What Experiences Led to the American Revolution? Topic # 9 What Experiences Led to the American Revolution? RAP: Explain the importance of each of these documents: *Magna Carta *Petition of Right *English Bill of Rights Lesson Goal: How British ideas about government were put to use in the colonies. Why the colonists came to feel that the British government threatened their rights. How constitutional government developed in the colonies. -Why the colonists decided to fight for their independence.

WOW Ideas American colonists used to establish a British colony. Charter Colonial Government legal document needed to establish a British colony granted land to a person or a company did not define government Based on two concepts that protect them from: Abuse of power by the British government Abuse of power by their colonial government

WOW Britain's control over colonies. Britain was becoming a world power and was busy fighting wars Not much time devoted to colonies Long distances Communication was slow because news traveled by ship Orders took months to reach colonies War against France was costly Britain left with large national debt Colonies should pay their share with increased taxes Tightened trade restrictions between colonies and other countries Britain’s neglect of colonies Britain’s renewed interest

New British law’s that affected the colonies WOW New British law’s that affected the colonies - Proclamation of 1763 - banned settlement west into Indian territory - British able to withdraw army and reduce costs - Sugar Act of 1764 - stop smuggling of goods in and out of colonies - taxes on all incoming sugar, coffee, wine, and cloth - Gave British Navy “writs of assistance” (search warrants) to search colonial ships - all colonial trade ships had to go directly to Britain

WOW - Stamp Act, 1765 - taxes on every legal document, newspaper, pamphlets, deck of cards coming into the colonies - Quartering Act, 1765 - British Army moved into colonial cities requiring innkeepers and public officials to house and feed British soldiers - Declaratory Act, 1766 - gave Parliament the right to pass laws for the colonies in “all cases whatsoever” to remind colonist they were subject to the king.

WOW - Tea Act, 1773 - forced colonies to buy tea from The East India Company to keep the British company from going broke

Colonists’ view of laws WOW Colonists’ view of laws - Colonist felt British Parliament was threatening their rights. - New tax and trade laws meant that colonists would lose money. - Parliament’s laws went against colonists’ belief in representative government. - Colonists believed if they had no right to elect representatives to Parliament, Parliament had no right to tax the colonists.

Rally Cry for Colonists WOW Rally Cry for Colonists - “No Taxation without Representation” - believed tax laws should be passed only by the colonial legislature - King George felt colonists were acting like ungrateful children King thought that since the well-being and safety of colonies was due to British protection the taxation was fair Parliament didn’t understand representation because they represented the whole nation no matter where and not individuals - growing conflict in beliefs

Colonies Resist British Control Committees of Correspondence WOW Colonies Resist British Control Between 1763 – 1775 Committees of Correspondence - tension growing - colonist organized town meetings and wrote angry letters to the newspapers - Small groups of volunteers that made sure each colony knew about events and opinions of other colonies - raised spirits of people - united and linked all colonies together

WOW - organized resistance to the Stamp Act 1765 Sons of Liberty Daughters of Liberty - organized resistance to the Stamp Act - mobs attacked tax collectors’ homes - burned effigies (straw people) of royals - marched in streets and some committed violent acts - formed by women - helped boycott British trade - instead of buying British goods they made their own - gave up drinking tea

WOW 1770 Boston Massacre 1773 Boston Tea Party - British troops opened fire on protestors and killed 5 colonists. - Colonists believed British government would use military force to make them obey laws colonist tried to stop cargo of tea in the Boston Harbor dumped 342 chests of tea - British closed the harbor Fall 1774 – colonists decide to take united action and committee of correspondence calls for representatives from each colony to meet and deliberate on general interests of all colonists.

WOW First Continental Congress April 19, 1775 Representatives from 12 of 13 colonies met in Philadelphia to decide on best response to actions of British government. - start of unified American government - agreed to impose ban on trade - hope of change in British policies - beginning of Revolutionary War - fighting broke out - British troops marched on to Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts to capture guns and supplies by surprise - system of signals warned colonists and they fired on British forcing them back to Boston

WOW - Representatives again met in Philadelphia a few weeks later - Congress organized new Continental Army and called colonist to send troops - George Washington selected to lead troops - a year later, Congress drafts document to explain why they should be free from British rule - this document later becomes the “Declaration of Independence” Second Continental Congress Declaration of Independence

WIO : ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Create a timeline of the important events in this lesson. Explain the significance of the event and include drawings that help depict each event.