UNIT 5: AMERICAN REVOLUTION

• Essential Questions:• What makes something

Revolutionary?• Why don’t the strongest always win?• What is a turning point?• What makes a leader great?• When is it time to quit?• How can fear create change?

TREATY OF PARIS 1763 ends the FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR

ENGLAND WINS: Victory was expensive

ENGLAND angry at the American colonists: WHY?

1. Colonists did not help win the war

2. Colonists were becoming too INDEPENDENT

ENGLAND takes action!ENGLAND takes action!• England demands the colonies pay for England demands the colonies pay for

the French and Indian Warthe French and Indian War

HOW?HOW?

TAXES!TAXES!IMPORTANT: IMPORTANT: Americans Americans

love being British, they just love being British, they just don’t want to pay taxes don’t want to pay taxes directly to PARLIAMENTdirectly to PARLIAMENT

LOCKER TAX• Starting tomorrow you

will have to pay $1 per day to use your locker.

• Is this fair?• Why is this a bad tax?• How would you fight this

tax?

ENGLAND PUTS A DIRECT TAX ON ENGLAND PUTS A DIRECT TAX ON THE COLONISTSTHE COLONISTS::

THE STAMP ACTTHE STAMP ACTAll paper products would be All paper products would be taxed and receive a “stamp”taxed and receive a “stamp”

HOW CAN THE COLONISTS FIGHT ENGLAND?

1. “SONS OF LIBERTY”=1. “SONS OF LIBERTY”= Colonial Colonial radicals who are not afraid to use radicals who are not afraid to use violence and intimidationviolence and intimidation

2.2. PROTESTSPROTESTS: Marches and rallies to : Marches and rallies to unite the colonistsunite the colonists

3.3. BOYCOTTS = NON-IMPORTATIONBOYCOTTS = NON-IMPORTATION

3. BOYCOTTS3. BOYCOTTSOR NON-IMPORTATIONOR NON-IMPORTATION

• MOST EFFECTIVEMOST EFFECTIVE

• 13 COLONIES are England’s 13 COLONIES are England’s

BIGGEST MARKETBIGGEST MARKET for finished for finished goodsgoods

• If they refuse to buy British goods they put If they refuse to buy British goods they put

ECONOMIC PRESSURE ON ECONOMIC PRESSURE ON ENGLANDENGLAND

Colonial protest:

A dummy dressed like the Stamp

Collector is attacked

Colonial protests work:Colonial protests work:THE STAMP ACT IS THE STAMP ACT IS

REPEALED!!!REPEALED!!!What lesson did the colonists learn about What lesson did the colonists learn about

violence and protests???violence and protests???

SELF-TEST• Why did ENGLAND raise taxes on

the colonies?• How could you argue that this was

a dumb move?• Who were the Sons of Liberty?• Why is a boycott a great tool for

the colonists to use against their mother country?

• Why was the repeal of the Stamp Act a bad move for England?

ENGLAND does not like losing to their colonists so they pass:

THE THE DECLARATORY DECLARATORY ACTACT

Declaring they can tax Declaring they can tax the colonies if they the colonies if they

choose.choose.Why is this Act meaningless?Why is this Act meaningless?

BOSTON MASSACRE?BOSTON MASSACRE?• UNRULY mob throws snowballs and UNRULY mob throws snowballs and

garbage at British soldiers in Bostongarbage at British soldiers in Boston

• Mob moves toward soldiersMob moves toward soldiers

• Soldiers fire their weapons killing Soldiers fire their weapons killing several peopleseveral people

– Crispus Attucks: Free Black man Crispus Attucks: Free Black man killedkilled

WAS IT A WAS IT A MASSACRE????????????MASSACRE????????????

PROPAGANDAPROPAGANDA

PROPAGANDAPROPAGANDA• The “Boston Massacre” is an example The “Boston Massacre” is an example

of of PROPAGANDAPROPAGANDA: A message : A message intended to persuade the audienceintended to persuade the audience

• Colonists call it a MASSACRE to get Colonists call it a MASSACRE to get popular support. popular support.

• The mob did threaten the soldiersThe mob did threaten the soldiers

• MOST OF THE SOLDIERS FOUND MOST OF THE SOLDIERS FOUND NOT GUILTYNOT GUILTY

• One was defended by John Adams!One was defended by John Adams!

BOSTON TEA PARTYBOSTON TEA PARTY• England sends CHEAP TEA to England sends CHEAP TEA to

the colonies……….the colonies……….

But it still has a small TAXBut it still has a small TAX

• SONS OF LIBERTYSONS OF LIBERTY

Dress like Indians and dump the Dress like Indians and dump the tea into the harbor! tea into the harbor!

ENGLAND UPSET WITH “TEA ENGLAND UPSET WITH “TEA PARTY”PARTY”

• England passes England passes INTOLERABLE ACTSINTOLERABLE ACTS::

1. SHUTS DOWN BOSTON 1. SHUTS DOWN BOSTON HARBORHARBOR

2. TEA MUST BE PAID FOR2. TEA MUST BE PAID FOR

3. MORE “REDCOATS” BRITISH 3. MORE “REDCOATS” BRITISH SOLDIERS SENT TO THE SOLDIERS SENT TO THE

COLONIESCOLONIES

1st Continental Congress• COLONISTS meet in

PHILADELPHIA and promise to support BOSTON:–NO TALK OF REBELLION

–SWEAR LOYALTY TO THE KING!

