Revolutionary Era U.S. History

Proclamation of 1763 • • After the French and Indian War, the British issued the Proclamation to protect Native American lands as well as colonists.

Britain didn’t want a bloody Indian uprising and wanted to prevent any conflicts.

Proclamation of 1763 • Colonists saw the Proclamation as an infringement upon their rights.

British Mercantilism • • • The British controlled colonial trade to benefit Britain. This policy affected most colonial businesses.

Colonists wanted economic interdependence without constraints on trade.

More Conflict with Britain • • • Colonists began to boycott British goods to protest taxation without representation Stamp Act taxed paper items, such as books Colonists refused to pay the taxes demanded by Parliament.

Situation becomes Intolerable • • British passed Intolerable Acts in response to the Boston Tea Party.

Colonists called the First Continental Congress to discuss situation

Common Sense Thomas Paine encouraged colonists to think about independence through his pamphlet, Common Sense.

2 nd Continental Congress • • Delegates voted to organize a nation army and appointed George Washington as commander in chief A Declaration of Independence from Britain was written by

Thomas Jefferson

Declaration of Independence • • Document was the

most important

accomplishment of the 2 nd Continental Congress

“ We hold these truths to be self evident…. endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable

Rights” as result of

being human

Revolutionary Era This major era in U.S. History is characterized by individuals who sought to create an independent American republic and events which led to independence from Britain.

Revolutionary Era • • Colonists had advantage over British troops due to the long distance from Europe.

Another advantage was that the colonial militia

fought on their

home territory.

Battles of the Revolution • • 1 st shots of the Revolution were fired at

Lexington

Victory at Saratoga led to France sending military aid to the Patriots. This became the turning point of the Revolution with Patriots at an advantage.

Battles of the Revolution John Paul Jones, naval commander, refused to surrender his ship to the British. He said, “I have not

yet begun to fight!”

Battles of the Revolution • • Final victory for the Patriots came at Yorktown.

British General Cornwallis surrendered his troops and ended the conflict. War was over; Patriots won!

Treaty of Paris • • Signed in 1783, this treaty recognized U.S.

independence from Britain.

The treaty set the western boundary of the United States at the Mississippi River.

Good Luck on Your Test!