A colonial era showdown Parliament v. patriots A colonial era showdown

The colonists traveled from England to the Americas… 3,731 Miles An emphasis should be placed on the large distance of the colonies from Great Britain.

When the colonists first moved to the Americas… They had a lot of freedom – they became used to ruling themselves and ignoring the laws of Parliament. Side note: Parliament is the part of government in England responsible for making laws. Remember, they were 3,731 miles apart… Discuss the different references to England with students. England Great Britain The Crown (referring to the King in British government) Parliament Who is that? Other references to England:

Back in England… Great Britain had emerged on the world stage as a country of power….which often meant they were in wars. Because of the wars they were fighting, Britain wasn’t paying much attention to the colonies …out of sight, out of mind. Once their war with France was over, England needed money as wars are expensive to fight. England turned to the colonies as a source of income and increased taxes and started enforcing restrictions on the colonies in the form of acts… Discuss the points with the students. The main idea is that England became highly involved in wars resulting in a large amount of debt. To reduce this debt, Parliament, with the consent of the King, instituted various taxes in the colonies to generate income for England.

And back to the colonies… One third of colonists enjoyed the freedom from the British government they were experiencing They felt that perhaps the colonies should become their own country – they were called “Patriots” Another third of the population felt differently – they remained loyal to the British government which is why they were given the name “Loyalists” The final third of the people didn’t have an opinion either way – they hadn’t made up their minds about independence This slide will cover the attitudes in the colonies: Patriots: felt British policies were unfair, no taxation without representation Loyalists: remained loyal to the British government; opposed revolution Indifferent: some colonists didn’t feel strongly either way Which view would you relate to?

Parliament and Patriots – make your arguments! Proclamation of 1763 This law banned settlement in certain western lands. The purpose was to reduce tensions between the colonists and Native Americans. The British army could then withdraw from the frontier and, thus, save money. Students should: Identify if they are for/against the policy depending on their assigned role. Formulate arguments for/against each policy depending on their assigned role. Students may collaborate and then select a representative to present their brief arguments. Referees may respectfully interject to ask questions. Parliament and Patriots – make your arguments!

Parliament and Patriots – make your arguments! Sugar Act of 1764 This act gave the British navy greater power to search colonial ships. The law also required products such as tobacco, sugar and timber to be shipped directly from the colonies to Britain. The law set taxes on cloth, sugar, coffee, and wine coming into the colonies. The purpose of this law was to stop the smuggling of goods into and out of the colonies. Students should: Identify if they are for/against the policy depending on their assigned role. Formulate arguments for/against each policy depending on their assigned role. Students may collaborate and then select a representative to present their brief arguments. Referees may respectfully interject to ask questions. Parliament and Patriots – make your arguments!

Parliament and Patriots – make your arguments! Stamp Act, 1765 This law imposed a tax on every legal document, newspaper, pamphlet, and deck of cards coming into the colonies. Students should: Identify if they are for/against the policy depending on their assigned role. Formulate arguments for/against each policy depending on their assigned role. Students may collaborate and then select a representative to present their brief arguments. Referees may respectfully interject to ask questions. Parliament and Patriots – make your arguments!

Parliament and Patriots – make your arguments! Quartering Act, 1765 The British government moved the army from the western lands into the cities. The law required colonists who were innkeepers of public officials to house and feed the British soldiers. Students should: Identify if they are for/against the policy depending on their assigned role. Formulate arguments for/against each policy depending on their assigned role. Students may collaborate and then select a representative to present their brief arguments. Referees may respectfully interject to ask questions. Parliament and Patriots – make your arguments!

Parliament and Patriots – make your arguments! Declaratory Act, 1766 The law stated that Parliament has the right to pass laws for the colonies in “all cases whatsoever.” Its purpose was to remind the colonists that the authority of the king and Parliament was superior to colonial governments. Students should: Identify if they are for/against the policy depending on their assigned role. Formulate arguments for/against each policy depending on their assigned role. Students may collaborate and then select a representative to present their brief arguments. Referees may respectfully interject to ask questions. Parliament and Patriots – make your arguments!

Parliament and Colonists – make your arguments! Tea Act, 1773 This law gave the East India Company the sole right to sell tea to the colonies – no other companies were permitted to sell tea. The East India Company was a large and important corporation in Britain. The purpose of the law was to keep the company from going broke. Students should: Identify if they are for/against the policy depending on their assigned role. Formulate arguments for/against each policy depending on their assigned role. Students may collaborate and then select a representative to present their brief arguments. Referees may respectfully interject to ask questions. Parliament and Colonists – make your arguments!

NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION! So what happened? The colonists believed taxes like these should only be passed by their colonial legislatures Remember, Parliament, who was imposing the taxes, was over 3,000 miles away NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION! Ask students what they think is meant by “No taxation without representation”. Colonists believed they should have representatives in Parliament if Parliament was going to tax the colonies. Ask students: if someone is going to change a policy that impacts you, do you think it’s important you get a say in that change?

The Boston Massacre Colonists were protesting the new taxes in Boston British soldiers open fired on the protestors and killed 5 people. This incident showed colonists that the British would use military force to make the colonists obey the laws The Boston Massacre was one of the catalysts for the Revolutionary War. It was the first instance where colonists realized the British government was willing to use force to gain compliance in the colonies.

The Boston Massacre www.history.com Click video to watch a brief 3:00 video about the Boston Massacre provided by The History Channel www.history.com

The Boston Tea Party Colonial protestors were impeding the unloading of tea in Boston Harbor Remember, there was a monopoly and tax placed on all tea in the colonies, making it very expensive Protestors emptied 342 chests of tea and dumped them in the Boston Harbor The colonists decided it was time to make their voices heard – it was time to make a Declaration…

The Boston Tea Party www.history.com

How Did the Colonists Respond? 1774 – Colonists decided it was time to come together to unite against the British government. The committees of correspondence had representatives from the colonies come together once a year to discuss the interests of the colonies. Committees of correspondence were how the colonies stayed in communication about events and opinions throughout the colonies.

First Continental Congress The committees of correspondence called representatives to come together at a general congress (meeting): At the First Continental Congress,12 of 13 colonies attended to decide on the best approach to deal with the British government. The Congress decided to ban trade with Great Britain.

And then… The banning of trade with Great Britain resulted in the outbreak of fighting between the colonists and the British The fight at Lexington and Concord would become the first of the Revolutionary War NO TRADE Click video to see a short history channel video on the Battle at Lexington and Concord www.history.com

Second Continental Congress At the Second Continental Congress: Congress officially decided to resist the British Congress selected George Washington to lead the army After a year, Congress asked a committee of representatives to create a document that stated why the colonists decided to fight for independence. This document would become the Declaration of Independence

Click the picture below to watch “Too Late to Apologize” Music Video Click on the image of the video “Too Late to Apologize” video created by Soomo publishing. The video is a short music video discussing why the colonists wanted to separate from Great Britain. Video by Soomo Publishing