1. Unit 2: The American Revolution
Causes of the Revolution

2. The French and Indian War
A European war that spread to America in 1754: British and French began fighting over the Ohio River Valley (transportation, farming, and fur)
The colonists fought on the side of Great Britain
How does the idea of “Join or Die” relate?

3. The French and Indian War
The British defeated the French in the early 1760s (officially in 1763)
France lost land east of the Miss. River
While Great Britain won land, they were also in debt from the war
To pay for the war the British began taxing the American colonies
(How do you think many of the colonist felt about the British making them pay for the war?)

4. French and Indian War
The British issued the Proclamation of 1763 which prohibited colonists from crossing the Appalachian Mountains in an attempt to keep peace with western Indian tribes. The British did not want to have to put the resources into protecting western colonial farmers.
(Why would this policy upset some colonists?)

5. Colonial Response to the British actions
Stamp Act (1765): a British tax on most printed material- was the first direct tax on the colonies.
Sons of Liberty(1765) organized protest meetings and intimidated tax collectors -led to the formation of the Stamp Act Congress which sent a petition to King George
The British repeal the Stamp Act in 1766

6. More responses
Townshend Acts (1767): tax on certain imported goods (indirect tax)
Most early resistance to the British Actions was found in Boston

8. British Actions: Post-Boston Tea Party
Intolerable Acts (1774): Laws intended to punish Massachusetts, where the majority of the boycotts against the British were taking place
-Shut down the port of Boston
-Limited colonial voting rights
-Limited the power of colonial courts
-Forced the colony to house British soldiers

9. The Colonists Respond
Committees of Correspondences were formed to help communication between colonies: helped unify the colonies against the British
-The Daughters of Liberty and the Sons of Liberty both organized effective boycotts of British goods: Daughters of Liberty promoted wearing “homespun

10. Its too late to apologize
Its too late to apologize
We want to make it clear, we believe this much is true All men were created with certain
Unalienable rights Among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit Of happiness
And it's too late to apologize It's too late I said It's too late to apologize It's too late
It's too late to apologize It's too late I said it's too late apologize It's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, yeah It's too late I said it's too late to apologize, yeah
Halfway across the globe And we're standing on new ground
Halfway across the globe And we're standing on new ground Screaming 'cross the waves You can't hear a sound There's no fair trials, no trade, no liberties No tea We've colonized America; we won't stand for tyranny, Oh king
And it's too late to apologize It's too late I said it's too late to apologize It's too late
We've paid your foolish tax, read the acts And they just won't do
Click on the “too” to play the song/video

11. The true beginnings of a revolution
The colonies faced more threats from Britain, and they created a communication network known as the Committees of Correspondence (created in 1764).
After the Intolerable Acts, the Colonies created the First Continental Congress (created in 1774)
The first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord in 1775
Then, the Second Continental Congress organized and met in (after Lexington and Concord)

12. The idea of revolution
At this point, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense circulated around the colonies and contributed to the growing popularity of independence
Primary Source: Excerpts from Common Sense
Why is this considered propaganda?
Why would he title this pamphlet “Common Sense?”
While the Continental Congress debated independence, a committee drafted a document that outlined the reasons for America’s independence

13. Declaration of Independence
The document’s ideas can be traced to several philosophies:
John Locke:
-believed people were born with certain natural rights (life, liberty and property)
-that the people and the government have a “contract”
-people had the right to overthrow a government if it did not uphold its end of the contract

14. Declaration of Independence
Montesquieu
-French philosopher
-Wrote of three types of political power (executive, legislative, and judicial)
-Separation of power and checks and balances

15. Declaration of Independence
-Resolution of Independence
declares that the colonies are free from Britain
-Signers declared that they, as representatives of the colonies, approved the document
Made up of 5 parts:
-The Preamble which explains the purpose of the document
-Declaration of Natural Rights which is taken almost directly from Locke (Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness)
-List of Grievances which list the colonists’ complaints against Britain

16. Declaration of Independence
The signing of the Declaration of Independence signaled the beginning of the American Revolutionary War