1. The Tea Act & the Tea Party 1773 the British East India Tea Company was facing bankruptcy Parliament tried to save them by allowing them to ship their tea directly to the colonial market at lower prices However, the three-penny tax still remained

2. The Tea Act & the Tea Party Crowds met the ships carrying the tea & prevented them from unloading it MA governor Thomas Hutchinson refused to allow the ships to leave until they unloaded their cargo

3. The Tea Act & the Tea Party 1773 Bostonians who were part of the Sons of Liberty disguised themselves as Indians, boarded the ships & dumped the tea

4. The Intolerable Acts Parliament responded quickly to the Tea Party with acts that punished Boston Port Act MA Govt. Act Justice Act A new Quartering Act

5. Quebec Act (1774) French in Canada were allowed to practice Catholicism Expanded the Canadian border to the Ohio River

6. The First Continental Congress 1774 Delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies met in Philly to discuss ways of redressing colonial grievances S. Adams, J. Adams, G. Washington, P. Henry

7. The First Continental Congress 1774 Wrote the Declaration of Rights & Grievances Allowed Parliament to regulate trade Refused to allow them to impose revenue taxes w/o their consent Demanded the repeal of the Intolerable Acts Approved the Continental Association - complete boycott of all British goods Parliament didn’t respond

8. Lexington & Concord April 1775 General Gage sent troops through Lexington to Concord to seize a stockpile of weapons & to arrest radical leaders S. Adams & J. Hancock On April 18, 1775 Paul Revere & others rode off to warn the militia of the approaching army At Lexington, the redcoats fired on the colonial militiamen, killing 8 Redcoats marched on to Concord where they didn’t find weapons but instead were forced to retreat by the Concord Minutemen 73 redcoats were killed Signifies the beginning of the American Revolution

9. Second Continental Congress Met in Philly May 1775 Authorized the printing of American paper money Approved the creation of a Continental Army & appointed G. Washington to serve as commander

10. Second Continental Congress Olive Branch Petition Reasserted colonial loyalty to the crown Asked the king to intervene with Parliament on their behalf The king rejected it

11. Second Continental Congress The king approved the Prohibitory Act Declared the colonies in rebellion & no longer under his protection

12. The Impact of “Common Sense” Jan. 1776, Thomas Paine published a pamphlet called “Common Sense”, in which he attacked the sanctity of the monarchy head-on

13. The Impact of “Common Sense” He called for immediate independence – turning point! His simple, yet emotional writing style spoke directly to ordinary citizens, not just the political elite

14. Declaration of Independence Written by Thomas Jefferson, the 2 nd C.C. formally ratified it on July 4, 1776

15. Declaration of Independence Reflected the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke regarding natural rights Listed grievances that focused on the king’s abuse of power Signified the official break of the colonies from England

16. Declaration of Independence Impact Served as an appeal to enlist more colonists to the American cause & rally assistance Served as an invitation for assistance from foreign nations Served as a source of inspiration to countless future revolutionary movements around the world (France, Haiti, Latin America)