why did they do this?

Colonists Reactions:

Why did this make them angry?

Timeline of Events

Conflict at Lexington and Concord

First Continental Congress

Second Continental Congress

Common Sense Written

Battle at Bunker Hill

Olive Branch Petition

Declaration of Independence Adopted

1774 1775 1776 17831781

British surrender at Yorktown

Treaty of Paris formally ends war

First Continental Congress

• Intolerable Acts – closed Boston Harbor, imposed martial law on Boston

• September, 1774 – 56 delegates met in Philadelphia to discuss colonial rights

• Some colonists stepped up military preparations.

Conflict at Lexington and Concord

• British learn of hidden weapons in Concord – march to get them

• In Lexington, 70 colonists try to stop them

“SHOT HEARD AROUND THE WORLD”

• British march on to Concord – 4000 colonists meet them and best them

Second Continental Congress•Met in Philadelphia on

May 10, 1775

•Not to govern nor to rebel but to join forces on common policies

•Urged colonies to mobilize its militias

•Named George Washington the Commander in Chief of new army

BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL

• June 1775• Fought for control of

Boston Harbor• 1st major battle of war• Gave the colonists great

confidence• Deadliest battle of war as

over 1,000 redcoats and 450 colonists died

• Battle misnamed Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill would have been more accurate)

June 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill

OLIVE BRANCH PETITION• July 1775, the Second

Continental Congress was readying for war, though still hoping for peace

• Most delegates deeply loyal to King George III

• July 8 – Olive Branch Petition sent to King – asked for King to secure peace and protect their rights

• King refuses to read it – declares colonies in rebellion

Common Sense

Pamphlet – published in 1776

Challenged the authority of British Rule

Paine used plain language which spoke to the common man

Arguments

Ridiculous for an island to rule a continent

European wars cause American colonies economies to collapse

Declaration of Independence

June, 1776 = Second Continental Congress created a committee to prepare a

statement with the reasons for their separation with Britain

1. Thomas Jefferson

2. John Adams

3. Benjamin Franklin

4. Robert Livingston

5. Roger Sherman

Declaration of Independence

Main ArgumentsPeople have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness

If government does not protect these rights then people

can form new government. Purpose

To explain the political ideas of the colonists

To list the grievances of the revolutionists

To formally declare their separation from Great Britain.

A. Preamble – Intro. – describes the document as an explanation of why they are becoming independent

B. Declaration of Rights – natural rights (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness) have to be protected by a government or else

C. Complaints – reasons why king stinks (he hasn’t treated the colonists as he treated the British in Britain)

D. Resolution – establishes independent states after they tried to make things work and were denied

Declaration of Independence

Who would win?British Americans

British government strongest in world American government did not yet exist

lots of money no money

army strongest in the worldAmerican army made up of citizen-

soldiers who were badly trained

many officers few officers with any experience

British navy ruled the seas no navy

fighting 3000 miles away from home - had to ship men and supplies

fighting at home - English might lose because couldn't get soldiers over quickly

British army had trouble getting soldiers because many people had family members and friends in America.

France helped by sending money and trained officers