1. America Declares Independence
Unit 2, Lesson 3

2. Essential Idea
Tension between Britain and the colonies led to America declaring independence.
What are some things causing the tension?
Make a list of at least 3 things…

3. Crash Course: Prelude to Revolution

4. 1774: Intolerable Acts British Action:
King George III was furious and Parliament decided to punish the colonies
Coercive Acts- England shut down Boston Harbor, stopped allowing elections, and expanded the Quartering Act
More British troops were sent to the colonies to keep order, raising tension

5. Colonial Response to “Intolerable Acts”
Colonists were furious, calling the new laws the “Intolerable Acts”
Committees of correspondence called for colonies to send delegates to a colonial congress to discuss what to do next

6. First Continental Congress
Met in Philadelphia to discuss a response to the Intolerable Acts
The delegates did NOT want independence yet, just restoration of their rights
Declaration of Right and Grievances- condemned Coercive (Intolerable) Acts, announced boycotts, but expressed loyalty to the king
Colonial militias began to form, some known as the “minutemen”

7. The King is Angry
King George III was furious and declared the colonies in rebellion
Additional British troops were sent to Massachusetts to suppress defiance

8. Lexington and Concord
British General Thomas Gage sent troops to Concord to capture militia supplies and arrest “rebel ring leaders” Samuel Adams and John Hancock
Paul Revere and others made famous “midnight rides” ahead of the troops, warning the “British are coming”
Minutemen intercepted British troops at Lexington and eight minutemen died

9. “Shot Heard ‘round the World”
Start of the American Revolution
April 19, 1775
At Concord, 400 minutemen attacked and chased the British back to Boston, killing 99 troops
Local militias surrounded the British in Boston

11. Second Continental Congress
Met again in Philadelphia, “adopted” the militias as the Continental Army, and named George Washington as commander
The Congress still did not want independence and tried to reconcile with England despite the fighting
Olive Branch Petition- the Congress maintained loyalty to the king and asked to end hostilities with this last ditch effort (July 5, 1775)
Claimed that the colonies did not want independence but wanted to more equitable trade and tax regulations.

12. Write your own “Olive Branch” Petition
Imagine you are a member of the 2nd Continental Congress. You have been assigned to a committee to write a letter to King George III asking him for peace between Britain and the Colonies. Remember that the battles of Lexington and Concord have already taken place, and that there is much tension between the British government and the Colonies. With your fellow committee members, write a draft of an Olive Branch Petition to send to the king. Your draft should include or mention the following things:
The injustices committed against the colonists in the form of taxes, as well as the recent violence.
The colonies' desire to be treated fairly and to be represented in Parliament.
The Congress' desire for peace between Britain and the Colonies.
At least one proposal for an agreement that will make both Britain and the colonists happy.
Good luck. The future of the colonies rests in your hands.

13. What Rights are the Colonists Fighting For???
Let’s Read the English Bill of Rights… (Passed by English Parliament in 1689)

14. Battle of Bunker Hill
British troops tried to capture a hill outside Boston where the Continental Army was
The Army did severe damage to Britain, the strongest military in the world, but retreated after running out of supplies

15. Consequences: Peace?
Boosted American confidence and infuriated King George III
The king rejected the Olive Branch Petition and declared the colonies in open rebellion

16. Thomas Paine and Common Sense
Even in 1776, most colonists hesitated on independence
Thomas Paine- wrote “Common Sense,” pushing for independence
“Common Sense” was influenced by the Enlightenment ideas on natural rights and compact theory

17. Common Sense
Paine said Britain violated colonists’ natural rights and thus was an illegitimate government
Republic- Paine’s idea of government, where power comes from the people through elections, not a king
The idea of independence became more popular

18. Declaration of Independence
In Congress, future president John Adams vocally pushed for independence
July 4, Congress declared its decision (made July 2nd) to become independent from Britain

19. Thomas Jefferson
Wrote Declaration of Independence, claiming that “all men are created equal” and had natural rights
Jefferson, like Paine, said England had broken its “compact” with the colonies
The colonies became the United States of America and the American Revolution officially began

20. All Men Created Equal?
Many groups after the revolution were not treated equally
Blacks remained slaves in southern states until the Civil War
After the Civil War, blacks were denied rights by the government until the 1960s
Women were denied many rights and did not get the right to vote (suffrage) until 1920

21. Break up with the King
In groups (no more than 4) rewrite the Declaration of Independence in the form of a “break-up” letter to King George III.
Make sure to include your grievances (what are you mad about)