The American Revolution 1775-1783

Brain Pop: American Revolution

The American Revolution 1775 to 1783 An armed conflict broke out between Britain and her 13 colonies The 13 colonies did not want to pay increased taxes to Britain. The American Revolution

Patriots If you fought against the British and wanted to become an independent nation, you were called a patriot.

The patriots started off as a small group of radicals, such as Sam Adams, John Hancock, Sons of Liberty, the Continental Congress & George Washington. The Patriots came from every level of colonial society: George Washington & Thomas Jefferson were two of the wealthiest men in North America Paul Revere was a silversmith John Hancock was a rich merchant The Minutemen were ordinary people who objected to taxation because most of them were poor. Patriots

A loyalist was someone who joined the British side of the war. The political name for the Loyalists was Tories. Loyalists

Loyalists The Loyalists were divided into two groups: The active Loyalists were those who were not scared by the tarring and feathering that was going on in many communities throughout the colonies. They were the targets of persecution since they openly supported the king. Many were officials of the British government, such as customs officers who collected the Tea Tax. The inactive Loyalists were those who continued to support the king, but did got get involved in the violence that followed. Loyalists

Loyalists Loyalists tended to be recent immigrants to North America. Not all were British. Some were German and Dutch. These groups feared that the revolution would threaten their language, religion and customs. The Patriots wanted a Democratic Government that would be ruled by the majority vote; however, the Germans and Dutch were minorities. Loyalists

A Mohawk, who became a leader of her people and one of the most important Loyalists. She was married to Sir William Johnson, the Superintendent of Indians in British North America. He helped establish the Proclamation Line. She was head of The Society of Six Nations Matrons. Women had high status and their advice was listened to in all matters, including peace and war. Her advice was to remain loyal to Britain. Molly Brant

By 1774, Iroquois chiefs were ready for war against the Patriots, who were paying no attention to the Proclamation Line. Her brother, Joseph Brant, began recruiting warriors for the Loyalist forces In the spring of 1777, Molly was forced to move from Mohawk Valley because Patriots had destroyed her home. Colonel John Butler asked to settle at Fort Niagara. He knew Molly would be able to convince the Iroquois to fight with the British. It was said that “one word from Molly Brant is more taken notice of by the Six Nations than a thousand words from a white man.” Molly Brant

Molly and the Iroquois were shocked by the terms of the peace treaty Molly and the Iroquois were shocked by the terms of the peace treaty. The British king had given away their land to the Patriots. Molly was offered a pension of £100 a year for her help during the war. The Iroquois Loyalists were offered new land near the Bay of Quinte and along the banks of the Grand River. Molly was offered money to return to Mohawk Valley. They wanted her to help control the Natives that were returning their and finding their taken over by new settlers. Molly considered this a bribe and instead moved to Quebec and never stepped foot on American Soil again. Molly Brant

Quakers and Mennonites did not believe in fighting and were excused from military duty, but they had to pay special taxes for this privilege. Quebec and Nova Scotia Neutral

The Loyalist regiments faced more dangers than the regular British soldiers. The Patriots looked on the Loyalists as traitors, so they were harder on them. Tarring and feathering was used by Patriots to terrorize Loyalists. There were not many actual cases; however, the threat became the most effective weapon against the Loyalists Loyalists

In 1776, the Patriots had an army of 18,000 of poorly armed and trained men. The British had a force of 30,000. Yet, the Patriots were victors. How did this happen? Patriot Victory

The British could easily conqueror cities; however, they had trouble in the countryside. The Patriots shot at them from behind trees and used other hit-and-run tactics. This guerilla warfare wore down the British army. The Patriots gained experience and started winning battles. In 1778, France signed an alliance with the Patriots. In 1781, the British surrendered to George Washington’s army Patriot Victory

The Treaty of Paris The peace treaty went into effect in 1783 In the treaty, Britain agreed to do the following: Recognize American Independence Turn over to the United States all the land from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic coast between the Great Lakes and Florida Give the Americans fishing rights off the coast of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. In return, Britain wanted the Loyalists paid back for the losses they suffered during the war. The Congress agreed, but the Loyalists were never paid. The Treaty of Paris

Evacuation of the Loyalists After the peace treaty was signed, Loyalist soldiers often found that they could not return home. The Law of Forfeiture in NY allowed rebel agents to evict the wives and children of British regiments. They then sold the property to Patriots at a fraction of the value. Thousands of Loyalists were in refugee camps in New York City Loyalist forces were rewarded for their role in the war. Many were transported to British colonies, such as NS. They received special land grants for their service. Sir Guy Carleton had a difficult time evacuating the Loyalists. There were not enough ships to carry the people, so the convoys had to make several trips. As a result, the Loyalists were set ashore in the wilderness with only what they could carry. Evacuation of the Loyalists

Creation of New Brunswick The Loyalists were given a few supplies: salted meat, biscuits, flour, tools, guns and tents. The arrival of the Loyalists had a profound effect on the colonies. Many of the Loyalists who arrived in the St. John River Valley, NS were well educated. They had their own ideas about how the colony should be run. Halifax was far away and unconcerned about the Loyalists. The St. John Loyalists therefore wanted their settlement to become a separate colony. In 1784, the British government created the new colony of New Brunswick. Creation of New Brunswick

Thousands of Loyalists fled to present-day Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI. By 1784, 40,000 Loyalists had arrived in British North America. The Loyalists who came to these British colonies cleared and settled new land. They helped to open up and develop the land that would one day become Canada. Impact on Canada