Transcript Chapter 6
The Road to the Revolution
What drove the colonists to declare
independence from Great Britain?
The Colonies and Britain Grow Apart
King George II – British monarch
Issued Proclamation of 1763: British
Proclamation that forbade the colonists from
settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.
colonists who hoped to speculate or buy
western land became angry.
King decided to keep 10,000 soldiers in the
colonies to enforce proclamation “ Housing was
very expensive.
Passed the Quartering Acts- Colonists had to
house soldiers.
New laws were used to control and restrict
freedom of colonists
Had debt from French and Indian War
Also had to pay the soldiers
Taxed colonists for
▪ Frontier defense
▪ Colonial government
Sugar Act- (1765) placed a tax on sugar,
molasses, and other products shipped to
colonies.
Stamp Act- (1766) required all legal and
commercial documents to carry an official
stamp showing that the tax has been paid.
Such as: wills, contracts, newspapers,
diplomas
Battle Cry of Colonists “No Taxation without
Representation”
Patrick Henry- member of House of
Burgesses. He demanded resistance. Some
said that this was treason.
Colonist Organize
1765 delegates from 9 colonies formed the Stamp
Act Congress.
They drafted a petition to the King protesting the
Stamp Act
Sons of Liberty: Secret Society that opposed
British
Colonists Threaten British Profits
Boycott- Widespread refusal to buy British
Goods
Refused to buy British Goods hoped to hurt
merchants and merchants would go to
Parliament to get Stamp Act repealed.
The Boycott worked and the Stamp Act was
repealed.
At the same time, the Stamp Act was
repealed, Parliament passed the Declaratory
Act- It stated that Parliament had supreme
authority over colonists.
Crispus Attacks- sailor of African American
and Native American ancestry who died at
the Boston Massacre.
Tension spread throughout colonies over
Great Britain.
How to control unruly colonists without
taxing them.
Declaratory Act- Gave Parliament right to
legislate for the colonies
Colonists did not feel threatened by the
Declaratory Act
Colonists ignored the act and went on about
their normal lives
Since the Stamp Act was gone, Britain still
needed to raise money.
Charles Townshend – Finance ministers of
Great Britain raise revenue in America.
1767- Townshend Acts- placed duties on
numerous imports to the colonies such as:
Glass
Paper
Paint
Lead
tea
Writs of Assistance: search warrants – to
enter homes and businesses to search for
smuggled or illegal goods
Passes laws without consent of colonists
Colonist Protest
Boston merchants organized boycott “colonies all
united”
Daughters of Liberty: women who
organized against Great Britain. They sewed
their own clothes, so they would not have to
buy from Britain.
Samuel Adams: Leader of the Sons of
Liberty
Boston Massacre: Fall of 1768
1000 additional soldiers arrived in Boston
under command of General Thomas Gage.
Group of colonists were verbally attacking
red coats. The crowd grew and the soldiers
feared for their lives. Five people were killed.
Boston colonists were outraged.
Flooded Colonists with Anti-British
Propaganda; newspapers, pamphlets, and
Political posters.
John Adams
Lawyer defended the soldiers in court
He sided with the colonists but believed that
everyone was entitled to a fair trial.
He said soldiers acted in self defense.
They were acquitted .
1770-repealed Townshend Act- Colonial
Boycott worked.
Kept the tea tax- to show colonist still had
some rights
Tea increase anger
Colonists were smuggling tea from Holland.
British tea companies lost money in America and
tea went unsold and rotted in ports.
East India Company: Exclusive right to sell tea
to the colonies
Committees of correspondence –
Communicate with their neighboring towns
and colonial leaders.
December 16, 1773
A group of men disguised as Native
Americans boarded three tea ships that were
docked in Boston Harbor.
They destroyed 342 chests of tea to protest
the tea act.
Colonial leaders would pay for tea if Britain
repealed Tea Act. Britain ruled out
compromise. Pushed Colonists to open
rebellion.
Captain Parker – Militia – Force of armed
civilians pledged to defend their community.
1/3 of militia were minutemen: colonists
ready to fight within minutes of notice.
Intolerable Acts
King George III- was upset by the Boston Tea Party
Master them or treat them like aliens – Choose to
Master.
