The Road to Revolution 17631776

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The Road to Revolution1763-1776
2
Why did Britain and the Colonies Grow Apart?

• The Kings of England allowed the colonist to make
  their own laws based on the colonists needs
• The British Empire was fighting wars against
  France
• The British Empire needed money to pay for the
  conflicts
• The British imposed taxes to pay for the conflicts

3
British Troops and Taxes

• The Quartering Act of 1765
• King George III wanted to enforce the
  proclamation.
• He kept 10,000 soldiers in the colonies
• The act was a cost-saving measure that required
  the colonies to house British soldiers and
  provide them with supplies
• Most of the troops were in New York

4
Sugar Act of 1764

• Placed a tax on sugar, molasses, and other
  products shipped to the colonies.
• Colonial leader James Otis claimed that
  Parliament had no right to tax the colonies,
  since the colonies were not represented. Otis
  exclaimed, Taxation without representation is
  tyranny!

5
The Stamp Act of 1765

• Required all legal and commercial documents to
  carry an official stamp showing that a tax had
  been paid. All diplomas, contracts, wills, and
  published materials had to be written on special
  stamped paper.
• The Stamp Act was the first tax within the
  colonies.
• Taxation without representation

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The Colonies Protest the Stamp Act

• In October 1765, nine colonies sent delegates to
  the Stamp Act Congress. This was the 1st time
  the colonies met to consider acting together to
  protest.
• Delegates drew up a petition to the king
  protesting the Stamp Act
• Declared the right to tax the colonies belonged
  to the colonial assemblies.

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The Colonies Protest the Stamp Act (Cont.)

• Colonial merchants organized a boycott of British
  goods.
• Sons of Liberty was a secret society of colonists
  that led protests of the Stamp Act
• They burned stamped paper whenever they could
  find it.
• Attacked custom officials whom they covered with
  hot tar and feathers.

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The Declaratory Act of 1766

• Parliament finally saw that the Stamp Act was a
  mistake and repealed it in 1766.
• At the same time, Parliament passed the
  Declaratory Act.
• This law said that Parliament had supreme
  authority to govern the colonies.

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The Townshend Acts of 1767

• 1st of the Acts suspended New Yorks assembly
  until New Yorkers agreed to provide housing for
  the troops.
• The other acts placed duties, or import taxes, on
  various goods brought into the colonies, such as
  glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea.

10
Colonial Protests

• The Townshend Acts caused immediate protests
  throughout the colonies.
• The colonists felt the Townshend Acts were a
  serious threat to their rights and freedoms.
• Colonist announced another boycott in October
  1767.

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The Boston Massacre

• Due to the protests, officials called for more
  British troops.
• In the fall of 1768, 1,000 British soldiers
  arrived in Boston.
• Tension filled the streets of Boston.
• On March 5, 1770, tensions finally exploded into
  violence.
• 5 colonists were shot by British troops
• To many colonists the Boston Massacre would stand
  as a symbol of British tyranny

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The Tea Act of 1773

• Parliament proposed the repeal of the Townshend
  Acts on the day of the Boston Massacre
• The colonies boycott was effective
• Parliament kept the tea tax to show that it still
  had the right to tax the colonists.
• The Tea Act gave the British control over the
  American tea trade

13
The Boston Tea Party

• Sons of Liberty organized what came to be known
  as The Boston Tea Party
• Disguised themselves as Native Americans
• Britain demanded that the colonists pay for the
  tea

14
The Intolerable Acts 1774

• King George III declared, We must master them or
  totally leave them to themselves and treat them
  as aliens.
• Britain chose to master the colonies.
• In 1774, Parliament passed a series of laws to
  punish the Massachusetts colony and to serve as a
  warning to the other colonies.
• One of these acts would close the ports at Boston
  until the colonists paid for the tea.

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Intolerable Acts (Cont.)

• Banned committees of correspondence
• Allowed Britain to house troops wherever
  necessary
• Let British officials accused of crimes in the
  colonies stand trial in Britain
• Other colonies offered support by sending food
  and money to Massachusetts

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The First Continental Congress Meets

• In September 1774, delegates from all of the
  colonies except Georgia met in Philadelphia
• Delegates voted to ban all trade with Britain
  until the Intolerable Acts were repealed
• Georgia did agree to be part of the actions

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The First Continental Congress Meets (Cont.)

• This meeting planted the seeds of a future
  independent government.
• John Adams called it a nursery of American
  statesmen.

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Between War and Peace

• Colonists hoped that the trade boycott would
  force a repeal of the Intolerable Acts.
• Yet, Parliament stood firm. They actually
  increased restrictions on colonial trade and sent
  more troops

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A Voice From the Past

• Gentlemen may cry peace, peacebut there is no
  peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale
  that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears
  the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are
  already in the field! Why should we idle
  here?...I know not what course others may take.
  But as for me, give me liberty or give me death.
• Patrick HenryHouse of Burgesses 1775

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The Midnight Ride

• Both sides were using spies
• General Gage, leader of the British Army, learned
  the militia was storing arms and ammunition in
  Concord and that colonial leaders Sam Adams and
  John Hancock were in Lexington
• On April 18, 1775, Gage ordered his troops to
  arrest Adams and Hancock and to destroy the
  supplies in Concord

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The Midnight Ride (Cont.)

• Sons of Liberty had prepared for this moment
• Paul Revere and William Dawes were charged with
  spreading the news about British troop movements
• One lanternby land
• Two lanternsby sea
• Revere was eventually captured by the British

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Lexington and Concord The 1st battles of the
Revolutionary War

• Lexington Some 700 British troops met with about
  70 militiamen
• The militiamen refused to drop their muskets and
  the shooting began
• 8 militiamen were killed
• British then marched to Concord to destroy
  military supplies

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Lexington and Concord The 1st battles of the
Revolutionary War (Cont.)

• Nearly 4,000 Minutemen and militiamen arrived in
  the area.
• The British were overwhelmed and started to
  retreat back to Boston
• The colonial army lined the road from Concord to
  Lexington and they kept ambushing the British
  troops.
• Reinforcements saved the British troops from
  destruction

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Patriot or Loyalist A Continent Divided

• Loyalists supported the British
• Patriots sided with the rebels
• The conflict between the two sides divided
  communities, families, and friends.
• The War Was On!!

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Common Sense Is Published

• In early 1776, most Americans still wanted to
  avoid any conflict with, or breaking away from,
  Britain
• Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet titled Common Sense
  to help convince many Americans that a break was
  necessary.
• The pamphlet made a strong case for American
  independence