Spirit of Independence

French and Indian War Prohibited colonists from living west of the Appalachian Mountains Land belonged to Native Americans Helped keep peace between Native Americans and settlers Kept colonists near the Atlantic Coast Gave Britain control of westward expansion and fur trade

Needed money for troops

Debt from the French and Indian War

Created smuggling

Great Britain tried to stop smuggling

Lowered tax on imported molasses

Seize smuggled goods without court

Angered colonists Trial by jury

Innocent until proven guilty

Search and seizure

Tax on almost all printed materials Angered colonists

Only local government could tax Virginia’s House of Burgesses passed resolution

“the only and sole exclusive right and power to law taxes” Sons of Liberty is formed by Samuel Adams Colonial leaders begin to work together Boycotts begin

Repealed March 1766 Passed Declaratory Act giving Great Britain the right

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•Tax imported goods such as glass, tea and paper •Taxed goods when they arrived •Women urged colonists to wear homemade fabrics •Daughters of Liberty

•Colonists protesting •Great Britain sends troops to Boston Really upsets the colonists Laws violate colonial rights Army is sent to occupy colonial cities Rude soldiers; competition for jobs

March 5, 1770

Colonists throw sticks and stones

Shots are fired

Five colonists killed

Crispus Attucks

Propaganda Samuel Adams created posters about the Massacre Paul Revere made an engraving depicting a British

officer giving the order to open fire on a crowd

Boycotts become stronger

Townshend Acts are repealed except on tea

Boycotts end except on tea

Trade resumes with Britain

Samuel Adams revives the Boston committee of correspondence Used to unite colonists against Britain

British East India Company (BEIC) is nearly bankrupt Company is essential to Britain’s economy

BEIC is given nearly full control of the tea market in the colonies

Does remove some tea taxes Tea is actually less expensive

Colonists didn’t want to pay any taxes

Didn’t want to be forced to buy a particular tea

Daughters of Liberty – pamphlet saying give up our tea

New York and Philadelphia forced tea ships to turn back

Royal governor in Boston allowed ships to unload

Boston’s Sons of Liberty acted December 16, 1773, dressed as Native Americans threw 342 chests of tea

overboard

No talk of independence

Colonists still see themselves as loyal British citizens

1774 Great Britain passes the Coercive Acts Meant to punish colonists Quartering Act – forced colonists to let British soldiers live with

them Massachusetts Government Act – banned town meetings in

Massachusetts Boston Port Act – closed Boston Harbor until all the ruined tea

was paid for Britain was trying to cut off Boston from the other colonies but it

united them instead

Quebec Act – created a government for Canada and extended its territory south to the Ohio River Ignored colonies’ claims to this region

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12 of 13 colonies send delegates to Philadelphia

Massachusetts: Samuel Adams and John Adams

New York: John Jay

Virginia: George Washington, Richard Henry Lee and Patrick Henry

Delegates create statement of grievances Demand repeal of 13 acts Laws violated the “laws of nature, the principles of the

English constitution and the several charters”

Voted to boycott British trade Don’t use or import British goods; wouldn’t sell goods to Great

Britain

Endorsed the Suffolk Resolves Created by people of Boston and Suffolk County towns

in Massachusetts

Declared Coercive (Intolerable) Acts illegal

Called for resident to arm themselves

Other colonies will create militias after this approval

Used for a long time to protect and serve communities

Important line of defense for towns

Colonists sure Britain will attack Massachusetts

Ready to fight

April 1775 British troops were in and around Boston

Thomas Gage ordered to seize weapons and arrest leaders Learned weapons stored in Concord (NW of Boston) 700 troops under Lt. Col. Francis Smith Night of April 18, 1775, Dr. Joseph Warren warned Paul Revere

and William Dawes of British activity Revere and Dawes rode to Lexington (E of Concord) Revere shouted across the countryside Dawes and Revere captured Samuel Prescott carries the warning to Concord

British approach Lexington and meet with 70 minutemen led by Capt. John Parker

Shot is fired

Shots then exchanged

8 minutemen dead

Weapons found are burned

Hiding colonists fired on soldiers heading to Concord

174 wounded; 73 dead

Colonists sure Britain will attack Massachusetts

“Shot heard ‘round the world” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Fight for independence has begun

Captain in Connecticut

Teamed up with Ethan Allen of Vermont to take over Fort Ticonderoga near Lake Champlain in NY Rich in military supplies

British troops in Fort Ticonderoga surrendered on May 10, 1775

Becomes a traitor to the Patriot cause

Discovered in September 1780

Fled to NYC

Commanded British troops against Americans in VA and CT

Boston in British control

June 16, 1775, Col. William Prescott – Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill (across the harbor from Boston)

Redcoats assemble at Breed’s Hill

“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes”

Americans opened fire forcing British to retreat

Redcoats charged two more times

Americans have to withdraw

British victory Heavy losses more than 1,000 dead and wounded Showed this fight would not be easy or quick

Loyalists – unfair taxes and laws don’t justify rebellion Some were officeholders and felt loyalty to British rule Some didn’t think it was a reason to break Some didn’t want to be on the losing side

Patriots – supported the war Believed should be able to govern themselves Fight until independence achieved

American Revolution – America v. Britain and Loyalists v. Patriots

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May 10, 1775 John and Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee,

George Washington, Ben Franklin, John Hancock (President), Thomas Jefferson

Still not ready to break from Great Britain Set up a post office Authorized printing of money Committees for relations with Native Americans and foreign

countries Continental Army formed; George Washington commander Olive Branch Petition

Assured King George III that colonists wanted peace Asked colonist’s rights be protected

King rejected the petition

British troops in Canada planning to invade NY

Patriots marched north from Fort Ticonderoga and captured Montreal

Quebec attack led by Benedict Arnold failed

Washington reached Boston in July 1775

March 1776 Washington felt troops were ready

Moved soldiers and canons into position overnight

Surprised British and Gen. William Howe had soldiers withdraw from Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia

Many still hope to remain part of Great Britain

Support for independence is growing

Thomas Paine’s Common Sense – January 1776 Greatly influenced opinions of independence in the

colonies

Second Continental Congress – independence or British rule?

June 1776 – Virginia's Richard Henry Lee declares independence is necessary

Debated Lee’s resolution Not form a separate nation War already started Feared Britain’s power

Debate continues – form committee to write a declaration John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert

Livingston and Roger Sherman

Jefferson agrees to write the Declaration

Ideas from John Locke 1690s expressed ideas people are born with certain natural rights to life,

liberty and property Government’s are formed to protect those rights Government interfering with those rights could be overthrown

On July 2, 1776, Second Continental Congress votes on Lee’s resolution

12 colonies approved; NY did not (later did)

Reviewed Jefferson’s work; made some changes and approved it on July 4, 1776

John Hancock signed first Name large enough so King George could read it without glasses Eventually 56 delegates signed

Washington had Declaration read to troops in NYC on July 9

Worcester, Massachusetts celebration

Preamble – explains reasons why

Rights should have and complaints against Great Britain

Proclaims new nation

John Adams thought July 2 would be the day celebrated since it was the vote on Lee’s proposal

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