Recording-2025-02-26T13:15:12.052Z

Women in Colonial Resistance

• Women played a vital role leading up to the American Revolutionary War.

  • They became leaders of the nonimportation strategy, boycotting British goods.

  • Middle and upper-class women were particularly influential in this boycott.

  • Traditional gender norms: women were primarily responsible for purchasing goods for their families.

  • Women had to stop buying British goods, leading them to produce the goods themselves.

Spinning Bees

• Groups of women came together for "spinning bees" to produce cloth.

  • An example: Women in Middletown, Massachusetts, wove 20,000 yards of cloth.

  • These events showcased women's resourcefulness and commitment to the cause.

Political Engagement

• Formation of the Daughters of Liberty, a female counterpart to the Sons of Liberty.

  • Focused on political activism, producing and financing goods to enforce the boycott.

  • Women engaged in political discourse: signing nonimportation agreements and attending rallies.

Enslaved Individuals and Hypocrisy

• Enslaved people noted the contradiction of seeking liberty while maintaining slavery.

  • Some revolutionary leaders were slave owners, highlighting the hypocrisy in their values.

  • Free blacks and some white Quakers called out this inconsistency.

Somerset vs. Stewart Case

• The case involved James Somerset, a slave who escaped while taken to England.

  • A Quaker abolitionist sued for his freedom and won, leading to Somerset's release.

  • The ruling implied that slavery was not authorized in England and Wales, thus illegal there.

  • While it applied only to Somerset, it inspired enslaved people in the colonies to seek legal remedies for freedom.

Petitions for Freedom

• Following Somerset’s case, petitions for freedom began appearing in the colonies.

  • Many petitions were unsuccessful, but they marked a significant increase in the voices of enslaved people.

  • Enslaved and free black individuals began siding with the British, viewing them as potential liberators.

The Boston Massacre

• Tensions escalated in Boston leading to the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770.

  • Boston was under martial law with 4,000 British troops stationed due to prior conflicts.

  • A crowd harassed a soldier at the customs house, escalating to violence when additional soldiers were called in.

  • Crispus Attucks, a free black sailor, led a mob against the soldiers.

  • The confrontation resulted in 11 people shot, with 5 fatalities, including Attucks.

Aftermath and Trials

• The incident was widely publicized as a massacre, riling up anti-British sentiment in the colonies.

• Soldiers were placed on trial; John Adams defended the troops to uphold the right to a fair trial.

  • Most soldiers were acquitted, with only two found guilty of manslaughter.

The Tea Act

• The British East India Company faced bankruptcy; Parliament passed the Tea Act in 1773.

  • Removed most taxes on tea, making it cheaper from the East India Company than smuggled Dutch tea.

  • Colonists were unhappy, seeing the Act as a bailout for the company and an attempt to bribe them.

The Boston Tea Party

• In December 1773, colonists led by the Sons of Liberty dumped 90,000 pounds of tea into Boston Harbor as a protest.

  • The destruction amounted to £1,700,000 in today's money.

  • This act of defiance led to the passage of the Coercive Acts by Parliament.

The Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts)

• Parliament responded to the Boston Tea Party with a series of punitive measures.

  • Closed Boston Harbor until the destroyed tea was paid for, devastating the local economy.

  • Revoked Massachusetts charter, restructuring its government under royal control.

  • The Administration of Justice Act allowed trials of royal authority enforcers to be held in England.

  • Strengthened the Quartering Act, allowing royal governors to seize buildings for troops.

The Continental Congress

• In September 1774, 12 of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia to discuss grievances against British policies.

  • Only Georgia did not send representatives.

  • Resolutions included non-compliance with Coercive Acts and calls for new governance in Massachusetts.

  • A petition was sent to the king and Parliament, asserting rights and liberties expected under English law but received no response.

Revolutionary Tensions and Militias

• Colonists formed continental associations to enforce boycotts, sometimes using violence.

  • Militias began preparing for conflict, stockpiling supplies and monitoring British troop movements.

Battles of Lexington and Concord

• First military engagement occurred in April 1775, where colonial militias confronted British soldiers attempting to seize stored supplies.

  • The skirmish ended with 273 British and 92 colonial deaths, marking an American victory.

The Second Continental Congress

• Convening in May 1775 after increasing conflict, drafted the Olive Branch Petition calling for peace and a guarantee of rights.

  • Parliament ignored these demands; King George III declared an open rebellion.

Battle of Bunker Hill

• Occurred in June 1775; although a British victory, they suffered significant casualties (1,000 vs. 300)

• Showed colonial resistance and determination to fight.

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

• Published in early 1776, it criticized monarchies and argued for colonial independence.

  • Sold 100,000 copies in its first three months, significantly influencing public opinion on independence.

  • Paine’s arguments made the idea of breaking free from Britain mainstream.

Moves toward Independence

• Gradual momentum towards declaring independence began in early 1776.

• Massachusetts and Rhode Island were the first to declare independence in May 1776, followed by Virginia in June.

• The Continental Congress, under pressure, eventually drafted the Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration of Independence

• Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin, it listed grievances and emphasized liberty and equality.

  • Despite focusing on the rights of white men, it served as a guiding document for future struggles for rights by women and enslaved individuals.

  • Formally declared separation from Great Britain and outlined ideals of human equality and justice.