Chapter 4: The War for Independence

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Chapter 4 The War for Independence

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Section 1 The Stirrings of Rebellion

• In order to finance debts from the French and
  Indian war, parliament turned to the colonies
  resources.
• Sugar Act
• Halved the duty on foreign-made molasses (hoping
  to end smuggling)
• Placed duties (taxes) on certain imports
• It strengthened the enforcement of the law by
  using the vice-admiralty court

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The Stamp Act

• required colonists to purchase special stamped
  paper for every legal document, license,
  newspaper, pamphlet, and almanac
• imposed special stamp duties on packages of
  playing cards and dice.

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Stamp Act Protests

• Boston shopkeepers, artisans, and laborers
  organized a secret resistance group called the
  Sons of Liberty. One of the founders was Samuel
  Adams.
• Delegates from nine colonies met in NYC. Issued a
  Declaration of Rights and Grievances, which
  stated that Parliament lacked the power to impose
  taxes on the colonies because the colonists were
  not represented in parliament. No taxation
  without representation

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Stamp Act Protests

• Merchants in NY, Boston and Philly agreed not to
  import goods manufactured in Britain until the
  Stamp Act was repealed. The widespread boycott
  worked. In March 1766 (approx. one year)
  Parliament repealed the Stamp Act but it also
  issued the Declaratory Act. This act asserted
  Parliaments full right to make laws.

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The Townshend Acts

• indirect taxes, or duties, levied on imported
  materials-glass, lead, paint and paper and a
  three penny tax on tea.
• The colonists reacted with rage and
  well-organized resistance.
• boycott of British goods, and women stopped
  buying British luxuries boycotted British tea
  and exchanged recipes for tea made from birch
  bark and sage.
• Designed to show colonists determination to
  boycott

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Tension in Massachusetts

• British officials seized the Liberty, a ship
  belonging to John Hancock. Britain claimed that
  Hancock had smuggled in a shipment of wine and
  had failed to pay the custom taxes.
• The seizure triggered riots against customs
  agents. Britain stationed 2000 redcoats in
  Boston
• The Boston Massacre- colonists gathered in front
  of the customs house and harassed the guards.
  They were arguing over jobs in the shipyards.

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Tea Act and Tea Party

• Tea Act- created by British Prime Minister which
  granted the company the right to sell tea to the
  colonies free of tax. This would cut colonial
  merchants out of the tea trade because the
  company could sell directly to the colonist
  without tax (cheaper).
• Tea Party- Protest of the Tea Act turned violent
  on Dec 16, 1773 large group of Boston rebels
  dressed as Native Americans and dumped 114 chests
  each on 3 ships -18000 lbs. of tea

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The Intolerable Acts

• King George was furious about the tea party!
  Parliament responded with a series of acts the
  colonists called the Intolerable Acts
• 1. Shut down Boston harbor
• 2. Quartering Act- authorized British commanders
  to house soldiers in vacant private homes and
  other buildings.
• 3. New governor placed Boston under Martial Law,
  military rule

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• Committee of Correspondence
• Takes Action
• Assembled the First Continental Congress
• Created a declaration of colonial rights.

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Fighting at Lexington and Concord

• Colonists began to prepare a military with
  firearms and gunpowder.
• Civilian soldiers, minutemen
• British General Gage sent agents to report on the
  activity of the colonists.
• Arms were rumored to be stored in barns, empty
  buildings and private homes.
• Gage orders his troops to march along Lexington
  Road to Concord, seize and destroy all they find.

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The Regulars are Coming

• The plan of the British was discovered. They lost
  their element of surprise.
• Midnight Riders- sent word that 700 Regulars or
  soldiers, were headed for Concord.
• Paul Revere and Samuel Prescott
• April 18/19, 1775
• Battle of Lexington- very little bloodshed. Eight
  minutemen killed, 10 wounded, only 1 British
  soldier
• Battle of Concord- 3000-4000 minutemen fought the
  British. Many British soldiers killed and they
  retreated back to Boston.
• Samuel Adams called it A Glorious Day for
  America

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Activity Patriot vs. Loyalist

• Create a political pamphlet or poster that
  supports either a patriot or loyalist view.
• Persuade a colonist to a position
• Choose a particular event in Section1 or 2 to
  report on from that side
• Include information on a leader
• Why should they become a patriot or remain a
  loyalist?

