Bell Ringer - Monday, October 07, 2014 Compare and contrast Paul Revere’s engraving (left) of the Boston Massacre to Alonzo Chappel’s (right). Agenda: Bell Ringer / Attendance Causes of the American Revolution (with skeleton notes and concept sheet)

The American Revolution: CAUSES and events leading up to the Revolutionary War

What Happened Previously? The 13 Colonies grew as more people moved to America from Britain. Britain controlled the colonies. Britain didn’t bother the colonies much – everyone was happy. However, Britain would do whatever it took to keep the 13 Colonies from falling into the hands of another country.

What Happened Previously? There were many reasons Britain wanted to keep control of the colonies. To gain more power and prestige To have the biggest and wealthiest empire To become a respected world power

What Happened Previously? Britain and the 13 colonies were prospering (succeeding). However… One event caused that relationship to change in a big way!

The French and Indian War The Colonists and British were fighting together against the French and Native Americans for land west of the Appalachian Mountains. After nine years, Britain won the war!

Why was the French and Indian War so important?

Why was the French and Indian War so important? The war was expensive. Britain had to spend a lot of money to send troops to the 13 Colonies to defeat France. After the war was over, Britain was almost broke. It needed to raise money.

Why was the French and Indian War so important? 2) George Washington learned important lessons. Washington fought with British troops against the French. During that time, he learned their military tactics. He also learned about a new way to fight from watching the French and Indians.

Why was the French and Indian War so important? 3) The map of America changed after the French and Indian War. Some nations lost land while others gained new land in America.

Before the French and Indian War

After the French and Indian War

The French and Indian War drastically changed the relationship between Britain and the 13 Colonies.

Before the French and Indian War, things between Britain and the 13 Colonies were great. Both sides were greatly benefiting from the relationship.

Before the French and Indian War: 1) Taxes: Britain did not tax the colonists. They allowed the colonists to collect their own taxes. 2) Laws: Britain allowed the colonists to make their own laws. 3) Legislatures: Britain allowed the colonists to choose their own legislatures they wanted for their new colonies. 4) Governors: Britain allowed the colonists to choose their own governors for their new colonies. 5) Economics/Trade: Britain allowed the colonists to buy and sell goods and crops with other countries.

After the French and Indian War, Britain wanted to impose strict control over the colonies. They INCREASED their control in many ways. This made the colonists very angry.

Why were the colonists so angry? 1. Britain (England) raised taxes on the colonists! The two main reasons Britain taxed the colonies was to: 1) help finance or pay for the French and Indian War 2) to help maintain British troops in the colonies.

Why were the colonists so angry? 2. The colonists had no representation or say in Britain’s Parliament. “Taxation Without Representation”

Why were the colonists so angry? 3. Britain chose governors to control the colonies. Those governors had too much power.

4. Britain did not allow the colonists to make their own laws. Why were the colonists so angry? 4. Britain did not allow the colonists to make their own laws.

This made the colonists really mad: 5. Proclamation of 1763 – The British prohibited the colonists from moving west of the Appalachian Mountains

King George III, Britain’s ruler at that time, became very unpopular in the colonies. The colonists did not like his new taxes and laws.

Now, it was time for the Colonists to respond Now, it was time for the Colonists to respond. They would begin to show their anger toward Britain in different ways.

The American Revolution was like a chess match. Whose move is it now?

Remember, the colonists did not like the laws and taxes King George III and Great Britain were imposing (forcing) on them after they helped Britain win the French and Indian War! So, they …

How did the colonists respond to Britain’s unfair taxes and laws? They boycotted British goods to avoid paying taxes. 2) They encouraged colonial shopkeepers not to import goods from Britain. They began to weave their own cloth and use only American products. NO!

Whose move is it now?

The Sugar Act (1764) The British put a tax on luxury items such as wine, molasses, silk, coffee, and sugar.

The Quartering Act (1765) The act required colonists to house and feed British troops

The Stamp Act 1765 The British placed a tax on every piece of printed paper including playing cards, newspapers, and legal documents.

Whose move is it now?

The angry colonists protested the Stamp Act.

NO! The angry colonists continued to boycott British products, which made British merchants and store owners lose money and get angry.

Eventually, England repealed (took away) the Stamp Act, which pleased the colonists. The colonists succeeded – for now at least.

