American History Chapter 3: The American Revolution Section 2: The Revolution Begins

committees of correspondence Colonies wrote letters to each other about what the British were doing. They unified the colonies.

Boston Tea Party 342 boxes of tea! Men from Boston—disguised as Native Americans—dumped tea into the harbor. The protestors were really Sons of Liberty, including Sam Adams and John Hancock.

Intolerable Acts To punish Boston (Massachusetts) Parliament passed new laws. The laws were supposed to be a warning to the other colonies.

First Continental Congress The first meeting of 55 delegates from 12 colonies Moderates still hoped for a compromise. Radicals thought it was time to fight for their rights. September, 1774, in Philadelphia They approved a plan to enforce a boycott.

Loyalists People who supported the King... They were loyal. British soldiers were nicknamed....?

Patriots People who supported the Revolution

The British are coming! (Lexington and Concord ) British soldiers went to seize military supplies at Concord. Paul Revere and William Dawes rode at midnight to spread the alarm. Revere and Dawes were stopped by the British at Lexington, and Dr. Samuel Prescott rode to warn Concord.

minutemen Concord had a special unit of men trained and ready to “stand at a minute’s warning in case of alarm.”

“the shot heard around the world” British troops fired on 70 minutemen at Lexington. The British went on to Concord where they met 400 minutemen. Fighting forced the British to retreat. When the British headed back to Boston, minutemen and farmers fired at them from behind trees, stone walls, and barns. 73 British were killed and 174 wounded.

“Give me liberty or give me death” Patrick Henry Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses Member of the First and Second Continental Congresses “I am no longer a Virginian, I am an American!”

2 nd Continental Congress The first topic was defense. They appointed a general and commander in chief of the army. Olive Branch Petition They sent the Olive Branch Petition to King George. They issued the Declaration of Independence.

George Washington The Continental Congress appointed him to be the commander in chief. The Continental Army

Olive Branch Petition The 2 nd Continental Congress sent a petition to King George. They asked for a peaceful ending to the problems between the King and the colonies. The King refused to look at it, and he said they were enemies.

Common Sense Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called... He said it was “common sense” to think of the king as responsible for the problems in the colonies. Therefore it was reasonable – common sense – to separate from England. “Tis time to part... “ “These are the times that try men’s souls.”

Bunker Hill American troops held off 2,200 British troops – until the Americans ran out of ammunition. The battle gave Americans confidence that they could stand up to the British.

Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson wrote it. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal... It was time to separate.

“certain inalienable rights” Life L i berty The pursuit of happiness