America Secedes From Europe

Where things stand… At this point, Americans were furious over the Boston Massacre but were still willing to live under England if the taxes were lowered. A revolution wasn’t definite. BUT…the very powerful English East India Company was out of money and had 17,000,000 pounds of unsold tea. The London government decided to help the company. What did they do?

… The government passed a law requiring Americans to only buy tea from the East India Company. The company planned to sell the tea for a cheap price, but this angered Americans. Why??

… Even though the tea was cheaper, the Americans felt like England was tricking them into a new tax. The Americans didn’t like being told what to buy. The Americans decided to fight back. None of the thousands of boxes of tea shipped to America reached the people buying it. Americans would stop the ships and have “tea parties”

Tea Parties Tea parties were held, in which Americans destroyed all of the tea sent from England. The boat and the tea were burned in Maryland. The most famous tea party was in Here, a group of white Americans dressed as Native Americans and destroyed 342 boxes of tea on 3 tea ships. The English were furious and decided to punish those responsible.

England Passes the Intolerable Acts The English government responded to the tea parties by passing new laws which eventually begin the revolution. Together, these laws were called the “Intolerable Acts” by the Americans. Why were they called Intolerable Acts?

Intolerable Acts The Intolerable Acts were laws that were really punishments that King George III put on the colonies. He did this to the Colonists because he wanted to punish them for dumping tea into the harbor at the Boston Tea Party. The Quakers petitioned King George to repeal or end the acts, but he said that the colonies must submit to these English laws.King George III Boston Tea PartyQuakers These are the Intolerable Acts:

1. The Boston Port Bill The Boston Port Bill became effective on June 1, The King closed Boston Harbor to everything but British ships. The Quartering Act was established on March 24, The King sent lots of British troops to Boston. The colonists had to house and feed the British troops. If the colonists didn't do this for the British troops, they would get shot.

2. The Quartering Act The Quartering Act was established on March 24, The King sent lots of British troops to Boston. The colonists had to house and feed the British troops. If the colonists didn't do this for the British troops, they would get shot.

3. The Administration of Justice Act The Administration of Justice Act became effective May 20, British Officials could not be tried in colonial courts for crimes. They would be taken back to Britain and have a trial there. That left the British free to do whatever they wanted in the colonies and to the Colonists.

4. Massachusetts Government Act Massachusetts Government Act became effective on May 20, The British Governer was in charge of all the town meetings in Boston. There would no more self- government in Boston.

5. The Quebec Act The Quebec Act was established on May 20, 1774, This bill extended the Canadian borders to cut off the western colonies of Connecticut, Massachusett s and Virginia.

Results of the Intolerable Acts The Americans didn’t want to pay for the tea so the port of Boston stayed closed and the people of Boston starved. Food was sent to Boston from people in other colonies. Rice was even sent from as far away as South Carolina. The most important result of the Intolerable Acts was the creation of the Continental Congress in 1774.

First Continental Congress Met in Philadelphia to think of ways to solve colonial anger. 12 of the 13 colonies sent 55 representatives. Notable people included Samuel Adams, John Adams, George Washington and Patrick Henry. Georgia was the only colony not to send a representative. They met for 7 weeks. John Adams spoke of revolution and won the vote against those who wanted to stay under English control. Wrote the Declaration of Rights. Agreed no to buy or sell any products from England. Agreed to meet again in May 1775 if England did not stop the taxes.

England Reacts In April 1775, England sent a group of soldiers to placers near Boston to take the guns and gunpowder from American soldiers. The soldiers were also ordered to take revolutionaries Samuel Adams and John Hancock.

Lexington and Concord 700 British troops were searching for patriot leaders and weapons when they got to Lexington, Massachusetts. 77 armed American militiamen met the British soldiers in the town square. Being outnumbered, the Americans slowly began to retreat when “the shot heard ‘round the world” happened. Nobody knows who, but somebody fired their gun and in the end, 8 Americans had died while 10 others were wounded. Only 1 British soldier was wounded. These events began the American Revolution.

English Strengths and Weaknesses England had more people; 7.5 million English vs 2.5 million Americans. England had 50,000 trained soldiers while America had only a few untrained and inexperienced soldiers. England had more money and could buy mercenaries. England had 30,000 Germans fight for them. England also had about 50,000 American Loyalists and many Native American friends. England also had many enemies including Ireland and France. Many English did not want to kill their American cousins. Many people in England didn’t like the king and wanted him to lose America, power and money. The generals in America were not the best England had and the soldiers lived with bad food and housing. One time, bread that was 15 years old was eaten by a group of English Soldiers. England was 3,000 miles away. America was huuuuuuuuuuge!

American Strengths and Weaknesses The Americans had great leadership: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams. Benjamin Franklin convinced the French to give the Americans guns, soldiers and money. The Americans also had an emotional advantage. The American men were very good with guns. The Americans were badly organized. The Continental Congress and leaders didn’t have enough experience with war. America also lacked money and supplies in the colonies were scarce. Soldiers lacked clothes and gunpowder.