American Revolution

POPULATION• 1776 – Colonies population up to 2.5 million– Saw themselves as Americans– Split on independence issue

representation

• British parliament created laws governing colonies– Best interest of England, not colonies– Made it difficult to trade with French and Spanish

• Colonies – no representation in parliament– British thought they were fair to colonies

• RESENTMENT!!

TAXATION

• England – huge debt• Colonies to pay:– Sugar Act: taxed sugar

bought from French or Spanish

– Stamp Act: all newspapers and legal documents to carry a stamp purchased from Britain

The Townsend acts

• British Prime Minister – Charles Townsend– Raise money to cover cost of defending colonies– Pay salaries of governors and judges in colonies– Townsend Acts: new taxes on glass, paper, teas,

paints and other goods shipped to colonies from Britain

Boston tea party

• British East India Company– Controlled tea trading between India and the British

colonies– Tea tax: Colonists refused to buy British tea

• Left tea in warehouses

• British government:– Force colonists to buy tea– Tea Act: allowed British East India Co. to sell directly

to colonists – skipping wholesale merchants; made it cheaper than smuggled tea

Boston tea party

• Colonists:– Demanded removal of tea

tax– Refusing to unload tea

• December 16, 1773– Group of men “Sons of

Liberty”– Boston Harbor – dressed as

Mohawk Indians– Boarded British ships and

dumped 45 tons of tea

Intolerable Acts

• Response to Boston Tea Party – 1. Boston Port Act: Closed Harbor until colonists paid

for tea2. Massachusetts Gov. Act: Replaced elected Mass.

Council for those appointed by King3. Justice Act: violent crimes tried in England4. Quartering Act: British troops housed in private

homes5. Quebec Act: Canadian border extended southward

to Ohio River

First Continental Congress

• 1774 - Brought together representatives from each colony – discuss Intolerable Acts– How to assert rights?– United front

• 3 objectives: (not independence)– Statement of colonial rights– Identify Parliaments violation of these rights– Provide plan to convince Britain to restore these rights

• Boycott British goods

Battles

Britain• Strong military with

powerful navy• More wealth• 3 times more people

Colonies• Soldiers poorly trained and

little experience• Not all in favor of rebellion• Fighting on own land• George Washington –

brilliant leader

Battles

• Lexington and Concord• “The shot that was heard around the world”– 1775; First shots of revolution – Lexington, Mass.

Declaration of Independence

• Thomas Paine’s – Common Sense• Approved DOI – 2nd Continental Congress

(1776)• Written by Thomas Jefferson• Defined the rights of the people of the

independent states• July 4, 1776 – delegates

signed the documenthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb7MI8NQLoo&feature=relmfu

Battles

• Battle of Saratoga• Series of battles – turning point of war• 1777; Colonial victory – British forced to

surrender

Battles

• Battle of Yorktown (1781)

• Last major battle of the Revolution

• Cornwallis – British leader; moved troops to Yorktown

• October 19, 1781 – Cornwallis surrendered

Articles of confederation

• U.S. – no central government• Second Continental Congress governing• A of C – defined federal government powers

separate from those of the states– Adopted March 1781

• Officially ended the American Revolution• Recognized American Independence

Treaty of Paris 1783