The American The American RevolutionRevolution

What events led the American Colonies to break away from England and start a new country?

The Albany Plan of Union p. 1The Albany Plan of Union p. 1

The Albany Plan of Union Starting in the early 1750’s a rivalrygrew between France & England about who would

control the land in the Ohio River Valley. Both countries had claims in this area and there was tension building with the Iroquois Nation. These problems led to the French & Indian War.

Aware of the problems that war could cause in the colonies, the English government recommended a “union” be formed between the English crown & the colonial governments. This plan was written be Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania. Seven of the thirteen colonies and six Iroquois Nations sent delegates to this meeting.

Albany Plan of Union p. 2Albany Plan of Union p. 2

Franklin’s plan proposed that there would be a President-General, appointed by the

English crown and that all colonies would send representatives. That this group would be a central government that made laws for the colonies.

This new government would work with the Iroquois to fight against the French.

After Franklin explained his plan the English crown didn’t want it to happen. The monarchy knew that if the 13 colonies united in one single government, that group would have a lot of power. The English crown was worried it wouldn’t be able to stop or control this new government.

Albany Plan of Union NotesAlbany Plan of Union Notes

1754Seven colonies sent representatives to a

congress in Albany, New York. They met with the Iroquois chiefs. The colonists

wanted the Iroquois to fight with the British against the French. The Iroquois didn’t want to take sides.

Ben Franklin proposed the Albany Plan of Union. He wanted all the colonies to join together as one union (group) to fight the French. The colonies did NOT agree to this plan. They wanted to stay separated.

The French & Indian Wars p. 1The French & Indian Wars p. 1

1756-1761

By 1750 the English had established colonies along the Atlantic Coast and in the Chesapeake Bay Region.

The French had established small communities along the St. Lawrence River and had claimed the entire Mississippi River Valley. The French had built forts to protect their citizens and to help with the fur-trading businesses.

The French & Indian War p. 2The French & Indian War p. 2

There had been a long, long rivalry between France & England. Each country tried to equal or surpass the economic, political, and military power of the other country through colonization, alliances with other nations, and warfare.

The Iroquois Nation had already settled this area. They wanted both countries to stop encroaching on their lands. The Iroquois did not believe man could own the land. He only used the gifts their Spirits provided for them.

This difference in philosophy led to conflict between the Natives and both European countries.

French & Indian War p. 3French & Indian War p. 3

As the conflict grew worse between the French and British, war became inevitable. At this time, the French wanted to establish fur-trading while the English wanted to create communities of many British colonists.

In 1755 the English sent General Braddock with 1,000 soldiers to drive the French out of the Ohio River Valley. They were driven back by a group of French & Iroquois.

The British lost a lot of early battles, but the turning point of the war happened in 1759 when the British army captured Quebec, the capital of New France.

Within a year, the French surrendered to the British.

French & Indian War NotesFrench & Indian War Notes

1756-1761

In this war the French & Iroquois (Indians) fought together against the British and their colonists. The British won this war. The French lost most of their claims in North America. After the war the English claimed all lands east of the Mississippi River in what is now the US and Canada.

Pontiac’s Rebellion & the Pontiac’s Rebellion & the Proclamation of 1763 p. 1Proclamation of 1763 p. 1

Spring of 1763

With the defeat of the French, British colonists began moving west to the area the French had claimed. An Ottawa Chief from the Great Lakes region united several Native American nations to stop them. His name was Pontiac. He led a series of very successful attacks on British forts. By the spring of 1763, he and his allies had captured 8 forts.

Pontiac’s Rebellion & The Pontiac’s Rebellion & The Proclamation of 1763 p. 2Proclamation of 1763 p. 2

In response, the British government issued The Proclamation of 1763. A proclamation is an official announcement. This proclamation helped Native Americans living west of the Appalachian Mountains. It forbade settlers from moving into this land.

Pontiac’s Rebellion & The Pontiac’s Rebellion & The Proclamation of 1763 p. 3Proclamation of 1763 p. 3

However, the British colonists wanted new land. So they ignored this order from their King and kept moving west.

