America Declares Independence Unit 2, Lesson 2

Essential Idea Tension between Britain and the colonies led to America declaring independence.

Tension Grows “Round Three” Colonial Action: Gaspee Affair- colonists attacked and burned a British ship that captured smugglers Committees of correspondence- colonies set up groups to communicate about British activities The committees unified the colonies, shaped public opinion, and coordinated resisting the British

The Tea Act British Action: Tea Act- this lowered the tax on British tea, making it cheaper than the non-British tea colonists smuggled

Boston Tea Party Colonial Response: Colonists were mad and felt forced to buy British tea Boston Tea Party- In 1773, colonists, disguised as Indians, dumped 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor Samuel Adams publically defended the action and may have participated The “Tea Party”

Coercive/ Intolerable Acts British Action: King George III was furious and Parliament decided to punish the colonies Coercive Acts- England shut down Boston Harbor, stopped allowing elections, and expanded the Quartering Act More British troops were sent to the colonies to keep order, raising tension

Also called the “Intolerable Acts” Colonial Response: Colonists were furious, calling the new laws the “Intolerable Acts” Committees of correspondence called for colonies to send delegates to a colonial congress to discuss what to do next Coercive/Intolerable Acts (start at 0:35)

First Continental Congress Colonial Action: First Continental Congress- met in Philadelphia to discuss a response to the Intolerable Acts The delegates did NOT want independence yet, just restoration of their rights Declaration of Rights and Grievances- condemned Coercive (Intolerable) Acts, announced boycotts, but expressed loyalty to the king Colonial militias began to form, some known as the “minutemen”

The King is Angry British Response: King George III was furious and declared the colonies in rebellion Additional British troops were sent to Massachusetts to suppress defiance The First Continental Congress

Lexington and Concord British Action: British General Thomas Gage sent troops to Concord to capture militia supplies and “rebel ring leaders” Samuel Adams and John Hancock Colonial Response: Paul Revere and others made famous “midnight rides” ahead of the troops, warning the “British are coming” Minutemen intercepted British troops at Lexington and eight minutemen died

“Shot Heard ‘round the World” This “shot heard ‘round the world” is considered by many the start of the American Revolution At Concord, 400 minutemen attacked and chased the British back to Boston, killing 99 troops Local militias surrounded the British in Boston The Shot Heard Round the World

Second Continental Congress Colonial Action: Second Continental Congress- met again in Philadelphia, “adopted” the militias as the Continental Army, and named George Washington as commander Second Continental Congress Meets The Congress still did not want independence and tried to reconcile with England despite the fighting Olive Branch Petition- the Congress maintained loyalty to the king and asked to end hostilities with this last ditch effort

Battle of Bunker Hill Battle of Bunker Hill: British troops tried to capture a hill outside Boston where the Continental Army was The Army did severe damage to Britain, the strongest military in the world, but retreated after running out of supplies

Peace? Consequences: This both boosted American confidence and infuriated King George III The king rejected the Olive Branch Petition and declared the colonies in open rebellion Battle of Bunker Hill

Thomas Paine and Common Sense Even in 1776, most colonists hesitated on independence Thomas Paine- wrote “Common Sense,” pushing for independence “Common Sense” was influenced by the Enlightenment ideas on natural rights and compact theory

Common Sense Paine said Britain violated colonists’ natural rights and thus was an illegitimate government Republic- Paine’s idea of government, where power comes from the people through elections, not a king The idea of independence became more popular Common Sense

Declaration of Independence In Congress, future president John Adams vocally pushed for independence July 4, 1776- Congress declared its decision (made July 2nd) to become independent from Britain

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson: Wrote Declaration of Independence, claiming that “all men are created equal” and had natural rights Jefferson, like Paine, said England had broken its “compact” with the colonies The colonies became the United States of America and the American Revolution officially began Declaration of Independence

All Men Created Equal? Many groups after the revolution were not treated equally Blacks: Blacks remained slaves in southern states until the Civil War After the Civil War, blacks were denied rights by the government until the 1960s Women: Women were denied many rights and did not get the right to vote (suffrage) until 1920

A Tough Task for Patriots Loyalists: Remained loyal to Britain How many? Almost a third of colonists Location: Mostly New York and lower South Patriots: Favored independence from Britain Only about 40% of colonists Location: Mostly in New England and Virginia Civil War: Part of the American Revolution was civil war between Loyalists and Patriots Patriots were NOT in the majority and victory was NOT likely