1. (CAUSES, EVENTS, PEOPLE, AND BATTLES)
The Road to the
AMERICAN REVOLUTION
(CAUSES, EVENTS, PEOPLE, AND BATTLES)

2. French and Indian War
Disputes in the Ohio Valley between France and Great Britain
Many of the Native American tribes were allies with the French
Iroquois Indians were allies with the British
The French and Indians (Native Americans) fought the Colonists and British.
Fighting started in colonies and spread to Europe

3. French and Indian War Fierce fighting
Spain also sided with French -1761
England won the war in the colonies and overseas
The land held by the French and Spanish was redistributed after the war.

4. The 7 Years War
This is what the French Indian War was called in Europe
War spread from colonies to the world
England owned HUGE amount of land-$$$
War cost money, Great Britain had debts to pay

6. Treaty of Paris- end of war
The western border of GA changed from California to the Mississippi River
England- E of MS River and Canada
France- W of MS River
Spain- lose FL and gets Cuba
The southern border changed to the St. Mary’s River
Treaty of Augusta with the Creek tripled GA’s size

7. The Proclamation of 1763
Issued by King George 3
Goal was to prevent more spending
Moved land/colonies’ borders
Told settlers where they could live
Changed colony shape and size

8. The Proclamation of 1763
Granted land recently won by England in the French and Indian War to the Native Americans.
Effectively shrank the land now granted to the colonies.
Used to prevent further conflict with Native Americans.

9. The Proclamation of 1763
No more settlers were to move to the Indian's land west of the Appalachian Mountains.
Settlers who were already living there had to move back east.

10. How did the Proclamation effect Georgia?
Gained over 2 million acres of land
Headright System- had of each family given the right to 100 acres, an additional 50 acres for each family member
Brought many new settlers to Georgia
Many brought slaves to farm the land
Population grew rapidly- grew from 10,000 to 50,000 between

11. What else is going on in Georgia?
No longer worried about fighting the French, Spanish, or Native Americans
Change in society- wealthy planter families and shipping merchants were leaders of the colony
Growth of slavery
Savannah considered the center of the colony
Some anger over mercantilism caused smuggling

12. Cost of the French and Indian War

13. Sugar Act 1764 1st act/tax by King George 3 to help pay off war debt
Taxed non-British imports-
sugar, coffee, textiles, wine, indigo.
Was stopped in 1765

14. Stamp Act
1765
All legal and commercial documents had to have the “official” stamp- got stamp after paid tax
Contracts, playing cards, papers, pamphlets
expensive
Georgia was the only colony where the stamp was purchased
Response: Stamp Act Congress 1766, tax revoked

15. Townshend Acts
1767
Was still meant to pay for the French and Indian War.
Taxed glass, paint, oil, lead, paper, tea
Still no representation.
Violent protests resulted
Led to the Boston Massacre

17. Tea Act 1773 Helped East India Tea Company
Gave the company a monopoly for selling tea in the colonies.
Resulted in Boston Tea Party- huge protest.

18. The Intolerable Acts Series of Acts- 1774:
1-Boston Harbor is closed until the dumped tea has been paid for
2-Revolutionary groups such as the Sons of Liberty are outlawed and town meetings can only be held once a year, self gov’t outlawed or limited
3-Quartering Act is passed – House and feed British soldiers
THE BIG QUESTION: ?bctid=

19. How did the Georgia colonists feel?
May colonists did not like the taxes imposed by Britain, but Georgia had been very prosperous and grown under British rule.
Merchants relied on British trade.
Many colonists felt like they should be able to take part in making the laws.
Georgians also still feared attacks by the Native Americans if they were not protected by Britain.
CAN YOU THINK OF OTHER REASONS?

20. 1774
First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia- Georgia did not send a delegate
Why do you believe that Georgia was not present at the 1st Continental Congress

21. First Continental Congress
1774- Philadelphia
Reps- all colonies except GA
Passed resolves- intentions:
Boycott all British trade until Intolerable Acts repealed
Told MA colonists- form gov’t and hold all taxes until act repealed
Encouraged colonists- arm selves- form militias

22. Georgia’s Response to the Acts
NO delegates to the First Continental Congress
Most Georgians followed old rules
A minority group of 30 men met twice at Peter Tondee’s Tavern about the Acts
LIBERTY BOYS
GA felt needed to keep good relations with the British- military and economy
Lyman Hall went as rep for just ONE parish- present Effingham County NOT for whole colony

23. A Colony Divided Loyalists- Colonists who supported Great Britain
Patriots- Colonists who supported the revolution
Even at the point of the first battle in the war for independence, many Georgians were undecided as to who they supported

24. The Shot Heard Round the World April 1775
Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the Revolutionary War
Colonists had to decide whether they were Loyalists (loyal to Britain) or Patriots (rebelled against Britain)
Loyalists were also called Tories
Patriots were also called Whigs

25. Paul Revere’s House

26. Old North Church

27. Boston North End- near Paul Revere’s House

28. Loyalists and Patriots in GA
Loyalists (Tories) most numerous in GA- felt England was helping them
Quakers and the Salzburgers
Many in coastal Georgia since merchants
Patriots (Whigs) hated the taxes imposed on them
Scots around Darien, the Jews in Savannah
Upcountry area, Augusta

29. Moving Towards Independence

30. The Second Continental Congress
1775
Reps met in Philadelphia and voted to cut off trade with GA because of its early actions and lack of action.
A Continental Army is created and George Washington is General.

