The American RevolutionThe Road to War

Important Vocabulary

Blockade- to use warships to prevent other ships from entering or leaving a harbor

Earthworks- a wall made of dirt or stone used for protection during a battle

Intolerable- unacceptable; unbearable; so bad you can’t stand it

Mercenary- a soldier who fights in a war for a foreign nation in return for money

Minutemen- Patriot soldiers who could be ready to fight in a minute’s notice

Monopoly- the complete control of product or service

Olive branch- an ancient symbol of peace

Petition- a signed request made to an official person or organization

Quarter- to provide or pay for housing at no cost to another person

The Trouble with Tea

In 1770, Parliament repealed the Townshend Acts EXCEPT for the tea tax.

Parliament then gave a tea monopoly to the East India Company East India Company was Britain’s chief tea producer

Britain allowed East India Company to charge less for their tea than any of the colonial tea merchants

This was BAD news for the colonists because all of their customers bought from the East India Company and they were put out of business

This caused some colonists to boycott tea

Boycott Tea, Patriots!

In Pennsylvania, colonists didn’t allow British ships carrying tea to enter their ports

In Massachusetts, colonists didn’t want tea ships to dock either Governor Thomas Hutchinson allowed them to

The Sons of Liberty

A group of Patriots who wanted the colonies to be free from England and King George III

Included: John Adams

Samuel Adams

John Hancock

Benedict Arnold

Paul Revere

Joseph Warren

Patrick Henry

The Sons of Liberty have a Plan!

Like the Patriots who gathered in the Stamp Act Congress, the Patriots know they must ACT against the tea tax and monopoly inflicted on them by the British

During one of their secret meetings, they decide to make a statement to the British Parliament This is not a written declaration like John Dickinson

suggested at the Stamp Act Congress

This was more violent and much more famous!

The Boston Tea Party

The night of December 16, 1773, the Boston Tea Party happened

The Sons of Liberty planned to get rid of the British tea

They hired local Patriot men, in a lower social and economic standing than them to Dress up as Mohawk Indians

Board a British tea ship

Break open 342 chests of tea

Dump the tea into the harbor

Coercive Acts/ Intolerable Acts

British Parliament was furious over the Patriot’s actions

They imposed the Coercive Acts, also known as the Intolerable Acts, a new series of laws punishing the colonists

The colonists called them intolerable because they were so bad the colonists couldn’t stand it!

Boston Port Bill

Passed in 1774

Closed the port of Boston until the colonists paid for the destroyed tea (it was worth approximately $1 million in today’s money)

The British navy blockaded the harbor with their warships to keep any ships from entering or leaving

Massachusetts Government Act

Passed in 1774

Banned the Massachusetts government from making laws

Banned town meetings not approved or authorized by the governor

Quartering Act

Required the colonists to quarter the British soldiers

This meant they had to: Feed

Provide shelter

Colonists are sick and tired of the British!

The colonists hate the Intolerable Acts

They are starting to get worried that the British will do anything (and everything) to get them to obey

The colonists know they need a plan for how to respond to the British

So, they meet again

First Continental Congress

September 1774 at Philadelphia’s Carpenters’ Hall

56 delegates had different ideas:

Some wanted to break away from Britain

Some wanted to find a way to get along better with Britain

Some wanted to make a compromise between these ideas

Congress agreed to compromise

They wrote a petition of their rights

Said that only the colonial government could make laws on taxes that the colonists would pay

Gave Parliament a deadline of May 10, 1775 to respond or the colonists would meet again

They agreed to stop trade with Britain in the meantime

Patrick Henry suggested everyone prepare for war and said: “I know not what course others may take: but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

Lexington and Concord

In Massachusetts, colonists formed special militia units made of soldiers called “Minutemen”

In April 1775, General Thomas Gage (British general) heard: That Samuel Adams and John Hancock (Sons of Liberty

Patriots) were meeting in the village of Lexington

That the Minutemen were hiding weapons in Concord

Gage ordered 700 soldiers to: Go to Lexington and Concord

Arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock

Find the weapons and take them

Paul Revere (Patriot) heard the news and rode to Lexington to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams

Paul Revere made the trip with William Dawes and Samuel Prescott

They got to Concord, warned John Hancock and Samuel Adams and the Minutemen

When the British got to Lexington on April 19, 1775, they were ready and waiting for the British soldiers

Minutemen shot at the British and they fought back 8 Minutemen were killed and several others were wounded

The British soldiers moved on to Concord to find the weapons they heard were stored there The weapons had been moved

When the British soldiers were marching back to Boston, the Minutemen fired at them and killed 73 and wounded 174

Only 93 Minutemen were killed or wounded

The Minutemen won this battle

“The Shot Heard Around the World”

The fighting at Lexington and Concord was the first battle in the American Revolutionary War

The Second Continental Congress

May 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia

There were representatives from every colony except Georgia

Again, the representatives have different ideas about how to proceed Some want to declare war with Britain

Some want to make peace

Congress decided by June to start preparing for war

Continental Army

Congress decided the colonies needed a Continental Army of full-time, regular soldiers AND part-time militia from each colony

Congress asked George Washington to lead the Continental Army

Each colony was asked to contribute money to pay for guns, bullets, food and uniforms

Congress printed their own paper money (called continentals) and used this to pay the soldiers

Battle of Bunker Hill

Near Boston

June 17,1775

Colonists built earthworks near Boston to defend themselves against a battle with the British soldiers

The British soldiers were only safe in Boston and could only leave by sea

Colonists began to build earthworks on Breed’s Hill (across the Charles River from Boston)

General Thomas Gage (British) ordered his soldiers to open fire on the colonists

Gage sent General William Howe (British) with 2,400 soldiers to capture Breed’s Hill

British and colonists fought at Breed’s Hill Colonists drove the British down the hill twice before running

out of gun powder

British won the battle, but more than 1,000 of the 2,400 soldiers were killed or wounded

Only about 350 colonists were killed or wounded

Colonists were proud of what they had done, even though they lost

British learned that it wouldn’t be so easy to beat the colonists

The Battle of Bunker Hill actually happened at Breed’s Hill (it was misnamed!)

Olive Branch Petition vs. Proclamation of Rebellion

July 5, 1775

Second Continental Congress met again and sent the Olive Branch Petition to King George III They wanted a peaceful ending to the fighting

King George III responded with the Proclamation of Rebellion Promised to use every measure to crush the rebellion and

bring the traitors to justice

The two documents crossed paths on their way and each was written before the other one had been read

The Armies Got Stronger

King George III hired German mercenaries to enlarge his army Most of the Germans were Hessians (from the Hesse region

of Germany)

Professional soldiers who fought for other countries in return for money

Also enlisted the help of the Native Americans and took advantage of their anger towards to the colonists

Second Continental Congress created a Navy and reached out to some Native American tribes as well

The colonists started to see themselves as Americans, and not just colonists

What happens now???