2.2 Uniting for Independence By the 1760’s Britain began to tighten control of the colonies and raise taxes in N. America

The Colonies on Their Own Britain let us do as we pleased—they were too far away to do much about it We were becoming successful w/out their help That’s when they started to pay attention to us—they wanted our raw materials and wanted us to buy their goods We stayed loyal and agreed to help against the threat of French in Canada in return for self-rule

Britain Tightens Control French and Indian War started as a struggle over lands in western PA & OH British win the war and American colonists no longer needed Britain to protect them from the French Britain left with huge debt

Taxing the Colonists To pay for war the British raises taxes on colonies Stamp Act had colonists pay a tax on written materials Revenues increased for Britain and colonists began to protest—refused to buy goods from Britain Britain repealed Stamp Act

Boston Tea Party Britain made new taxes and colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor Britain retaliated with the Coercive or Intolerable Acts

Colonial Unity 1754 Benjamin Franklin proposed a plan for uniting the colonies called the Albany Plan of Union People rejected it because it gave too much power to an assembly made up of reps from the colonies Colonists began to see themselves as Americans

Taking Action 1765 delegates from 9/13 colonies met to protest King George’s actions Committees all over the colonies were created so they could keep in touch with each other as events unfolded

First Continental Congress Sept. 1774 Intolerable Acts caused colonies to impose an embargo (prohibiting trade) against Britain & not to use British goods Led to American Revolution First battles were in Lexington & Concord, MA

Second Continental Congress May 1775 delegates from all 13 colonies met to set up an army, navy, & issue $$$, and make George Washington as Commander in Chief Served as acting government throughout Revolutionary War

Independence Thomas Paine—wrote Common Sense—a pamphlet saying that the British monarch was a corrupt form of government Richard Henry Lee from VA declared independence and introduced a resolution to declare all colonies independent

DOI Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence declaring freedom from Britain 7/2/1776 Congress approved Lees’ resolution 7/4/1776 Congress approved final draft of DOI All 56 delegates signed

DOI Explained reasons for independence 3 parts Statement of purpose & basic human rights Complaints against King George Colonists’ determination to be free of Britain

First State Constitutions Now 13 colonies saw themselves as states By the end of 1776 10/ 13 colonies had written constitutions Most had a bill of rights defining citizens rights