THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

OR
WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE

VS

13 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA GREAT BRITAIN

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Steps to the American Revolution: REVOLUTION

13. Colonists react

12. Battle of Bunker Hill

11. 2nd Continental Congress

10. Lexington and Concord

9. American colonists take action

8. British Parliament passes Intolerable Acts

7. Boston Tea Party

6. British Parliament passes Tea Act

5. Boston Massacre

4. British Parliament passes Townshend Acts

3. American colonists take action

2. British Parliament passes new laws

1. French and Indian War 2

1. FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR: (1754-1763)
-Fought between the English and French
over control of the land in North
America.
-The English wanted to push west, but the
French blocked them. The war started
over land disputes between the two
nations.
-Each side used Native Americans to help
fight the war.

-The Albany Congress: 1754

-At the beginning of the war, the

English colonies sent delegates to a
meeting held in Albany, New York.
-Iroquois Indians were also present.
-Ben Franklin proposed a plan for
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unifying the English colonies.
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-The Albany Plan of Union: 1754
-Under this plan, each colonial legislature would elect delegates to an
American continental assembly presided over by a royal governor.
-The plan was not approved by the English Parliament: they feared
the new assembly would be to powerful for Parliament to control.
-A political cartoon was created in the colonies to show support for
this plan.

The snake represented the colonies. On their

own, they were weak and could be defeated. 5
Together, they would be strong.
-England wins the war.
-French lose colonies in North America.
-War was very expensive for the English. The British Parliament wants American
colonists to help pay for cost of war.
North America: 1750 North America: 1765

This map shows both the French This map shows the English colonies
and English lands in North and new land taken from the French in 6
America. North America.
2. BRITISH PARLIAMENT PASSES NEW LAWS:
-Parliament passes taxes to control the colonies and raise money to pay for the war.

A. Proclamation Act of 1763: Forbade settlers from moving west across the
Appalachian Mountains and into Indian territory. 10,000 soldiers sent to colonies to
enforce law. Colonists angry with so many soldiers being sent to control them.

● British
cannot afford
another war.
● Many
colonists
ignore the law
and move into
new lands.

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B. Sugar Act (1764): England places a tax on sugar, coffee, indigo, and molasses.

Sugar Cane used to make sugar. Sugar

used to make molasses. Molasses used
to make rum. Rum was one of the
most popular and common drinks in
the colonies.

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Coffee
 Currency Act (1764): England passes a law requiring all colonists to pay
debts using gold or silver. Colonists become angry over this.

• Stamp Act (1765):

-England places a tax on all legal documents: bills of sale, contracts, wills,
newspapers, cards.
-Americans are angry with tax: Say the tax is unfair: “No Taxation Without
Representation.”
-Americans begin to organize and protest the taxes.

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3. AMERICAN COLONISTS TAKE ACTION:
• “No Taxation Without Representation”
-Colonists very angry over new taxes and laws. Colonists felt
that Parliamant and the king did not have the right to tax the
colonists without colonial representation in Parliament.
How it worked:
5. All taxes and laws are made by the King of England and
Parliament.
6. Only people living in England may elect members to
Parliament.
7. If Americans cannot elect members to Parliament, then they
have no representation there.
8. These Americans say the taxes are unfair and refuse to pay
them. They say that they have the same rights as
Englishmen and want representation.

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• Stamp Act Congress
(1765):
-9 colonies sent delegates
to NY to discuss Stamp Act.
-Wrote a petition and sent
to British government.
-Stated that Parliament
did not have the right to tax
colonies, only the colonial
assemblies had the right.

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C. Sons of Liberty (1765):
-Some colonists were not happy with a formal protest. They
wanted more direct action.
-Sam Adams helped to create the Sons of Liberty to take a more
active role against England
-Most effective protest was boycotting or refusing to buy
English goods.
-Sometimes they used violence such as burning a tax collectors Sam Adams
home or tarring and feathering.
BOYCOTT: To not buy products from a business as a way of getting what you want.
Tarring and
feathering a tax
collector.

Burning
down the
house of a
tax
collector. 12
4. British Parliament Passes Townshend Acts (1767):
A. Navigation Acts enforced. This included the use of Writs of Assistance which
gave British officials ability to search homes and boats for smuggled goods.
B. Taxes: Taxes on glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea.

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• Boston Massacre: March 5, 1770
-Started as a protest against British government by colonists.
-Colonists threw snowballs at soldiers and taunted them by calling them names.
-Soldiers fired on crowd killing 5 colonists. Someone from the crowed yelled
“fire.”
-Paul Revere, member of the Sons of Liberty, wrote about the event and called it the
“Boston Massacre.”

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• Tea Act (1773):
-British Parliament passes law which lowers the price of tea, but still leaves the tax
on the tea.
-Colonists see law as a way of hurting American merchants.
-In several cities, the Sons of Liberty did things to protest this law. In Boston, the
Sons of Liberty held the Boston Tea Party.

7. Boston Tea Party (1773):

-Sons of Liberty, dressed as Mohawk Indians, boarded ships in Boston Harbor.
They dumped crates of tea into harbor as a protest against Tea Act.

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• Intolerable Acts (1774): British Parliament passes laws as a way of punishing
the colonies for the Boston Tea Party and other acts of the Sons of Liberty.
-Closed port of Boston
-Quartering Act: Law requiring colonists to provide food and housing for British
soldiers.
-British troops sent to colonies to enforce laws.

Quartering Act: Colonist being

ordered to provide housing, food,
candles, bedding for soldiers. 21
British soldiers:
• American Colonists Take Action: Colonists viewed the new laws as an
attack on their right to self-government. Took steps to organize their protests.

A. Committees of Correspondence: Groups created in every colony in order

to spread information about the British.