Their choice created not only more conflicts with the Native Americans, but really angered their King, too.

Pontiac’s Rebellion NotesPontiac’s Rebellion Notes

Spring of 1763

Ottawa Chief Pontiac united many Native tribes against the British colonists moving into the area the French vacated. They captured 8 forts.

The Proclamation of 1763 NotesThe Proclamation of 1763 Notes

King George III decreed that the colonists had to live east of the Appalachian Mountains and that the land west of these mountains would be reserved for the Native American tribes.

His colonists did not follow this decree.

Treaty of Paris p. 1Treaty of Paris p. 1

1763

In 1763, the French and British met in Paris and created a treaty (agreement) that officially ended the French & Indian War.

This treaty ended the war and changed boundaries dramatically.

Treaty of Paris p. 2Treaty of Paris p. 2

France lost almost all land claims in North America.

Britain gained a huge amount of land to use – and to protect. The cost of this protection would cause trouble between Britain and its colonists.

Check out the map on p. 105 in your social studies (blue) book.

Treaty of Paris NotesTreaty of Paris Notes

Signed February 10, 1763

This was the official agreement that ended the French and Indian War.

France lost most of its land claims in North America.

The Sugar Act p. 1The Sugar Act p. 1

After the French & Indian War the Parliament (the legislative branch in the English government) knew it needed to raise money to pay the bills incurred from the war. Money is raised by levying a tax.

(creating a new tax)• In 1764 Parliament levied a tax on imported molasses. The American colonist

began paying higher taxes.

Sugar Act NotesSugar Act Notes

1764 The English Parliament levied a tax on imported molasses to help pay the bills from the French & Indian War.

Quartering Act p. 1Quartering Act p. 1

In 1765 there were a lot of English Redcoats stationed in the American colonies. This cost a lot of money so Parliament (the English government legislative branch) passed two acts (taxes or new laws) to cover the cost of these troops stationed in the American colonies.

The Quartering Act required that the colonists supplied the British soldiers with living quarters (they let them live in their homes) and provided them with food and supplies (even candles and beer). Most colonists were okay with this law at first.

Quartering Act NotesQuartering Act Notes

1765

Colonists had to supply the Redcoats with a place to live and the food and

supplies they needed.

• The colonists were okay with this law at first.

The Stamp Act p. 1The Stamp Act p. 1

1764 – Parliament created another new tax to help pay for the war. This tax was called the Stamp Act. The colonists were required to pay for stamps (a tax) on newspapers, diplomas, playing cards, and legal documents.

The Stamp Act created a storm of protests, including riots.

The Stamp Act p. 2The Stamp Act p. 2

The colonial governments argued that Parliament should not be allowed to levy taxes on the colonies unless the colonies could vote on the issue. Every British citizen had a representative in Parliament. The colonists were still British citizens, but the colonies had no representatives in Parliament. They thought this was very wrong.

This argument created the phrase “No taxation without representation.”

The Stamp Act p. 3The Stamp Act p. 3

A group of colonists called the Sons of Liberty was formed. They became very active in fighting the Stamp Act.

A young lawyer from Virginia, Patrick Henry, made a very passionate speech against the Stamp Act.

In Boston a group of men from the Sons of Liberty became more violent. They burned the stamps and threatened the Stamp sellers. Some stamp sellers were covered with tar and molasses and then coated with feathers (tar & feathered). Some stamp sellers’ houses were even burned. Soon, no one was willing to sell the stamps.

The Stamp Act NotesThe Stamp Act Notes

In 1765 Parliament passed a tax on paper goods. The colonists had to purchase a special tax on the following items:

newspapers, diplomas, playing cards, and legal documents. (items made from paper)

• This tax led to the phrase “No taxation without representation” and it created violent protests by the Sons of Liberty.

The Stamp Act Congress p. 1The Stamp Act Congress p. 1

1766

Worried about all the violence created by the Stamp Act, Parliament decided to repeal (get rid of) the Stamp Act.

