Fundamental Concepts: Chapter 5: Moving Toward Independence

The French and Indian War: The sides: The British and their Native-American allies against the French and their Native American allies. Why Fought: The British and French both claimed the territory between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers

This is the area that the British and French were fighting over during the war.

Notice how the British land not only in that area from the previous slide, but also in Canada.

The French and Indian War (ended 1763) led to a large debt for the British Empire. The British government believed that the American colonies needed to help pay for that debt. - led to the creation of the Stamp Act of 1765, which taxed anything that involved paper (marriage licenses, property deeds, newspapers, & playing cards, etc.); - seen as unfair by the colonists because they had no representation in the British Parliament (“No taxation without representation!”) - Stamp Act led to the 1st real colonial protest against new actions by the British govt. that were intended to give it more control over the colonies

The Quartering Act (created 1765) What: Colonists must supply British troops with housing + other supplies (food, firewood, etc.) Colonial Response: protests in colonial assemblies Results: - Parliament and King punished New York colonial assembly for its protests - created more “bad blood” between the colonists on one side and the King and Parliament on the other side

The Townshend Acts (created 1767) What: Taxed imports of paper, lead, glass, and tea Colonial Response: Sons of Liberty (NY) organized a another boycott of British goods Results: - Colonial boycott caused Parliament to repeal (end) the acts. - Added to the “bad blood” between the colonists and the British government.

The Boston Massacre (1770) What: British government continues to have troops placed within the colonies. Colonists upset by this (including paying for it). Colonial Response in Boston: A crowd of colonists is so upset by this that they begin to throw snowballs, ice balls, and oyster shells at British troops. British Troops’ Response: They shoot and kill several colonists. Results: - Some colonial leaders (like Paul Revere) call this a “massacre” in order to make colonists angry at the British (see Paul Revere’s engravings = propaganda). - more negative feelings between the British government and the colonists

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The Tea Act (1773) and the Boston Tea Party (1773) What: Parliament passed the Tea Act in order to help the British East India Company by making its tea cheaper to colonial buyers Colonial Response in Boston: - Americans interpreted this act as a secret way to get them to buy taxed tea - Dec 1773, Boston protestors dumped a shipment of British tea into Boston harbor (the Boston Tea Party) Results: Parliament retaliated by passing the “Intolerable Acts” (1774): - Closed the port of Boston until the destroyed tea was paid for - Massachusetts town meetings were limited to once per year - New England, Middle, & Southern colonists came together to support Boston

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only tested on these items

In Sept 1774, 55 delegates met in Philadelphia for First Continental Congress in response to the “Intolerable Acts”: Formed an “association” amongst all of the colonies to enforce a boycott with Britain until the Intolerable Acts were repealed. The delegates agreed to send a respectful message to King George. The message urged the king to consider their complaints and to recognize their rights. they also organized local militias. In New England, the volunteers called themselves Minutemen because they could be ready to fight in 60 seconds. 17

The “Shot Heard Around the World” On April 18, 1775 a skirmish broke out in Lexington, Massachusetts (colonists lost at Lexington) as British searched for guns and gunpowder. British army continued to Concord to look for more weapons but were beaten back by “Minutemen”, who continued to inflict more losses on British soldiers as they retreated. Overall Results: It became very clear to the British that the Patriots were willing to fight and die for the right to govern themselves. 18

Conclusions By December 1775, the British & American colonists were fighting an “informal revolutionary war”…but: Colonial leaders had not yet declared independence Most colonists were “loyal & dutiful subjects” of England & asked King George III to protect them King George already considered the colonists in “open rebellion”