1. The American Revolution
From Colonies to Liberty

2. Tensions Build between Colonies and Britain.
1763- End of French and Indian War
England needs $, keeps troops in colonies, and wants more control over colonial governments
1764- Sugar Act taxes sugar and molasses
England harasses traders to catch smugglers

3. “No Taxation without Representation”
Committees of Correspondence gather to oppose new taxes
Traders boycott taxed goods
Stamp Act all documents, newspapers, pamphlets, and books are taxed
Sons of Liberty organize to fight the new tax- protest, boycott, violence
1766 stamp act repealed
Angered, Parliament passes Declaratory Acts and Townshend Acts 1767

4. Tensions Rise The Boston Massacre 1770 Boston Tea Party 1773
A fight turns into an angry mob- British soldiers fire into the crowd
5 people die (Crispus Attucks)
Sam Adams uses event to ignite hatred against British, John Adams defends the soldiers in court
Boston Tea Party 1773
Sons of Liberty dump English tea into the harbor in protest of taxes
Intolerable Acts 1774
Close Boston Harbor
Cancel Colony charter governments
Force colonists to house British soldiers

5. 1st Continental Congress
October 1774, Colonial delegates from all colonies (except Georgia) meet to discuss tensions
Met at Carpenters Hall, Philadelphia
Write “Declaration of Rights” to King George III in hopes of peace
Told militia’s to prepare for war if needed

6. “The Shot Heard Round the World.”
April 18th, 1775 General Gage sends British troops to recover colonist weapons at Concord
Paul Revere, Dawes, and Prescott warn the towns “The Redcoats are Coming!”
April 19th minutemen are waiting for British at Lexington
8 colonists killed, 10 wounded
More colonists are waiting at Concord- force British to retreat

7. 2nd Continental Congress
May 1775 meet again in Philadelphia
Appoint George Washington Commander of Continental Army
Sign “Olive Branch Petition” as one last chance for peace
Paine’s Common Sense rallies the people for independence.
July 4th 1776, after much debate the Declaration of Independence is signed!

8. Declaration of Independence
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights… life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to abolish it…”
These words do not include women, natives, or slaves.

9. Early Battles Bunker Hill, June 1775 Dorchester Heights, March 1776
Colonial Army digs in on Breed’s Hill
Kill many redcoats but run out of ammo- retreat
Moral victory
Dorchester Heights, March 1776
Washington uses cannons to force British to retreat from Boston

10. Comparing British Vs. Colonial Army
English
Strengths
Well trained, very disciplined
Better equipped
The worlds best Navy
Weaknesses
Have to cross Atlantic Ocean
Do not know landscape
Hire Mercenaries
Colonial Army
Strengths
Believe in their cause
Eventually receive help from France and Spain
Know the landscape
Weaknesses
Untrained
Poorly equipped
Small navy

11. Important Battles New York, June 1776 Trenton, December 25, 1776
General Howe arrives with 32,000 troops
Washington barely escapes to New Jersey
Trenton, December 25, 1776
Washington and 2,400 troops surprise and take 900 Hessians prisoner
January 2, 1777
Washington sneaks behind Cornwallis and forced British out of Princeton
Saratoga October, 1777
Stop British attack from Canada- force Gen. Burgoyne to surrender

12. Tough Winter at Valley Forge
Washington’s 12,000 men settle for the winter
Lack food, warm shelter, basic supplies
2000 died
Receive basic training from Baron Von Steuben
Meanwhile, the British are living in luxury in Philadelphia

13. A Little Help From Our Friends
Marquis de Lafayette
Sails from France with his own $ and soldiers to fight the British
Baron Friedrich Von Steuben
Prussian soldier; trains colonial army in basic military commands
Women (Molly Pitcher) and some free Africans join the fight for independence.
France joins the fight May 1778
Bring troops and Navy
Spain joins 1779

14. A Traitor and loyalists
Benedict Arnold
One of the Continental Armies greatest generals
Became angry with Congress- felt disrespected
Planned to overturn West Point to the British
Fled to England, lived rest of life in disgrace
Loyalists (Tories)
Not all colonists wanted independence, many wanted to stay British subjects

15. Later Battles Fighting in the South Yorktown 1781
England has more loyalists and offers slaves freedom if they fight the colonists
Colonial army loses battles in Georgia, South Carolina
Marion’s Brigade uses Guerilla tactics against the British
Yorktown 1781
Cornwallis is surrounded by Washington and French forces- forced to surrender

16. The Treaty of Paris
1783 America, France, Spain, and England agree to peace terms
Britain recognizes our independence.
We have our Liberty… Now What?