Causes of American Revolution

Chapter 5

Mercantilism Navigation Acts

Prevented Colonial Merchants to use _______ ships

Prevented colonial merchants to trade with ________

Proclamation of 1763 King George prevented colonists to go

across Appalachian Mountains to settle Purpose

Prevent fighting with natives Ppl from Britain can go there, not colonists

Reaction Speculators were upset because they bought

lands west of Appalachian Mountains

French and Indian war Britain was in massive debt Wonder who’s going to pay the debt…

Section 1: Taxation Without Representation

Writs of Assistance Legal Documents which allowed customs

officers to enter anywhere for smuggled goods

Smugglers forced to Vice-admiralty courts where there were no juries

Sugar Act Lowered tax on molasses imported by

colonists Officers seize goods without going to court

Purpose to Writs of A. & Sugar Convince colonial merchants to end smuggling

Reaction to Sugar & W.o.A.

Stamp Act Tax on all printed goods labeled by a stamp

Problems Parliament ignored self government James Otis- “Taxation with Representation is

Tyranny”

Reactions to Stamp Act Patrick Henry convinced Virginia assembly

to pass resolution only Virginia can tax Virginians

Samuel Adams formed Sons of Liberty Burned effigies Tarred and feathered tax collectors

Reactions to Stamp Act Stamp Act Congress

Petition to Parliament and king that colonies can not be taxed by them

Merchants boycotted

Non importation agreements- Agreement not to buy British goods

Stamp Act Repealed Stamp Act was canceled

Parliament passed Declaratory Act Parliament was allowed to tax colonies

Townshend Acts Taxed on glass, tea, paper, and lead

exported to colonists

Reactions Daughters of Liberty

Made homemade fabrics and goods

Section 2: Building Colonial Unity

Boston… Around 2,000 British soldiers stationed in

Boston Soldiers stole items or took jobs

Boston Massacre https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BOWMV-YKLo

Paul Revere made engraving to spread propaganda against British

Committees of Correspondence revived by Sam Adams. This committee brought up grievances against Britain and many other committees were formed.

Tea Act 1773 Townshend Acts were repealed except on

tea

British East India Company did not pay tax to export tea

BEIC sold directly to shopkeepers, not colonial merchants

Tea Act 1773 Reaction

Angry at monopoly “We’ll part with our tea”- Daughters of Liberty https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR77JNqdOI0

Coercive (Intolerable) Acts 1774 Closed Boston Harbor

Massachusetts colonists lost rights

Bostonians were forced to allow redcoats to stay in their homes

Quebec Act Set up permanent government for French

Catholics in Quebec

Section 3: A Call to Arms

Continental Congress Met at Philadelphia Purpose

Establish political body Challenge the British government

Delegates

1. Samuel Adams

2. John Adams (younger cousin)

3. Richard Henry Lee

4. Patrick Henry

5. George Washington

Decisions of Congress Grievances against all acts

Boycott all British commerce

Suffolk Resolves County in Massachusetts formed militias

Militia: citizen soldiers

Minutemen Minutemen- companies (group of soldiers)

ready to fight in a minute’s notice

British soldiers… British general ordered to destroy weapons

at Concord

Paul Revere and William Dawes warned peoples and Sam Adams

Lexington & Concord https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_KOu09z_GA

The Battle of Bunker Hill Colonel William Prescott waited on top with

1,200 militia men “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes”.

British redcoats charged up the hill 3 times, failing the first two times

Colonists lost because ran out of ammo

The Battle of Bunker Hill Fun Fact: It wasn’t fought on Bunker hill,

they actually fought on Breed’s hill

Choosing Sides1. Loyalists

a. Did not consider taxation and regulations a good reason to rebel

b. Officeholders

c. Expected Britain to win the war

2. Patriots

a. Determined to win American Independence

Section 4: Moving Toward Independence

Second Continental Congress Govern colonies Print money Post Office (Benjamin Franklin in charge) Committees to speak with Native

Americans Formed Continental Army (George

Washington as its commander)

Second Continental Congress Sent a Olive Branch Petition to King

George Reaction

King George sends 30,000 Hessian mercenaries

Colonies Attack! Benedict Arnold fails taking Quebec from

Britain

George Washington trains undisciplined militia He retakes Boston from the British redcoats

Thomas Paine Wrote pamphlet called Common Sense

Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson wrote it

Ideas inspired from John Locke – “People born with natural rights to life, liberty, and property”

Governments formed to protect citizens’ rights, citizens have power to overthrow if rights are

Declaration of Independence Sections

Preamble

Rights colonists ought to have and complaints against Britain

Conclusion claiming independence

Grievances against King George III

Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776