1. The Road to Revolution

2. Salutary Neglect
During the early years of the existence of the colonies, Parliament opted for a policy of salutary neglect or non- interference
It was too difficult to control the situation in the colonies when they were 3000 miles away

3. The Treaty of Paris (1763)
France --> lost her Canadian possessions, most of her empire in India, and claims to lands east of the Mississippi River.
Spain --> got all French lands west of the Mississippi River, New Orleans, but lost Florida to England.
England --> got all French lands in Canada, exclusive rights to Caribbean slave trade, and commercial dominance in India.
North America was now divided between Great Britain and Spain with the Mississippi River forming the boundary

4. The Effects of French & Indian War
Britain
It increased her colonial empire in the Americas.
It greatly enlarged England’s debt.
Britain’s contempt for the colonials created bitter feelings because they felt they had to support the colonists overseas
The Colonies
It united them against a common enemy for the first time.
It created a socializing experience for all who participated increasing feelings of being “American”
It created bitter feelings towards the British that would only intensify.

5. The Proclamation of 1763
After a Native rebellion in the west, the British responded by drawing a boundary line
This line effectively ended settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains
Colonists protested that the Proclamation deprived them of land they had a right to settle causing more friction between colonists and the crown

6. The Sugar Act
British taxed colonists on many of the goods coming into the colonies from other places
The most important of these was the Sugar Act of 1764
Colonial merchants realized that enforcement of this act would wipe out profits of the trade with the Spanish and French West Indies

7. The Stamp Act
In 1765, British imposed taxes upon all paper products and stamped the item once the tax had been paid.
This tax was paid directly to the government – direct tax
Products affected ranged from documents and wills to playing cards and newspapers

8. The Townshend Acts
This act placed taxes on tea, paper, glass and paint
The British repealed this tax in 1770 except for the tax on tea

9. The Protests Begin! Patrick Henry’s speech
Sons and Daughters of Liberty
Benjamin Franklin’s visit to Parliament
Boston Massacre

10. Patrick Henry Speaks Out!
When the House of Burgesses met to consider the Stamp Act in May of 1765 Patrick Henry introduced the Virginia Resolutions protesting Parliament’s action
In his speech he stated that since Americans elected no members to the British Parliament they should not be taxed by them
This came to be know as “no taxation without representation”

11. Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty carried out organized resistance by keeping watch on shopkeepers suspected of selling British goods
A group existed in almost every colony.
Members included middle and upper class citizens, anyone could join if they were trustworthy and had the skills the group needed.
Famous members included Paul Revere, John Adams and his cousin, Samuel Adams.

12. Daughters of Liberty
Colonial women organized the Daughters of Liberty to boycott British goods
They gave up imported clothes, made tea out of local herbs, and produced homespun cloth
One of the most influential Daughters of Liberty was Mercy Otis Warren, who published pamphlets supporting the resistance – she had to publish in a man’s name

13. The Boston Massacre
After Parliament repealed the Townshend duties, the first clash between British and Americans took place
On the night of March 5, 1770, a crowd of 50 or 60 men and boys gathered to taunt British soldiers outside the Boston Customs House
When the crowd went as far as to throw sticks and snowballs at the redcoats, the soldiers panicked and opened fire, killing five men
The event quickly became known as the Boston Massacre

14. The Boston Tea Party
In 1773 the British East India Company, facing bankruptcy, appealed to Parliament for assistance
Parliament quickly voted to give them a monopoly for the trade of tea in America
Opposition groups mobilized against the plan and forcing ships to turn back at New York and Philadelphia harbours
In Boston, Governor Hutchinson ordered that no ship could leave harbour without being unloaded
Colonists on a signal from Sam Adams disguised themselves as Mohawks, boarded the ship and heaved 342 chests of tea into the harbour

15. The Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts)
The Boston Port Act - closed the port of Boston to trade
The Massachusetts Government Act - revoked the colony's charter and forbade town meetings
The Quartering Act - required the colonists to provide housing for British soldiers
The Impartial Administration of Justice Act - removed British officials from the jurisdiction of Massachusetts courts

