Unit 2: Building a Nation ( ) The American Revolution ( )

Bell Ringer: The Path to Divorce! 1. The Proclamation of 1763 banned the colonists from a. trading with foreign nations. b. trading furs with Native Americans. c. settling lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. 2. The Sugar Act and the Stamp Act were passed to a. help the economies of the 13 colonies. b. lower the amount of taxes paid by the 13 colonies. c. provide Britain with money to pay off its war debt. 3. This act was passed to save the struggling British East India Company? a. Tea Act b. Townshend Tax c. Quartering Act 4. The Intolerable or Coercive Acts were passed in response to a. The Boston Massacre. b. The Boston Tea Party. c. the Sons of Liberty.

The 1 st Battle: Lexington-Concord (April 19, 1775) “The Shot Heard Round the World” 247 dead Redcoats and 93 Patriot casualties. The British retreated. May the Second Continental Congress (which would serve as the wartime government of the colonies) met in Philadelphia and chose George Washington to lead the Continental Army. November 1775 – the Olive Branch Petition (sent in July) was denied by King George III who said the colonies were in open rebellion. The 13 Colonies were united and at war with Great Britain; there would be no turning back! How could the Colonies defeat the world’s superpower, Great Britain?

The Colonies and Britain Compared Advantages of the Colonies We had a cause! We were on the defensive! We were rugged outdoorsmen! Guerilla Warfare! George Washington’s leadership! France: The deciding factor! Advantages of the British Arguably the best-trained & equipped Army in the world! The most powerful Navy in the world! Greater population! More $$$ and resources! Experience: Britain had been busting heads around Europe for a long, long time!

The Colonies and Britain Compared Disadvantages of the Colonies No real government! (i.e. Continental Congress) No real money! (i.e. Continental Currency was unstable and mistrusted) Militias were poorly fed, trained, & equipped! No Navy! Desertions were common! Only 1/3 of Colonists actually favored the cause! Disadvantages of the British Poor Leadership: Prime Minister Lord North was weak and indecisive. Many in Parliament (the Whigs) didn’t support the war! Distance! The colonies had no real center. France has Paris; Britain has London. The soldiers really didn’t want to be here!

Winning the War ( ) Fall 1776 – NYC in British hands & Washington retreated to NJ. In spite of victories at Trenton & Princeton in late 1776, the army is tired and winters at Valley Forge. The British occupied Philadelphia in the fall of 1777.

Turning Point: Battle of Saratoga October 1777 – Generals Arnold and Gates win a huge victory & capture 6000 British and 5 Generals. This victory convinces France to join the colonists. The French Navy, Army, money, and equipment prove to be the difference.

The End: The Battle of Yorktown October 1781 – Washington and Lafayette trapped General Cornwallis & 8000 British and Hessian soldiers at Yorktown, VA. The British surrendered! Treaty of Paris (1783) – gave U.S. all land between Appalachian Mts. & Mississippi River Most importantly, we had won our freedom from Great Britain!

Bell Ringer: American Revolution 1.This nation aided the colonies in the war against Britain? a. Italy b. France c. The Netherlands 2.This battle fought in upstate NY was the turning point of the Revolution? a. Saratoga b. Ft. Ticonderoga c. White Plains 3.This representative body served as the government for the colonies during the revolution? a. Stamp Act Congress b. Continental Congress c. Senate 4.This was great American victory in VA in Oct ultimately led Great Britain to surrender to the colonies? a. Lexington-Concord b. Bunker Hill c. Yorktown