1. American Independence… No Turning Back

2. Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride
The British soldiers left Boston at night toward Lexington and Concord
Their goal was to seize colonial weapons and catch the colonists off guard
The Sons of Liberty were ready and warned the countryside

3. “One if by land, two if by sea”
They hung two lamps in the Old North Church in Boston
The British were coming by sea (faster)
Revere rode on horseback through the villages hollering “The redcoats are coming! The redcoats are coming!”
He alerted the colonists of the British invasion

4. Lexington The next morning the British arrived in Lexington
70 minutemen were waiting
Suddenly a shot was fired
“The shot heard round the world” and the first shot of the American Revolution
Eight colonists were killed
The British moved on to Concord

5. Concord 300 minutemen were waiting Fighting broke out
The British were forced to retreat back to Boston
73 redcoats killed, 200 wounded/missing

6. Blood shed… but war? Not all colonists wanted revolution
The words and deeds of Patriots like John Adams, Sam Adams, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin would help convince many to see the colonies were at a cross road… submit to the British as second class citizens or fight for independence
It would not be easy and if fought, there would be no turning back

7. After Lexington and Concord
The colonies were still unsure of what to do
Some wanted peace
Some wanted war

8. Second Continental Congress
Congress meets a second time
Delegates from each of the colonies were there
Famous Faces in Attendance:
John Adams
Sam Adams
George Washington
Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Jefferson

9. Second Continental Congress
Heated debate on what to do
They agree to pass The Olive Branch Petition
Declared loyalty to the king
Asked the king to repeal the Intolerable Acts

10. King George FURIOUS!!!! He issues the Rebellion Proclamation
Calls the Congress traitors and wicked
Accused them of leading a rebellion
Encouraged British citizens to turn in anyone suspected of speaking against the crown
Claimed anyone speaking against the crown would be charged with treason
Ordered 20,000 more troops be sent

11. Continental Army Congress sets up the Continental Army
Appoint George Washington as commander
Washington knew it was going to be a tough fight
Untrained militia versus trained British soldiers

12. The Colonies Split Patriots: colonists who favored war
Loyalists: colonists who favored loyalty to the king
Many were undecided
The Loyalist

13. Patriots Disadvantages Advantages Poorly organized
Untrained militia soldiers
Few cannons and gunpowder
No Navy
Advantages
Militia fighters owned their own weapons and were good shots
George Washington
Fiercely determined
Home field advantage

14. Loyalists Usually wealthy merchants
Former officials to the royal government
More from the Middle and Southern colonies
Patriots tarred and feathered some
Loyalists fled back to England or to Canada

15. The Battle of Bunker Hill
Colonel William Prescott led 1,200 minutemen up Bunker Hill to create a wall preventing the British from moving past Boston
From that vantage point they could fire on British ships sitting in Boston Harbor
British charged the hill

16. Battle of Bunker Hill (continued)
The British charged the hill twice unsuccessfully with serious casualties
On the third charge the British took the hill
Colonists retreated
Heavy loss for British
1,000 British killed including major officers
400 Colonists killed

17. Result of Bunker Hill First major battle of the American Revolution
Even though colonists loss the battle, it proved they could stand up to the British
Proved the Americans could fight bravely

18. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called Common Sense
He argued:
The colonist have pleaded with the king reasonably
The King has become a tyrant
That free people should not be ruled by king/queen
That Britain never really cared about the colonists
It makes “common sense” to declare independence

19. Common Sense Huge Success
Thomas Paine’s pamphlet spreads through the colonies
It inspires many to become Patriots
People begin to want independence from Britain
Members of the Continental Congress are inspired by it also and begin to debate independence

20. The Consequences of Declaring Independence
To formally declare independence would be considered treason
Each of the members of Congress would be executed
Knowing the consequences, the members of Congress debate, think and then take a vote
Franklin, “We must hang together or assuredly we will hang separately.”

21. Who Will Write…
While still debating the issue, Congress established a committee to formally write a Declaration of Independence (just in case)
Committee:
Thomas Jefferson
John Adams
Benjamin Franklin

22. Declaring Independence
July 2, 1776
Congress votes on independence
The measure passes
July 4, 1776
Congress adopts Jefferson’s document
Congress signs the Declaration of Independence

23. What Did the Declaration Say?
Three Parts
Natural rights
British wrongs
Independence

24. Natural Rights
“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; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
People are given their rights from God not government
Government exists to protect those rights
Government must have the approval of the people
The people have a right to remove that government

25. British Wrongs
“We have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms; our repeated petitions have been answered only be repeated injury. A prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”
Condemns King George III (sending troops during peacetime and overtaxing)
Explains how colonist have petitioned the king only to be treated with injustice

26. Independence
“And, for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, an our sacred honor.”
All political ties with Britain are cut
They desire to be a free and independent country

27. Reaction to Independence
Copies of the Declaration of Independence were sent around the colonies
Colonist cheered and tore down statues of the king (they later made bullets out of them)
In a letter to his wife Abigail, John Adams wrote that the day of the signing will forever be marked with celebrations and illuminations (fireworks)

28. Celebration But Now Cold Reality
The king would not let the colonists leave without a fight
The colonists new war was inevitable and that it would not be easy
A group of farmers, merchants, lawyers, boys, untrained family men would face the greatest army in the world
The colonists brace themselves and prepare for war