1. Chapter 4
Section 2

2. Leading to Revolution
The Gaspee affair outrages England. The colonists seized and burned an English patrol ship.
The Tea Act upset colonial merchants. To combat the Act the colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor.
The Boston Tea Party was the last straw for Britain.

3. Leading to Revolution
The Coercive Acts were put into place to punish the colonists.
The first act shut down Boston Harbor until the dumped tea was paid for.
The second act made all Massachusetts officials only be appointed by the royal governor.
The third act placed British soldiers under the trials of England, not the colonies.

4. Leading to Revolution
The fourth act made the colonists house British troops.
To enforce these acts the British sent about 2,000 troops to the area.
The Quebec Act placed the area of Quebec under British direct rule.
These acts became known as the Intolerable Acts.

5. Leading to Revolution
In 1774 the colonists held the First Continental Congress to discuss grievances against England.
Each of the colonies sent representatives to Philadelphia.
The Congress sent a Declaration of Rights and Grievances to the king to express their concerns.

6. Revolution Begins
In 1774 Massachusetts began to mobilize by building a strong militia and stockpiling arms.
The colonies were split between loyalists and patriots.
These two groups fought between themselves.
The British were going to march on Concord, Mass. to seize the militia’s supplies.

7. Revolution Begins
Paul Revere heard about the plan and was sent to spread the word.
The British found militias waiting for them at Lexington and Concord.
The Second Continental Congress set up a Continental Army with George Washington as general.
The Battle of Bunker Hill gave the colonists confidence.

8. Decision for Independence
The colonists tried to settle with the British peacefully by sending the Olive Branch Petition to King George III.
The King refused to read it and called the colonists England’s enemies.
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense changed public opinion for independence.
Most people were still loyal to the king.

9. Decision for Independence
Under pressure from the delegates from Massachusetts the Continental Congress issued a Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.