1774 Parliament passed laws to punish
Massachusetts Colony
Also called the Intolerable Acts
This was a direct attack on the colonies
1. closed the port of Boston until the tea was paid
for
2. banned town meetings
3. replaced elected council with an appointed one
4. increased Governor’s power over the colonists
5. protected British officials accused of crimes
being tried by colonists
Allowed British officers to house troops in private
dwellings
Appointed Gage governor of Massachusetts
Intolerable Acts: other colonies helped support of
Massachusetts.
Met in Philly (1774)
Voted to ban all trade with Britain until
intolerable acts was repealed
Started training troops
Not ready for independence but wanted to
keep rights.
Didn’t repeal intolerable acts- Just made
More restrictions
Sent more troops to colonies
Forced unelected official to resign.
Provincial Congress with power to collect
taxes and raise money for own army.
John Hancock: Committee of Safety- Call of
Militia.
Patrick Henry: Give me Liberty, or give me
death.
Thought fight would be short with Britain-show of
Force. British Parliament would change policies.
Spies
Samuel Adams: Had information network of
British activities.
General Gage- Had information about militia
storing supplies and ammunition in Concord.
In 1775 – Gage ordered troops to arrest Samuel
Adams and John Hancock and destroy supplies
Sons of Liberty were ready sent Paul Revere (The
Midnight Ride) and William Dawes
Harbor of Charleston : One lantern by land
Two by water. In the Old North Church
In Lexington Joined by Dr. Samuel Prescott
continued when British patrol stopped Dawes
and Revere
700 British troops were in Lexington
Capitan john Parker – 70 militia men waiting
Nearly 4000 minutemen and milita men
arrived and peppered retreating redcoats
Lexington and Concord -1st battle
Ralph Waldo Emerson- “Shot heard around
The World”
Americans have to choose sides and back up
political beliefs
Loyalists- Tory- supported British
Patriots- Rebels- supported Americans
Declaring Independence
Margaret Gage- has suspicion she let the secret
out of the bag for the colonist.
She was torn between England and America
British Troops retreated to Boston – over
15,000 militiamen surround Boston
Boston was under seige – encircled by
military forces determined to force the British
to surrender.
Boston was not easily attacked because they
were surrounded by water.
They wanted to capture British fort to north.
Fort Ticonderoga – on Lake Champlain
Ethan Allen- led a band backwoods fighters
called Green Mountain Boys
Captured the Fort – Large Artillary or Cannon
Agreed on Continental Army- George
Washington – Commanding General
Second Continental Congress- meet in
Philadelphia
This was America’s government during war
Agreed on Continental Army- George Washington
–Commanding General.
Charleston – Militiamen positioned on Bunker
Hill and Breeds Hill
General William Howe British 2,200 soldiers
Colonial William Prescott- As British climbed
the Breeds Hill
“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their
eyes”
Forced the militia off the hill
Redcoats won Battle of Bunker Hill 1,000
killed or wounded
Sent the petition to London- wanted
Harmony between colonies and England.
(Most people were against ) Rejected the
King
England navy blocked the ports
Hire German soldiers to fight
Washington knew under trained and poorly
equiped
Washington – Gain supplies and train troops
Bold Plan
Invade Quebec- Hoped to draw Canadians
into the patriots cause one of the leaders
Benedict Arnold – officer played a role Fort
Ticonderoga
Americans were defeated after several
months
British lay trapped in town – Boston crossed
the Bay thousands of America troops waited
on the Hills
Cannons were being hauled from Fort
Ticonderoga
Positioned the cannons on Dorchester
Heights over looking Boston
Withdrew Troops
General Howe (British General) over 7,000
loaded on ships would never return.
Pamphlet called “Common Sense” Thomas
Paine (Political Radical) Convinced Americans
it is time to fight for independence.
Declaration of Independence
Ben Franklin
John Adams
Roger Sherman
Robert Livingston
Thomas Jefferson- Composed the declaration
Excellent Writer
From Virginia
Had to have Virginia Support for
Independence to go through
July 4, 1776 – Declaration adopted – John
Hancock- President of Congress