1. The American Revolution
Ch 4

2. Section 1 - The Colonies Fight for Their Rights
In 1740 the French and British built forts in the Ohio River Valley to claim the territory which led to the French and Indian War

3. The British formed a conference called the Albany Plan of Union that united the colonies to help push out the French, led by Ben Franklin
This was the first time the colonies were united for anything

4. The British General Edward Braddock named George Washington his aide.
For the next two years fighting spread all over the frontier

5. In 1756 the fighting spread to Europe as the Seven Years War
The turning point in America was the British victory at Quebec

6. The Treaty of Paris ended the war in 1763 and eliminated most all French power in North America.

8. Colonial Discontent The war put the British into debt
Britain wanted the colonies to help pay the debt
The Sugar Act was the first attempt to do so

9. Sugar Act
The act…
Taxed sugar, silk, wine, coffee, pimento, and indigo
Colonists argued “taxation without representation” in Parliament

10. Other Acts
Stamp Act – taxed printed material, the first direct tax placed on the common man
Quartering Act – forced colonist to house British troops in their homes to pay for their defense

11. The Townshend Acts
Revenue Act – allowed for general search warrants called writs of assistance
British began to seize property without due process

12. Colonial Protest
The protests were led by a group called the Sons of Liberty
Originally started by Isaac Sears
Led by Samuel Adams

13. The colonist boycotted all British goods and passed non-importation laws against British Acts
On March 5, 1770 British troops fired on colonist in Boston and killed many in the Boston Massacre

14. Journal Entry 9/18
Turn to page 134 and read the Preamble to Declaration of Independence and rewrite it in your own words

15. Section 2
1772 the British sent the Gaspee, a customs ship, to patrol North American waters.
The ship runs aground and is seized by colonist and burned

16. The British took suspects back to England for trial
Colonist felt this was a violation of their right to trial by jury

17. Thomas Jefferson created the Committee of Correspondence for colonies to talk to each other about Britain

18. Tea Act / Tea Party The British East India company was going bankrupt
In 1773 Parliament passed the Tea Act to tax tea from the Dutch and force colonist to buy from them

19. In December 1773, colonist dumped 342 chests of East India Tea into the Boston Harbor
This became known as the Boston Tea Party

20. Proclamation of 1763
King George of England drew a line from north to south along the Appalachian Mountains and declared that colonist couldn’t settle west of the line without permission

21. Intolerable Acts
Coercive Acts – four new laws passed by the British in response to the Boston Tea Party
Quebec Act – gave more land to Quebec and made it harder for colonist to move west

22. First Continental Congress
Met in Philadelphia in 1774
Wrote the Declaration of Rights and Grievances – which gave loyalty to the king but condemned the Intolerable Acts

23. Revolution Begins
The town of Concord created the first Minutemen militia
The colonist split into 2 groups
Loyalist – (Tories) those still loyal to the king
Patriots – (Whigs) wanted independence

24. Lexington and Concord
April 18, 1775 British Gen. Gage wanted the arms stockpile at Concord
Lexington was on the way
Paul Revere and William Dawes were sent to warn that “the Red Coats were coming”

25. Second Continental Congress
After the victory delegates met to address the issue of defense
The Congress adopted the militia and named it the Continental Army with Washington as it’s General

26. Battle of Bunker Hill – huge boost to American confidence that they could stand up to the British army
Olive Branch Petition – Continental Congress tried to make peace with King George

27. Jan 1776 Thomas Paine wrote the pamphlet “Common Sense” calling for independence
July 4th, 1776 Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress declaring themselves the United States of America