how did the revolution lead the colonies towards independence? pages 171-176

How did the Revolution Lead the Colonies Towards Independence?Pages 171-176

It Begins!• British an American

soldiers met on Lexington Green in Massachusetts

• British commander told the Americans to leave and told his soldiers not to fire

• Someone fired!- called the shot heard round the world as this was the start of the Revolutionary war

• ITS ON!

The Continental Army• Revolutionaries were able

to put together a sizable force to combat the trained British soldiers

• George Washington was made commander of the Continental army

- Later he would become the first president of the US

Women in the Revolution

Supporting the Boycotts• Instead of wearing or

purchasing clothing made of imported British materials, Patriot women continued a long tradition of weaving, and spun their own cloth to make clothing for their families.

• Served the Continental Army by producing needed clothing and blankets

• Betsy Ross made the American flag

Camp Followers•These women

followed the Continental Army; serving the soldiers and officers as washerwomen, cooks, nurses, seamstresses, supply scavengers, and occasionally as soldiers and spies.

Women at War•They would often

disguise themselves as men to fight in battle

•Fought with muskets, bow and arrows, or a cannon.

•Others used pitchforks to fight hand to hand

Why Stay Loyal?• Americans wanted to

secure the Northern boarder from a British attack

- convince Quebec to join them or attack Quebec and take it over

• 1775 American armies attacked yet failed to take Quebec

• This failure helped to convince Canadians to stay loyal to Britain

Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence• A revolutionary document

that proposed that a new nation, the US, would be based upon the belief that all people have rights that no government can take away

• announced that the 13 regarded themselves as independent and no longer a part of the British Empire

• Declared all men are created equal

Declaration of Independence: Legacy• Inspired the French

Revolution to overthrow King Louis XVI less than 20 years later in 1792

• It would be used to support the rights of women, workers , and minority groups in the US

• It would be used to support the abolition of slavery in the US

The End of the American Revolution•The Declaration did not end the war•The war continued for another 7 years!

- The balance tilted in favor of the Americans when Spain and France joined on the side of the Americans

- The British lost a whole army at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781 and surrendered soon after