AMERICAN REVOLUTION (COURSE AND CONSEQUENCE)

Course of the Revolution

First Continental Congress

Representatives from the colonies met in Philadelphia, they decided to condemn the Intolerable Acts

Also that each

Colony should form its own militia ‘volunteer army’ to prepare for war

The Battles of Lexington and Concord

The British commander heard that the Colonists were storing guns

He sent

800 troops to Lexington and Concord to confiscate the weapons

About 270 British troops

Were killed or wounded. The War of Independence began

Second Continental Congress

George Washington was appointed to Commander-in-Chief of the newly formed Continental Army

Common Sense

Written by Thomas Paine and questioned the divine right of king, and encouraged the Americans to rebel

Third Continental Congress

Independence Day: 4th of July, declared the colonies were now independent from Britain by signing the Declaration of Independence

Saratoga

American General Gates won a huge victory over Britain which convinced the French to give support to the Americans

Valley Forge

A German officer Frederick von Steuben trained the Continental Army into a fighting force to match the British army

Yorktown

General Cornwallis was defeated by the Americans, which brought the War of Independence to an end

Treaty of Paris

Signed and officially recognised the former colonies as an independent country

Reasons for American Victory

The colonists were fighting

For a cause they passionately believed in

They were led by

Brilliant generals like Washington

The British were fighting a

War thousands of miles from home, their soldiers had to be equipped and provisioned from London

The colonists were

Helped by armies from France and volunteers from other parts of Europe (Germany)

Consequences

USA was

Founded and would expand from 13 states to 50

The American Constitution was

Drawn up and Washington became its first president

The American Constitution and Bill of Rights

Helped to spread democracy around the world

It inspired the

French and led to the French Revolution

It influenced the formation of the

United Irishmen, contributing to the 1789 Rebellion

The Declaration of Independence stated

That ‘all men are created equal’ but this was limited to white men only

Slavery was

Widespread as well as the murder of Native Americans

Women were also treated

As second class citizens, denied the right to vote and own property