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Chapter 4 Section 2 Ideas help start a Revolution

• Divided loyalties to Britain debated at the
  Second Continental Congress and among the
  colonists.
• Patriot- supported Independence
• Loyalist- remained loyal to Britain
• SCC actions
• - declared a Continental Army and appointed
  George Washington as its commander.
• - authorized the printing of paper money to pay
  troops
• - organize a committee to deal with foreign
  nations.

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America struggles between Peace and War

• Battle of Bunker Hill
• British troops strike at militiamen at Breeds
  Hill
• Three attacks- British win due to low ammunition
  for the militiamen
• 450 colonists killed
• 1000 British
• Olive Branch Petition
• July 8, 1775, SCC sent king the Olive Branch
  Petition, urging a return to peace.
• The king rejects the petition urges parliament
  to order a naval blockade of the American coast.

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Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of
Independence

• John Lockes concepts
• people enjoy natural rights to life, liberty
  and property.
• governments derive their just powers from the
  consent of the governed, that is, from the
  people.
• the people had the right to alter or abolish
  any government that threatened their rights
• install a government that would uphold these
  principles
• Dec. of Independence was adopted July 4, 1776.

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Research Activity

• Choose one of the signers of the Declaration or a
  prominent person in the Revolution. See list
• Provide evidence of the persons life before and
  after the revolution, including why they became
  so involved.
• Assessment choices
• 1. paper (2-3 paragraphs with a picture) 2.
  poster (with 4-6 details and 2 pictures)
• 3. 5 PowerPoint slides (info and clip art)

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Chapter 4 Section 3Struggling toward Saratoga

• British retreated from Boston, March 1776moved
  toward Middle Colonies, New York City
• Brothers William and Richard Howe led the British
  army32,000 soldiers
• Washington troops numbered only 23,000 and were
  untrained and poor equipped.
• Battle ended in late August with American
  retreat.

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Battle of Trenton

• Christmas Night, 1776
• Washington led 2400 men across the Delaware River
  
• Surprise attack resulted in American Victory.
• Eight days later, Americans won another battle in
  Princeton against 1200 soldiers.

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Philadelphia

• Howe begins a campaign to seize the American
  capital at Philadelphia.
• Washingtons troops unsuccessfully block the
  redcoatsHowe enjoys the hospitality of the
  Loyalists.

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Saratoga

• British General John Burgoyne plans to lead an
  army down a route of lakes from Canada to Albany,
  and meet Howes troops as they arrive from NYC.
• American troops surrounded Burgoyne where he
  surrendered on Oct 17, 1777.
• The surrender dramatically changed Britains war
  strategy.

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Chapter 4 Section 4 Winning the War

• American troops receive much needed help to train
  soldiers.
• Friedrich von Steuben, Marquis de Lafayette made
  regular soldiers out of country bumpkins
• Men were taught to stand at attention, execute
  field maneuvers, fire and reload quickly and
  wield bayonets.

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Battles in the South

• British take Savannah, GA, Charlestown, and
  Camden, SC.
• Washington orders Nathanael Greene to SCforces
  met in Cowpens, SC and the redcoats surrender.
• British answer back in NC but both armies suffer.
  
• British (Cornwallis) moves to Yorktown, VA

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Final Battle

• Lafayette sends American and French troops to
  meet Cornwallis at Yorktown.
• The siege lasts three weeks
• On October 17, 1781 the British surrender for a
  final time.

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Independence!

• Treaty of Paris, September 1783
• Confirmed US Independence and set the boundaries
  of the new nation
• US stretched from Atlantic Ocean to Mississippi
  Rive and from Canada to Florida border
• Impact Egalitarianism- belief in equality of all
  people
• Challenges of creating a government