16. The Quebec Act
It was passed at the same time and considered by many as one of the Intolerable Acts
It extended the Canadian province of Quebec south to the Ohio River
It also allowed French Canadians use of their own legal system which did not recognize trial by jury
The colonists believed The Quebec Act was designed to keep American settlers out of western lands forever

17. The First Continental Congress
56 delegates from 12 colonies (not GA) attended the first Continental Congress in Philadelphia in September, 1774
The Congress petitioned the King for relief from the Intolerable Acts and vowed to stop trade with Britain until the acts were repealed

18. Outcomes of the First Continental Congress
Delegates recommended  that colonists continue to  boycott British  goods.
–Assembled a list of 10  resolutions to present to  the king.
• Declaration of Rights and  Freedoms that the  delegates believed  colonists should possess
–“Life, Liberty, and  Property.”
–Agreed to meet again in  May 1775 if the King did  not agree.

19. Leading to Rebellion
Tensions between the American  colonists and th e British soldiers  got worse.  
British General Thomas Gage  learned  that two Patriot leaders,  John Hancock and Samuel  Adams were hiding out in the  town of Lexington. 
He also learned that the  Americans had  been stockpiling  weapons and military  equipment in the town of  Concord.  
He ordered approximately 800  British  soldiers to arrest Hancock  and Adams  and seize the  weapons.

20. “One if by Land, Two if by Sea!”
Paul Revere found out about  General  Gage’s plans and  decided he needed to do  som ething to help the  Patriots. He would warn  Han cock and Adams and the  people of Concord. 
He arranged for friends to  give a  secret signal to let him  know how the  British troops  would leave Boston.
They were to put one lantern  in the  steeple of Old North  Church if the  British would be  coming by land and  two  lanterns if they would be moving by sea. 
Finally Paul saw the signal of two lanterns!

21. The Midnight Ride “The British are coming!”
On the other side of the river, Paul Revere and another patriot,  William Dawes,  rode in different  directions to try and  warn John  Hancock and Samuel Adams tha t  the British were on their way to  arrest them.
They also wanted to tell the  colonists in the  towns of  Lexington and Concord that the  British soldiers were on their  way
“The British are coming!”
The two men raced on their  horses  through the countryside,  warning  minutemen that the  Regulars were  coming!

23. Lexington
April 19, 1775
When the British soldiers reached Lexington, Captain Jonas Parker and 75 armed Minutemen were there to meet them  
“Don’t fire unless fired upon. But if they mean to  have a war, let it begin here!” Captain John Parker 
Suddenly a shot rang  out.
The Minutemen were greatly outnumbered. The British soldiers fired, killing 8 Minutemen and injuring 10 others.

24. “The Shot Heard ‘Round The World!”
No one knows who fired  the “shot heard round  the world”—but once the soldiers heard it, the fight began.
The Battle ended in  8 Minutes
Colonists had suffered
• 8 Dead
• 10 Wounded

25. On to Concord British moved to Concord to find weapons
Colonists had already  removed them.
The British decided to  set fire to the town  buildings.
As the British retreated, Colonists used Guerilla  Warfare, hiding behind trees  and buildings.
Bright Red Coats were an easy target
British Reach Boston
250 British casualties
Fewer than 100 Colonial  casualties

26. Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a body of representatives appointed by the legislatures of several British North American colonies which met from May 10, 1775, to March 1, 1781
By the time the Second Continental Congress met, the American Revolutionary War had already started with the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.
Thus, the Second Continental Congress found itself in the unenviable position of being the decision-making body of a military alliance at war with a far more powerful enemy.

27. Thomas Paine and Common Sense
In January 1776, Thomas Paine published Common Sense
He attacked the strongest bond tying America to Britain – the King
He pointed out the advantages of freedom from British rule and commercial restrictions
The book divided Americans into either Patriots or Loyalists

28. Independence!
Beginning in April of 1776, the colonies advised their delegates to vote for independence
On June 7th, Richard Henry Lee introduced a brief “Resolution of Independence”
On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted Lee’s resolution “that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states.”

29. The Declaration of Independence
The Official Declaration of Independence was agreed upon on July 4th, 1776
Its purpose was to justify the Revolution, state that the colonies were independent and to express the nation’s principles
The rest is history!