EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR The Road to Revolution

Tensions Rise The acts and policies the British put into place after the French and Indian War greatly upset many of the colonists. What further upset those in Massachusetts were the poorly paid soldiers who looked for extra work in the shipyards during off-duty hours.

Boston Massacre One cold afternoon, on March 5, 1770, a fist fight broke out over jobs on the docks of Boston. That evening, a mob gathered in front of the Customs House and taunted the guards. Then when several dockhands showed up with clubs, they started throwing snowballs, ice, and rocks. After someone yelled fire, the English guards shot out and a clash erupted. The event left 5 dead.

Boston Massacre

Committees of Correspondence After these events, the assemblies of Massachusetts and Virginia set up the committees of correspondence It was a way to communicate with other colonies about threats to American liberties. By 1774 this communication network linked leaders in nearly all the colonies.

Tea Act The British East India Company had been hit hard by colonial boycotts. The company was near bankruptcy. To remedy this problem, North, the British Prime Minister, decided to pass the Tea Act. This act granted the company the right to sell tea directly to the colonies free of the taxes that colonial tea sellers had to pay.

Tea Act This act would cut the colonial tea merchants out of the tea trade. North hoped the colonists would simply buy the cheaper tea.

Boston Tea Party December 16, 1773, a large group of Boston rebels disguised themselves as Native Americans and dumped 18,000 pounds of East India Co. tea into the Boston Harbor.

The Intolerable Acts! King George III was furious with the destruction of British property. So parliament responded with a series of measures the colonists refer to as the Intolerable Acts.

The Intolerable Acts! 1. Shut down the Boston Harbor because they refused to pay for the damaged tea. 2. Quartering Act – authorized British commanders to house soldiers in vacant private homes and other buildings. 3. Placed General Thomas Gage as the new governor in Massachusetts. 1. He placed Boston under martial law, which had military forces impose the rules.

First Continental Congress The Committees of Correspondence quickly assembled the First Continental Congress in response to these new measures. In September 1774, 56 delegates met in Philadelphia and drew up a declaration of colonial rights.  Delegates included: Benjamin Franklin, Samuel and John Adams, and George Washington

First Continental Congress They stated that if the British used force against the colonies, the colonies should fight back. Agreed to reconvene in May 1775 if their demands were not met.

Lexington and Concord After the First Continental Congress, many New England Towns started gathering minutemen, or civilian soldiers. They began stockpiling firearms and gunpowder. Once the British men learned of this, they prepared to strike back.

Lexington and Concord General Gage learned of where one of these stockpiles were, so he sent his 700 men to march down the Lexington Road towards Concord where they would seize and destroy all the munitions they could find. Some of the colonist knew British resistance was coming soon but they did not know when or where. Minutemen were on the watch.

“The British are Coming” During this time Samuel Adams and John Hancock were in hiding, while Doctor Warren was in charge. An informant told Warren of the march towards Concord, and he sent Paul Revere to warn Adams, Hancock, and the townspeople that the British were on the way.

As word spread, church bells rang out and gunshots were heard – prearranged signals to warn that the Regulars were coming. Revere was caught but his companion, Samuel Prescott, rode on to Concord. On April 17, 1775, the British Regulars arrived just outside of Lexington and were faced with 70 minutemen.

Battle of Lexington The British commander ordered the minutemen to leave. However, as the colonists started to depart some of the British soldiers sent a volley of shots into the departing militia. 8 minutemen were killed, 10 wounded, and one British soldier was injured. It only lasted 15 minutes.

On to Concord The British marched on to Concord where they found an empty arsenal. With only a brief skirmish, (started by the British and known as the shot heard round the world) the British started marching back to Boston. However, as they were leaving 2,000 minutemen had gathered and fired upon the British from behind stone walls and trees. It was a slaughter. The British were being killed by the dozen. The remaining men eventually made their way back to Boston.

Battle of Concord

Second Continental Congress In May 1775, as planned, the Continental Congress met again to determine their next move. John Adams asked that the colonies declare their independence and create their own government. He also asked for militiamen of other colonies to become one Continental Army under an appointed General of their choosing. His main goal was for this army to go to Boston to help defend the people.

Second Continental Congress After much debate they agreed to the latter request and appointed George Washington as its commander. He was 43 at this time.

The Olive Branch Petition The Second Continental Congress was hoping for peace with the English but ready for war. On July 8, 1775, the Congress sent King George III an Olive Branch Petition. The Congress suggested that either the colonists be given free trade and taxes equal to those levied on the people in Great Britain, or no taxes and strict trade regulations. They hoped the King would agree and return the former harmony between the two.

The Kings Response King George III rejected the petition. Furthermore he declared the colonies were in a state of rebellion and issued a naval blockade on the American coast.

Common Sense Common Sense was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine to encourage colonists to proclaim an independent republic. Using reason and common sense, Paine addressed the problems of a Monarchy system of government and urged colonists that now was the time to break away from England!

Common Sense Common Sense sold nearly 500,000 copies. It was very popular among the colonists and helped many overcome their doubts about separating from England.

The Declaration of Independence After events left Congress believing there would be no peaceful reconciliation with England, they suggested for other states to start forming their own governments. As for themselves, Congress appointed a committee to prepare a formal declaration of independence explaining the reasons for the colonies’ actions. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson were key members of this committee.

The Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson, but also examined and modified by the committee. This document was largely influenced by the ideas of John Locke – where people enjoy “natural rights” of life, liberty, and property.

July 4, 1776 On July 2, 1776, the delegates voted unanimously that the American colonies were free. On July 4, 1776, they adopted the Declaration of Independence. The document was then read to crowd in front of the Pennsylvania state house, now Independence Hall

Declaration of Independence

Loyalists and Patriots Americans now faced a hard choice. To remain loyal to the crown or join in the revolution. Patriots – supporters of independence Loyalists – those who remained loyal to the crown.

Loyalists/Tories Patriots Felt a special tie to the King Thought the British were going to win Thought the crown would protect their rights more than the new colonial governments would Saw economic opportunity Upset by recent events Viewed the British government as unjust Picking Sides

Loyalists Patriots African Americans – the English promised freedom to slaves who fought for the crown Native Americans – viewed colonists as a bigger treat to their land Quakers – but most wouldn’t fight African Americans Farmers, merchants, landowners, and elected officials Major groups for each side