This made the colonists happy, but infuriated members of Parliament. Parliament had ALWAYS had to right to levy taxes. Who did these colonists think they were, arguing with Parliament? Members of Parliament would soon react.

Stamp Act Congress NotesStamp Act Congress Notes

In 1766 Parliament repealed the Stamp Act (got rid of it).

The Towshend Acts p. 1The Towshend Acts p. 1

After the Stamp Act was repealed, Britain still needed to raise money. A British official named Charles Townshend was determined to raise money from the colonies. Townshend got Parliament to levy a new set of taxes on products the colonists imported from England. A tax on imported goods is called a duty. This new set of taxes was called the Townshend Acts. With these taxes, Townshend believed he had found a way to raise money which the colonists would obey.

The Townshend Acts p. 2The Townshend Acts p. 2

Townshend was wrong! Protests against the Townshend Acts –which taxed paint, paper, glass, lead, and tea – were very strong. The colonists wanted to be taxed only by their own lawmakers.

The slogan “No taxation without representation” echoed through the colonies.

The Townshend Acts p. 3The Townshend Acts p. 3

Up and down the colonies, women calling themselves the Daughters of Liberty started a boycott of British-made goods. A boycott is a refusal to buy a product or service, or to deal with a business, or nation. It is used as a means of protest.

Instead of buying British tea and cloth, the Daughters of Liberty made their own tea from herbs and wove their own cloth. To pressure the British even more, the colonists boycotted both taxed and untaxed items alike.

The Townshend Acts p. 4The Townshend Acts p. 4

The Sons of Liberty became active again. They organized resistance throughout the colonies. Boston was especially active in the protests. Samuel Adams made fiery speeches and James Otis wrote pamphlets on the rights of colonists. James’s sister, Mercy, wrote patriotic plays and poems. Alarmed by this activity in an important port city, the British sent troops to Boston in 1768.

The Townshend Acts p. 5The Townshend Acts p. 5

British merchants lost a great deal of money because of the boycott. They asked Parliament to repeal the Townshend duties, and in 1770, Parliament did – all except for the duty on tea.

The colonists had won for now. They believed their boycott had worked. However, conflicts remained. Britain still needed money. Tea was still taxed. The colonists were angry about being taxed without being represented. Boston was tense about the troops stationed there. There was trouble ahead.

The Townshend Acts NotesThe Townshend Acts Notes

In 1767 Charles Townshend sponsored a tax on products imported to the colonies from England.

Paint, paper, glass, lead, & tea were taxed.

The Daughters of Liberty began a boycott.They made tea and cloth. • The Sons of Liberty became active.• British troops were sent to Boston.• In 1770 the Acts were repealed when

British merchants lost too much money.

The Boston Massacre p. 1The Boston Massacre p. 1

March 5, 1770A group of colonists gathered at the

Boston Custom House. Led by Crispus Attacks, a former slave, and others the group began throwing snowballs at British soldiers on duty.

Soon 8 other British soldiers arrived. The mob yelled and threw things. For a while, the soldiers did nothing.

The group grew larger and larger. Fearing for their safety, the soldiers began to panic.

The Boston Massacre p. 2The Boston Massacre p. 2

Suddenly, in the confusion, a soldier fired. Then the other soldiers fired. When the smoke cleared, Attucks and two other men lay dead. Two more would die later from their wounds.

Colonial leaders called the event the Boston Massacre. A massacre is the killing of a number of defenseless people. Colonists used the shooting as propaganda, persuasive information used to win support for a cause.

The Boston Massacre p. 3The Boston Massacre p. 3

By calling the incident a massacre, the colonists suggested that having British troops in the colonies was dangerous.

Paul Revere, a silversmith, made an etching of the Boston Massacre. It showed Redcoats openly shooting into a group of unarmed colonists. Colonial leaders used the etching to tell their version of what happened. Revere called the soldiers “fierce barbarians”.

The Boston Massacre NotesThe Boston Massacre Notes

March 5, 1770

Colonists taunted British soldiers guarding the Boston Custom House. More soldiers were called to help.