THE SHOT HEARD AROUND THE WORLD

• LEXINGTON and CONCORD

• The Brits send soldiers to the countryside around Boston to round up the weapons of MINUTEMEN MILITIA (Citizen soldiers)

• Paul Revere rides to the countryside to warn everyone, “The Redcoats are coming!”

The Redcoats get to Lexington

•Someone fires and a battle begins! Rebels run

•British march to Concord and then head back to Boston

•On the road back to Boston the colonist use GUERRILLA

TACTICS (HIT AND RUN) and smash the British

NO TURNING BACK! WAR

• The shots fired at Lexington and Concord

• The slaughter of British troops on the march back to Boston are the breaking points.

• WORDS WILL NOT SETTLE THESE DIFFERENCES NOW IT IS

WAR

1. World’s Best NAVY

2. Professional ARMY

3. Rich!

4. Hired soldiers from Germany HESSIANS

1. 3,000 miles away from America

2. Fighting a GUERRILLA WAR

3. War not popular in England

1. Fighting for a cause they believe in

2. Possible help from France

3. Didn’t have to beat the Brits; just not lose to them

1. No Navy2. No professional army3. POOR4. Mixed support for the

war (1/3 LOYALISTS)

BRITISH ADVANTAGE

BRITISH DISADVANTAGES

AMERICAN ADVANTAGES

AMERICAN DISADVANTAGES

•LOYALISTS / TORIES: Colonists that stayed loyal

to England

•PATRIOTS: Colonists that rebelled against England

•Colonists run away when they run out of bullets •British “win” the battle but suffer 1,000

casualties

•Battle of Bunker Hill: British foolishly charge up a hill to attack a Rebel position.

LESSONS FROM BUNKER LESSONS FROM BUNKER HILLHILL

• BOSTON 1775BOSTON 1775

1.1.British learn that the war British learn that the war will NOT BE EASYwill NOT BE EASY

2.2.British learn that old British learn that old style tactics will not work style tactics will not work against in a guerrilla waragainst in a guerrilla war

2nd Continental Congress

• 2CC meets (all 13 colonies attend)

• Meet to deal with the results of LEXINGTON AND CONCORD

• GEORGE WASHINGTON chosen commander of Colonial forces

Why Washington????

• SOUTHERNER: Shows this is not just a “Massachusetts” conflict

• Military Experience?: French and Indian War

• His GREATEST QUALITY:– PERSISTENCE: Washington never

quits. He is not a great field general as much as he is a great leader

British Strategy to win the war: Divide and Conquer

• England wanted to split the coloniesAlong the HUDSON RIVER• Connect MONTREAL AND NYC

THE GOAL: Separate NEW ENGLAND from the SOUTH

Step 1: Capture New York CityJULY 1776 Brits crush Washington and take the City

The Declaration of IndependenceThe Declaration of Independence

• Colonies officially declare Colonies officially declare their INDEPENDENCE their INDEPENDENCE

FROM ENGLANDFROM ENGLAND

JULY 4, 1776JULY 4, 1776

Southerners make sure that slavery is Southerners make sure that slavery is not discussed in the Declarationnot discussed in the Declaration

October 1776• British leave MONTREAL

hoping to make it to NYC

• Battle of Valcour: Benedict Arnold builds a small fleet of

ships and fights the Brits.

• Brits decide to return to MONTREAL and wait until

1777 to try again.

Washington Crossing the Washington Crossing the DelawareDelaware

Dec. 1776 Washington attacks 1,000 Hessians at TRENTON in a surprise attack on Christmas

Eve.One of Washington’s few victories of the war. Huge morale

booster

1777• America adopts a FLAG

• Valley Forge: Washington spends a tough winter in Pennsylvania

• British capture Philadelphia: Congress runs away

1777 Saratoga: TURNING POINT OF THE WAR

•British general Burgoyne gets trapped deep in New

York.

•He loses his entire army (over 5,000 men!) to the

colonists

•Huge American victory convinces the French to

support the colonists

Phase IIPhase II::

NY & PANY & PA[1777-1778][1777-1778]

1778 France forms an alliance with America

• Why?

• Saratoga proved that the American army was for real

• They hate England

• Anything that hurts England is good for France

• What does America get?

• Money

• Ships and Soldiers

Phase IIIPhase III:: The Southern The Southern Strategy Strategy [1780-1781][1780-1781]

LATER WAR

The British shift the war

to the South.

The campaign is not effective

British Army ends

up in Yorktown Virginia

British General CornwallisPuts his troops on the Yorktown

Peninsula, Virginia.

He assumes this will be safe because

The British Navy can pick them up.

The French let the US borrow their fleet

And finally put their soldiers into battle.

The French blockade the Chesapeake

And a combined French and American

ARMY surround Yorktown.

General Cornwallis is forced to surrender to GEORGE

WASHINGTON.

The Battle of Yorktown The Battle of Yorktown (1781)(1781)

Count de Rochambe

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