1776 – Colonies population up to 2.5 million – Saw themselves as Americans – Split on independence issue

British parliament created laws governing colonies – Best interest of England, not colonies – Made it difficult to trade with French and Spanish Colonies – no representation in parliament – British thought they were fair to colonies RESENTMENT!!

England – huge debt Colonies to pay: – Sugar Act: taxed sugar bought from French or Spanish – Stamp Act: all newspapers and legal documents to carry a stamp purchased from Britain

British Prime Minister – Charles Townsend – Raise money to cover cost of defending colonies – Pay salaries of governors and judges in colonies – Townsend Acts: new taxes on glass, paper, teas, paints and other goods shipped to colonies from Britain

British East India Company – Controlled tea trading between India and the British colonies – Tea tax: Colonists refused to buy British tea Left tea in warehouses British government: – Force colonists to buy tea – Tea Act: allowed British East India Co. to sell directly to colonists – skipping wholesale merchants; made it cheaper than smuggled tea

Colonists: – Demanded removal of tea tax – Refusing to unload tea December 16, 1773 – Group of men “Sons of Liberty” – Boston Harbor – dressed as Mohawk Indians – Boarded British ships and dumped 45 tons of tea

Response to Boston Tea Party – 1.Boston Port Act: Closed Harbor until colonists paid for tea 2.Massachusetts Gov. Act: Replaced elected Mass. Council for those appointed by King 3.Justice Act: violent crimes tried in England 4.Quartering Act: British troops housed in private homes 5.Quebec Act: Canadian border extended southward to Ohio River

Brought together representatives from each colony – discuss Intolerable Acts – How to assert rights? – United front 3 objectives: (not independence) – Statement of colonial rights – Identify Parliaments violation of these rights – Provide plan to convince Britain to restore these rights Boycott British goods

Britain Strong military with powerful navy More wealth 3 times more people Colonies Soldiers poorly trained and little experience Not all in favor of rebellion Fighting on own land George Washington – brilliant leader

Lexington and Concord “The shot that was heard around the world” – 1775; First shots of revolution – Lexington, Mass.

Thomas Paine’s – Common Sense Approved DOI – 2 nd Continental Congress (1776) Written by Thomas Jefferson Defined the rights of the people of the independent states July 4, 1776 – delegates signed the document Loo&feature=relmfu

Battle of Saratoga Series of battles – turning point of war 1777; Colonial victory – British forced to surrender

Battle of Yorktown (1781) Last major battle of the Revolution Cornwallis – British leader; moved troops to Yorktown October 19, 1781 – Cornwallis surrendered

U.S. – no central government Second Continental Congress governing A of C – defined federal government powers separate from those of the states – Adopted March 1781

Officially ended the American Revolution Recognized American Independence