Toward Independence

Vocab:

Militia / A many made up of citizens of people who live in the area.

Tyranny/ The unjust use of government power. A ruler who uses too much power

Repeal/ To take back / cancel/ a law

Boycott/ To refuse to use or buy goods from a certain source with many

People.

Introduction

Patriots/whigs/Sons of Liberty/rebels - Colonists who believed the colonies had the right to govern themselves.

Loyalists/Tories - colonists who felt a deep loyalty to Britain

Before 1763

American colonists had grown to millions of colonists.

Cheap land
Religious freedom
Economic opportunities
Self-government

Colonies elected their assembly which passed laws, created and collected taxes
Colonists had more freedom than ordinary people
Ohio Valley:

Colintes grew and settlers wanted to move across the Appalachian Mountains and into the region between Ohio and the Mississippi River
Great Britain and France claimed the area
French built a Fort Duquesene
The colony of Virginia sent the militia to drive out of the area ( young George Washington led them)
Washinton and Miltit came across a French scouting
The battle of Jumon started the French and Indian War.

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR

France and Great Britain are fighting in this war
They both want power and control of the fur trade.
Many native Americans fought with France against Britain
Ben Franklin Proposed the Albany Plan of the Union

British colonies should form an Alliance for their defense
Colonists did not support going to depend on the British for protection

Britain sent 1400 soldiers to the colonies; led by general Edward Braddock
Goerge Washinton volunteered for the British army

Braddock's plan was a disaster; British soldiers wore bright red uniforms which made them easy targets in the war ⅔ of the soldiers were killed

Treaty of Paris

Great Britain and France signed a treaty ending the war
France Ceded or gave up its territory in North America including Canada to Great Britain
Spain gave up Florida for Britain for all the land west of the Mississippi River

Colonists were Happy because Britain had more land
Great Britain was left with huge war debts and a vast new empire to protect

Early British in the Actions in the Colonies

Proclamation of 1763:

King George lll said to keep them safe, colonists could only settle est of the Appalachian mountains but the native Americans lived on the other side
Colonists thought this was Trayny
Colonists argued that the land to the east was mostly settled; farmers needed unsettled land to the west.
Some settlers had already crossed the mountains
Ignored the complaints and sent more British soldiers

Stamp act

Britain needs to pay off war debt.
Colinsit were the most lightly taxed people in the Births empire; it was time for them to pay the price for protection from Native Americans.
The Stamp Act was made with a stamp for every piece of paper.
Colonists called it tyranny.
Colonists had no retention of parents so they argued that parents had no right to tax them.
Colonists sent messages to the Parliament, Loyalists refused to buy stamps
Patriots choose violent matters.]
Parlemant repaled The Stamp Act

Quartering Act

Colonial Assemblies had to provide housing a supplies for British troops.
The New York Assembly would not approve all of the funds
British Gov sailed the assembly could not meet until they accept the quatring act.

Townshend Acts of 1767

Act placed a duty on certain goods coming in from Britain
Items like glass paper paint and tea
Samuel Adams wrote letters to colonies to stir up opposition and said the new taxes voted their rights as British citizens.
Colonies boycott all British goods
Women play a large part in the protest
Taxes did not make up for all of the money the British were losing money
Parliament reaps all of the duties Except the tax on tea

Bostaon Massacre march 5 1770

The day the Townsend Act was repealed a the fight broke out between British soldiers and colonists in Boston.
Somebody knocked a soldier down and the troops panicked and shots were fired.
It was only a small riot five colonists died.
Samuel Adams saw this as a chance to whip up some more drama and called it the Boston massacre.
Paul revere engraved a picture of soldiers firing at peaceful colonists
John Adams was a patriot but defended the soldiers; he believed that everyone has a right to a free trial
He said the act was out of defense

The Boston Tea Party.

The tea act

Lowered the cost of tea that was sold by the British East India Company
Now even the taxed British tea was cheaper than smuggled Duch Tea
British East India Company now had complete control over tea sales in the colonies.
Colonists thought they were being taxed without their consent.

Boston Tea Party

Sons of Liberty members dressed as Native Americans and boarded three tea ships in the harbor.
Dumped all of the tea into

Section 7

Intolerable acts 1774

Designed to punish colonies of the Boston Tea Party
Closed all Boston harbors until the tea was paid for
The second law put Boston under British control
British soldiers' war trials in England
More troops were sent to the colonies.
From this, the colonies united themselves by hating Britain.

First Continental Congress 1774

Looking for a peaceful solution to conflicts with Britain
Leaders from 12 colonies met in Philly
Delegates agreed to send a letter to King George e urging him to consider the complaints and recognize their rights.
Delegates called for a boycott of British goods until the intolerable Acts were repealed.
Agreed to meet again a year later

Colonies organized local militias in case the boycotts did not work

Volunteer soldiers were called minutemen.

Section 8

A spy told the British general Gage that colonists were hiding gunpowder and weapons in a city called Concord; he decided to strike at once.
Colonists also have spies so they found out that the British were coming so they took off a warning that the British were coming.
Militia are waiting in Lexington and were waiting and were ordered not to fire unless they were fired at
British troops reach Lexington and shoot Rand out fighting breaks out
British troops came to Victory

Concord

British reached Concord and were trying to find the weapons but could not find anything.
They can find anything so they set the town on fire
The militia come and a huge fight breaks out
Americans do back down and the British retreat
Militia went on the British route and shot the British when they were trying to retreat.
Americans were willing to fight for their rights and were willing to die if they need to

On the Eve of Independence

Second Continental Congress

Met In Philly and began to act as an independent government
Appointed George Washington as head of the Colonial Army
Appointed a committee to write a Declaration of Independence
Independence Is freedom from control from gov the country

Olive Branch Petition

Second Continental Congress sent King George lll a petition offering a change at peace.
The king does not even read it.
King declared the colorations to be open rebellion and wanted the traitors to bring justice.
The petition is a written request.

Common sense

A pamphlet that persuaded many American colonists to support independence
Written by Thomas Paine
Said Americans do not owe loyalty to the king, that American trade had suffered under British rule, and that it was time for the US to be independent

Declartion of indepnece

A Document to declare the American colonists as an indented nation free from the British
Written by Thomas Jefferson and Expalind the reason for the colonies' actions
Natural rights -rights common to everyone as opposed to those given by law

All people are born equal in god's sights and all are entitled to the same basic rights