Shooting occurred. Five colonists were killed.

Colonist leaders used the incident to raise alarm about having the Redcoats in Boston.

The Committees of The Committees of Correspondence NotesCorrespondence Notes

Started after the Boston Massacre

Sam Adams created the first committee in Boston.

These committees began writing informational letters to leaders in other colonies to keep them aware of the actions that were happening in New England. This way the rebel leaders could spread their news and keep the other colonies informed and interested in the growing rebellion against England.

The Tea Act p. 1The Tea Act p. 1

After the Boston Massacre, the colonies stayed calm for a few years. Britain repealed the Townshend Acts. The colonial boycott had hurt their trade and they wanted colonial business.

However, they kept a tax on one product, tea, to show the colonists that Britain still had the right to tax them.

Then Britain faced a new problem. The East India Tea Company, one of the largest companies in England, was losing money.

The Tea Act p. 2The Tea Act p. 2

To help the Tea Company recover, Parliament passed the Tea Act in 1773. This Act allowed the company to send its tea to the colonies without paying a tax to the British government. With no taxes to pay, the Company could lower the price of tea and sell more.

The colonists, however, still had to pay a tax on the tea. The Tea Act also let the company decide which American merchants would be allowed to sell the tea.

The Tea Act p. 3The Tea Act p. 3

Colonists were angry that Parliament would give any one company total control of an item of trade. Shopkeepers were mad because only agents of the government could sell the tea. Tea was still being taxed without their consent. As far as the colonists were concerned, the Tea Act was a sneaky way of getting them to buy taxed tea.

The Tea Act p. 4The Tea Act p. 4

Trouble started in Boston when the first East India Company ships arrived in Boston harbor. The Sons of Liberty posted a guard to make sure the tea was not unloaded. Governor Hutchinson ordered the ships to unload. The Sons of Liberty had a “Meeting of the People” to see if they could make Hutchinson send the ships back to England. Hutchinson refused. So the Sons of Liberty put into motion a carefully thought-out and secret plan.

The Tea Act NotesThe Tea Act Notes

1773

The East India Tea Company was given permission to not pay the taxes levied by Parliament. This made their tea cheaper to sell. However, only British agents could sell this cheaper tea.

Colonists realized it was a way to get them to buy taxed tea and a way for England to have more power over them. Colonists were angry.

Colonists asked Governor Hutchinson to return the tea. He refused.

The Boston Tea Party p. 1The Boston Tea Party p. 1

On a December evening in 1773, the Sons of Liberty held what would soon become the most famous “tea party” in history. The group headed down to the docks. They had dressed up as Mohawk Indians and blackened their faces with soot so they would not be recognized. The group leaders demanded lights and keys from the ships’ crews and went to work. They hauled 342 chests of tea on deck and dumped them overboard.

The Boston Tea Party p. 2The Boston Tea Party p. 2

Whey they finished, the colonists swept the decks and repaired a padlock they had broken. They wanted it understood that they had no love of lawlessness, but that they would resist any law that they thought was unjust.

News of the event spread, and other colonists began to follow Boston’s example.

Boston Tea Party p. 3Boston Tea Party p. 3

On Christmas Day, when a ship with 697 chests of tea tried to dock in Delaware, 8,000 people turned it back.

The next spring, in New York, mobs boarded a tea ship and destroyed the tea.

Throughout the colonies, people rebelled against the British in: Annapolis, Greenwich, Philadelphia, New York, Charlestown, and, of course, Boston.

Boston Tea Party NotesBoston Tea Party Notes

December 1773 the Sons of Liberty went aboard a ship

carrying tea owned by the East India Tea Company and dumped the tea into the Boston Harbor.

This “party” was a reaction to the Tea Act that helped the East India Tea Company make money.

Parliament & King George III were furious.

The Intolerable Acts p. 1The Intolerable Acts p. 1

The Boston Tea Party hit its mark in England. Parliament, the British public, and especially King George III were outraged by it.