31. GA and the 2nd Continental Congress
3 representatives to be sent to Philadelphia.
Georgia joined the other colonies and :
1-boycott of British goods and
2-threatened to declare independence if not given rights as Brit citizens

32. Decision of Independence
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence
Georgia delegates signed the Declaration
Lyman Hall
Button Gwinnett
George Walton
July 4, 1776, Congress adopted the document
August 2, 1776, Congress signed the document

33. Button Gwinnett
Planter who was elected to Georgia’s Commons House of Assembly in 1769
Joined the Continental Congress in 1776
Helped pass Georgia’s first constitution in 1777, and was appointed Georgia’s Commander in Chief
Died May 19, 1777
In a dual with another military leader

34. George Walton Patriot- Very active in the revolutionary government
Captured by British in Savannah in 1778
1779 released and elected Governor of colony
Served again as representative in congress
In early years of republic, he served as Chief Justice of Georgia, delegate to the Constitutional Convention, part of the electoral college, governor, US Senator, and justice of state superior court.

35. Lyman Hall Owned plantation in Georgia Elected to Continental Congress
involved in provisioning food and medicine for the Revolutionary
Armies
Fled to Connecticut when his property was burned by British and he was accused of High Treason
returned to Georgia in 1782, to reclaim his lands, was elected to the House of Assembly in 1783 and then elevated to the office of the Governor

36. Georgia Takes Action
Nobel W. Jones and Joseph Habersham led a group of Patriots in stealing 600 pounds of “royal” gunpowder in Savannah.
Governor Wright sent a letter to England requesting more troops, but the South Carolinians intercepted it and sent a fake letter saying things were okay in GA.
Provincial Congress

37. Fighting In Georgia
Battle of the Rice Boats – Took place in the Savannah Harbor-PATRIOTS burned rice boats to keep the British from getting the rice-Caused Gov. Wright to leave for England
Siege of Savannah (Battle of)– The British troops captured Savannah, Sunbury, Midway and then Augusta-The Creek helped them gain control of Georgia SAVANNAH UNDER ATTACK:
Battle of Kettle Creek – Patriots with Colonels Elijah Clarke and Austin Dabney, along with General Nathaneal Greene defeated the Loyalist militia at Augusta,
small battle, showed Patriot power

38. Important People of the Revolutionary War Era
Austin Dabney – Free man of mixed parentage – Fought at Kettle Creek and was wounded – Revolutionary War hero, 1st Black to own land in GA
Nancy Hart – Held 5-6 British soldiers or Tories at gunpoint in her house – Hart County is named for her and is the only county in GA named for a woman
THE NANCY HART STORY

39. More famous Georgians…
Nathaneal and Caty Greene
Elbert
Elijah Clarke
Lighthorse Harry Lee

40. End of the War
British General Cornwallis was defeated at the Battle of Yorktown- last battle
Colonel Elijah Clarke led GA and SC troops in taking back Augusta, which led to the British leaving Savannah
The signing of the Treaty of Paris officially ended the American Revolution
1783

41. Creating a Government FOR THE COUNTRY: FOR THE STATE:
ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION 1778
FOR THE STATE:
FIRST GEORGIA CONSTITUTION 1777

42. Articles of Confederation
First form of a constitution
Button Gwinnett helped in writing them
Congress could declare war, sign treaties, deliver mail, and create money
States had the most power but only one vote each in Congress

43. Weaknesses of the Articles
Congress could not collect taxes, so it couldn’t pay for the war
Congress could not control trade or enforce laws
Congress could not pay the soldiers, so they gave many of them land instead
Shay’s Rebellion showed that the Articles needed to be revised

44. Constitutional Convention of 1787
This convention was held to write a new Constitution
2 Georgia reps who signed Constitution:
1-Abraham Baldwin and
2-William Few

45. GA’s State Constitution
Georgia’s first constitution set up a unicameral legislature (1 house)
Georgia’s second constitution set up a bicameral legislature (2 houses)
The bicameral consists of a Senate and a House of Reps. Also, GA set up 3 branches of government: legislative, judicial, and executive