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B. First Continental Congress (1774): Representatives from colonies meet in
Philadelphia to discuss their rights.
-Send petition to King to try to restore peace.
-Asked King to repeal the Intolerable Acts.
-Said they had the right to make colonial laws.
-Threatened to halt exports to Britain
-Organized a boycott of British goods.
-Parliament responded by adding new taxes to the colonies.
-Colonies form militias to prepare for war. Minutemen created to respond in
case of attack.

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Minutemen:
-Nickname for colonial militia or citizen soldiers.
-They supplied their own weapons and had little
military training.
-Ready to defend their families and homes.

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• Lexington and Concord (1775):
-Patriots had stored arms and ammunition in Concord.
-British wanted to capture arms and ammunition. Also, wanted to capture 2 patriot
leaders: Sam Adams and John Hancock.[
-British march out of Boston on April 18, 1775.
-Patriots ride to warn the countryside of British.
-Lexington: Minutemen confront British. Exchange fire: 18 Minutemen killed or
wounded.
-British march to Concord: Destroyed supplies. Exchange fire.
-British march back to Boston: Minutemen fire on British all the way back.
-300 British killed, wounded, or missing.
-Americans surround Boston.

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• Second Continental Congress (1775): Representatives from the colonies
met in Philadelphia to discuss plans.
A. Olive Branch Petition (1775): Sent petition to King George III asking to
restore peace. King refuses petition.
B. Continental Army (1775): Created an army to prepare for war under the
command of George Washington.

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• Battle of Bunker Hill (1775):
-American army surrounded Boston after Lexington and Concord.
-British army attacks rebels to drive them back. Beaten back twice. Rebels run out
of ammunition. Forced to retreat when British attack a 3rd time.
-2200 British start battle. 1000 killed or wounded.
-British forced to abandon Boston. They sail out of Boston.

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13. American Colonists Take Action:
A. Thomas Paine writes Common Sense (1776):
-Argues for American independence. Most
Americans read this book and agree with him.
B. Declaration of Independence (1776): Written by
Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Ben Franklin, and several
others. Issued by the Second Continental Congress in July
1776.
-Declared our independence and created the
United States of America.

-Purpose: Break ties with England and create

United States of America.
-Purpose of Gov’t: Protect the rights, liberties
of the people.
-Power comes from the people.
-Ideas did not apply to women, slaves, or
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Indians.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights,
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes
destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to
institute new Government”

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The American (Continental, Patriot) Army: In the beginning, the
Continental Army was made up of farmers, frontiersmen, and townspeople who left
their homes to fight the British. Many believed the war would be short.
-At first, they had to provide their own weapons, ammunition, and uniforms.
-Over time, they would be formed into regular units with uniforms and proper
equipment.

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Reasons why the
American colonists
believed that they
would win the war.
ADVANTAGES:
1. They were fighting for their
homes, families, lives, and freedom.
2. George Washington
3. They were fighting on their home
ground.
4. Ben Franklin got the French to
help them.
5. Many of the English generals
were afraid to make mistakes.
6. The English people would get
tired of a long war.
Reasons why most people
believed that England
would win the war.
DISADVANTAGES:
1. Poorly trained army and no
navy.
2. No money to fight a war.
3. Weak, inexperienced gov’t.
4. 2/3 of population were
either Tories or didn’t care.
5. Professional English army,
Hessians, and Indians against
them.
6.Poor equipment and lack of
food.
7. Soldiers could leave at 59
will.
Reasons why England
believed it would win
its war with America.
ADVANTAGES:
1. Professional army and navy.
2. Factories to make war materials.
3. $ to feed and supply an army.
4. A government to make
decisions.
5. 1/3 of the American population
were Tories. 1/3 of the American
population were neutral or didn’t
care.
6. Hessians and Indians on British
side.
7. Americans were poorly supplied
and trained.
Reasons why England
might not win the
war.
DISADVANTAGES:
1. England had a 3000
mile supply line.
2. English soldiers were
fighting because they
were told to fight.
3. America is a large
piece of land and not
easy to control or
conquer.
4. Many of the English
generals were afraid to
make mistakes. 60
The Battle of Saratoga:
2. The British planned a 3 pronged
attack to capture the Hudson
River Valley and cut off New
England from the rest of the
colonies.
-Gen. Burgoyne would
march south from Canada to take
Albany.
-Gen. St. Leger would
march east from the Great Lakes
to Albany.
-Gen. Howe would march
north from NYC to Albany.
6. St. Leger was defeated at Battle
of Oriskany. Howe never moved
north.
7. Burgoyne was on his own and
met an American army at
Saratoga.
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THE BATTLE OF
SARATOGA IS OFTEN
CALLED A TURNING POINT
OF THE WAR. THE
AMERICAN VICTORY
CAUSED THE FRENCH TO
BEGIN TO SEND AID TO THE
AMERICANS.

Gen. Burgoyne
surrendered to
the Americans
with about 7,000
soldiers.

Ben Franklin, living in

France, was able to
convince the French to
help the Americans
due to this victory.
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The Battle of Yorktown:
The American and French armies defeated
the British at the Battle of Yorktown.
General Cornwallis surrendered to the
Americans.
This marked the end of the war.

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 BRITISH ACTION: AMERICAN REACTION:

FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR REFUSAL TO PAY SHARE OF WAR

PROCLAMATION OF 1763 DISOBEY THE LAW

STAMP ACT PROTEST STAMP ACT

SONS OF LIBERTY
BOYCOTTING ENGLISH GOODS
NO TAXATION WITHOUT
REPRESENTATION

QUARTERING ACT BOSTON MASSACRE

TEA TAX BOSTON TEA PARTY

INTOLERABLE ACTS MINUTEMEN

LEXINGTON – CONCORD AMERICAN REVOLUTION

BUNKER HILL

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