1. Road to Revolution

2. Democracy  Government derives its authority from its citizens  Comes from the Greek: 1.Demos (people) 2.Kratos (authority)  Thus Democracy means government by the people

3. American Democracy  Our democracy is known as representative democracy (A Republic)  Those in power get their authority from the people  We vote for them, and then they are supposed to fulfill the will of the majority

4. Where did all the Trouble Begin??  Before we were the United States of America we are a collection of British colonies  Now, read this…

5. How did the colonists respond?  The colonists in America began to boycott the Stamp Act, especially in Boston  They would debate this new tax in colonial legislatures  Some stamp collectors were harassed  This was when the concept of “No taxation without representation” first appeared

6. Townshend Acts 1767  Indirect tax on imported goods, such as glass, lead, and paint  There was also a tax on tea, the most popular drink in the colonies  The British also begin stationing “Redcoats” (British Soldiers) in Massachusetts

7. Boston Massacre 1770  British soldiers start taking jobs from colonists on their off duty time b/c they were paid so little.  Colonists are angered b/c the redcoats are taking jobs away from them  What happens? Watch this clip…

8. Tea Act 1773  British East India Company was allowed to sell tea to colonists without paying the tax  Therefore the cheapest tea becomes British Tea  What is the result of this?

9. The Boston Tea Party (Dec. 1773)  In protest, colonists led by The Sons of Liberty, dump 18,000 lbs. of British Tea into Boston Harbor  Now, watch this…

10. The Intolerable Acts  These were passed by British Parliament by the urging of King George III b/c of the rebellious actions in Boston…  Shut down Boston Harbor  Housed British soldiers in homes of Bostonians  Appointed a British Governor as the head of Mass. (Thomas Gage)  Boston was placed under martial law

11. First Continental Congress (1774)  56 delegates (representatives) meet in Philadelphia to create a declaration of colonial rights  The king ends up denying these rights  The delegates then decide to meet again

12. Second Continental Congress (1775)  Before the this congress meets, British soldiers clash with the minutemen in Lexington and Concord, Mass.  This was the first fighting between British soldiers and American colonists  The 2 nd continental congress sends an olive branch petition to King George III (one last opportunity to allow the colonies representation)