Instead of backing down as it had with the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts, Parliament struck back. For weeks it debated how to punish the colonists.

Finally, in the spring of 1774, Parliament passed what the English called the Coercive Acts. (To coerce means to force.)

The Intolerable Acts p. 2The Intolerable Acts p. 2

On the other side of the Atlantic, some colonists called the Coercive Acts then Intolerable Acts. (Something is intolerable when it cannot be withstood.)

The Intolerable Acts were new rules the colonists were made to follow.

The Intolerable Acts p. 3The Intolerable Acts p. 3

Intolerable Acts:◦1. Boston port was closed to trade until the tea was

paid for.

◦2. The colonial government would no longer be elected. Instead, it would be appointed by the King.

◦3. Colonists were required to quarter, or provide housing to, British troops, who would soon arrive to enforce the new laws.

◦4. Town meetings were tightly controlled. The governor had to approve the agenda.

The Intolerable Acts p. 4The Intolerable Acts p. 4

The Intolerable Acts helped split the colonies into two groups. Some people, Patriots, were enraged by Britain’s new laws. Other people, Loyalists, supported what the King was doing in the colonies.

Patriots throughout the colonies were stunned by the Intolerable Acts. The punishment was even worse than they had feared. Boston depended on shipping for its livelihood. With the port closed, people would starve. And no more elections? It was too much for a free people to bear.

The Intolerable Acts Notes p. 1The Intolerable Acts Notes p. 1

May 1774◦ The King & Parliament were SO angry about the tea

party that they created new rules:

◦ 1. Boston port was closed to trade until the tea was paid for.

◦ 2. The colonial government would no longer be elected. Instead, it would be appointed by the King.

◦ 3. Colonists were required to quarter, or provide housing to, British troops, who would soon arrive to enforce the new laws.

◦ 4. Town meetings were tightly controlled. The governor had to approve the agenda.

The Intolerable Acts Notes p. 2The Intolerable Acts Notes p. 2

To help the Bostonians, who depended on the harbor for trade (many were going broke), the other colonies began sending supplies by roads.

This helped the colonists learn to work together better and begin helping each other more. They were becoming unified.

The First Continental Congress The First Continental Congress p. 1p. 1

In other colonies, news of the Intolerable Acts was greeted by a storm of protest. Food and supplies poured into Boston in support of the colonists there. From South Carolina came rice; from Philadelphia, flour. Connecticut and New York sent flocks of sheep.

Virginia also thought that representatives from each colony should meet to discuss the events in Boston. Its Assembly proposed an idea of a Continental Congress.

The 1The 1stst Continental Congress p. 2 Continental Congress p. 2

A congress is a meeting of representatives.

The plan was circulated among the colonies by the Committees of Correspondence.

The 1st Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in September 1774. For more than 7 weeks its members discussed how to support the Massachusetts Patriots. They voted to put a stop to all trade with Britain until the Intolerable Acts were repealed. They also advised each colony to begin training soldiers.

The 1The 1stst Continental Congress p. 3 Continental Congress p. 3

This meeting of the Continental Congress was one of the first times colonial leaders banded together to resist the British. More representatives did not yet want to fight for Independence; they were looking for a peaceful solution. Still, they took their rights seriously and continued to meet, even though they knew they were breaking the law.

The 1The 1stst Continental Congress p. 4 Continental Congress p. 4

When the meeting ended, the representatives agreed to meet again the following spring if conditions had not improved.

By that time it would be too late. Fighting between the colonies and England would have already begun.

The 1The 1stst Continental Congress Continental Congress Notes p. 1Notes p. 1

September 177455 delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies(Georgia didn’t come.) met in Philadelphia

to discuss the events going on and make plans. They met for 7 weeks.

• They voted to stop all trade with Britain in all the colonies until the Intolerable Acts were repealed.

The 1The 1stst Continental Congress Continental Congress Notes p. 2Notes p. 2

Most colonists wanted a peaceful solution to their problems with Britain.

They didn’t want war to happen.

The War begins!