Townshend Acts of 1767/ Writs of Assistance Townshend Acts of 1767 - Britain would no longer tax products or activities in the colonies. They would only tax products coming into the colonies. Writs of Assistance- Court orders that allowed officials to make searches without saying for what they were searching

Committees of Correspondence Group of radical leaders that increased the support toward independence through secret and aggressive letter delivery.

People in the 13 Colonies chose whether to be a patriot or a loyalist.

Patriots believed in America’s independence and wanted to break away from England Picture by Richard Stein

Loyalists were opposed to independence and wanted to remain under the control of England. Picture by Richard Stein

Throughout the colonies, the patriots’ were very vocal in trying to get people to join the fight for freedom and independence from Britain.

Thomas Paine, a journalist and author, also used words to inspire people to join the fight for freedom.

Thomas Paine wrote a famous book about fighting for freedom called Common Sense. One out of every five American colonists read Common Sense. Bridgeman Art Gallery; London & New York

His simple words expressed and rallied support for American independence. Bridgeman Art Gallery; London & New York

“I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments and common sense.” -- Thomas Paine “Common Sense” “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” -- Thomas Paine “The Crisis” Bridgeman Art Gallery; London & New York

Whose move is it now?

King George III sent more British troops to the 13 colonies to monitor the colonists’ protests.

Boston Massacre March 5, 1770 Library of Congress

Five colonists in Boston were shot and killed after taunting British soldiers. Bettmann/CORBIS

Whose move is it now?

Paul Revere, a silversmith at that time, was outraged. He had an idea! He wanted everyone to know how ruthless the British Soldiers really were that day in Boston.

Paul Revere’s Idea - Propaganda Revere created an engraving that depicted the massacre. The engraving was duplicated and reprinted in newspapers the colonies. This illustration was used to highlight British tyranny and stir up anti-British sentiments.

This made many Colonists very angry!!!!

Two of the 9 British soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter Two of the 9 British soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter. As a punishment, they were branded with the letter “M.” (Pretend that’s an “M” on his hand) 

Whose move is it now?

As a result of the Boston Massacre and increased tension, King George III pulls his British troops out of Boston and back to Britain.

Tea Act Actually lowered the cost of tea from the British East India Company Created a monopoly for the East India Company

Whose move is it now?

Boston Tea Party Dec. 16, 1773 The Granger Collection, New York

The Sons of Liberty- Group of radical colonists who organized boycotts and protests against British policies; The colonists boarded a ship full of British tea and dumped the chests into the Boston Harbor. Granger Collection

The 342 boxes of tea would equal close to a $1 million of today’s money. Granger Collection

Whose move is it now?

As a result of the Boston Tea Party, Britain became angrier, and decided to try and end the colonists’ uprising.

In 1774, Parliament passed a series of laws to punish the Massachusetts colony and to serve as a warning to the other colonies. These laws were called the Intolerable Acts.

To punish the colonists, Britain: INTOLERABLE ACTS 1. Closed the Port of Boston until the colonists paid for all the tea they destroyed.

To punish the colonists, Britain: INTOLERABLE ACTS 2. Colonists in Massachusetts couldn’t hold town meetings without approval from the governor.

To punish the colonists, Britain: INTOLERABLE ACTS 3. Reinstated the Quartering Act- Forcing colonists to house British troops.

To punish the colonists, Britain: INTOLERABLE ACTS 4. Made a law that British soldiers accused of crimes in the colonies would only stand trial in Britain.

Whose move is it now?

Library of Congress Patriot leaders asked colonies to send delegates to Philadelphia for a meeting of the First Continental Congress in September , 1774.

The colonists had to be sure to keep the meeting and its location secret. Architect of the Capital

56 delegates from all colonies, except Georgia, met in Pennsylvania to discuss the problems with England and to try and become united. Architect of the Capital

Architect of the Capital During the meeting, Patrick Henry stood up and said, “I no longer consider myself a Virginian, I now consider myself an American.” What did he mean by this?

NO TRADE The First Continental Congress: 1) Voted to ban all trade with Britain until the Intolerable Acts were repealed. NO TRADE

The First Continental Congress: 2) Sent a list of grievances (complaints) to King George III.

The First Continental Congress: 3) They gave him a deadline to fix the problems! They agreed to meet again one year later if things with Britain didn’t improve.

The First Continental Congress: 4) Asked each colony to assemble and train volunteer soldiers (militia) for potential battle with Britain.