The Road to the

American Revolution!

The Fight for Independence:The Colonists

vs.England

“Old World”

•In the beginning . . .

•European countries looking for new trade routes

•Wanting to become rich & powerful

“Old World”Founding of the “New World”

•Columbus stumbles upon new territory!

England

“Old World”

•England Wants to Colonize in the New World

England

13 colonies

•Sets up colonies in the new world

•England the “Mother” country

•13 colonies the “children”

England

13 colonies

•Still wanting to become rich!

•2 options:

Option A: find riches!

Rumors of gold in the new world!

Jamestown settlers find no gold in Virginia!

Option B:Mercantilism:

favorable balance of trade (sell more than you buy)

Sell

Buy

England

13 colonies

•13 colonies will make goods to be shipped to England, so that England doesn’t have to buy goods from other countries!

•England can also sell some of these goods

Navigation Act

1) Restricted colonial trade by telling colonies they could export certain goods only to England

2) Those goods traded w/ other countries had to be unloaded in England first! These goods would be taxed by England & England would make $$$!

England

13 colonies

India

Navigation Act

Writs of Assistance•Court document allowing British soldiers to search colonists’ homes for goods that may have been illegally smuggled (What kind of document is needed today?)

Glorious Revolution• Parliament (the lawmakers)

overthrow the king!• Parliament has the power!

monarchParliament

Salutary neglect

• Britain too concerned w/ fighting France

• Allows the colonists’ to rule themselves

• The 13 colonies don’t mind! They enjoy this freedom!

French & Indian War

French and Indians

BritishVS.The British win

Fighting Styles• The “Gentleman” Ways

of War• Each country’s soldiers

stand in a straight line in front of one another

• Each side “takes turns” shooting at one another

• Each side wears brightly colored uniforms to “represent” its nation country

• Often would travel w/ a band or a trumpet player

• Guerilla Warfare• Fighting whenever,

wherever• Fighters hide in trees &

ditches• Fighters wear clothing

that allows them to “blend in” with their surroundings

Albany Plan of Union

• Proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754• Join all the colonies under one govt. at

least to defend the nation during war• Suggested to have a president in charge

of the colonies, but still have the king in charge

• So, not being independent from Britain, but at least have some unity

Proclamation Line of 1763

•To appease the Native Americans, Britain says the colonists may not settle on any land west should remain N.A.

•Colonists are furious! More land = More $$

Stamp Act

•Taxing all newspapers & legal documents (marriage certificates, etc.)

•Will help repay war debt!

•Again, colonists are furious!

Sons of Liberty• Political group of men who banded together in

an effort to try to change the British govt.’s treatment of the colonies.

• After French & Indian War, people were furious about Stamp Act and other taxes & laws passed by Parliament

• Operated as an “underground” unit at first b/c they wanted to remain loyal to Britain (yet, still angry)

• Sons of Liberty groups began to emerge in every colony

• Notable names: John Adams, John Hancock

Committees of Correspondence Smaller groups that connected

groups like the Sons of Liberty to keep all communication linked so that each colony would “be in the know”

Quartering Act

•Colonists forced to house & feed British troops

•Britain says they want to protect colonists from Native Amer.

•Really want to continue searching for illegal goods

Writs of Assistance

“No taxation without representation”•Colonists refuse to be taxed without having any representation in Parliament!

•Slogan of the S of L

• Colonists boycott all goods being taxed by Stamp Act

Parliament gives in & repeals Stamp Act

Declaratory Act

• However, they come up w/ another way to control the colonies!

• Parliament: “We will make all decisions for the colonies!”

Townsend Act

Writs of Assistance

Boston Massacre

Propaganda!

Tea Act

The Bostonians Paying the Excise-Man

Boston Tea Party

Coercive Acts a.k.a. Intolerable Acts

• Restricted colonists’ rights (including trial by jury)

• Reinforced writs of assistance & Quartering Act

British called it

Colonists called it

1st Continental CongressSept. 1774

•Olive Branch Petition: letter to King George demanding that rights be restored!

•If rights not restored, they planned to meet again the next year.

April 1775 – King George: “Who do they think they are?”

He sends troops to the colonies!

“Shot heard ‘round the world”

• The Revolutionary War begins!• How could the “mother” country

fire on her “children” like this?• It was a shot that the world could

feel!

2nd Continental CongressMay 1775

What to do?

1) Remain loyal! Can’t win against England

2) Fight & Declare independence

Thomas Paine writes Common Sense

• Stop being loyal to King George – the royal brute!

• He’s been treating the colonists like slaves!

Declaration of Independence

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”

“…Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

“…Governments derive their 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 abolish it, and to institute new Government…”

D.O.I.’s ideas borrowed from John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government

• Good government is based on a social contract b/t the pp. and the rulers.

• The ppl. Agree to give up some freedoms & abide by the decisions of their govt.

• The govt. promises to protect the lives, property, and liberty of the ppl.

• If the govt. misuses its power, the ppl. should rebel.

The war continues in many battles!

Treaty of Paris

Finally, the colonists defeat Britain!

Britain gives the colonists their independence!

The new 13 states are free & independent!

Now, they must decide how they will create a new govt.