THE THIRTEEN COLONIES REBEL

Proclamation of 1763British law that forbade settlement west of Appalachian Mts.

Quartering Act

Colonies required to house & supply British soldiers

England is in debt

Very expensive for Britain to keep army in America

Impressment – forcing Americans to serve in

British Navy

Mercantilist policy1. Strict enforcement of Navigation Acts2. Sugar Act – (1764) taxed sugar, etc.

from anywhere except Br. discouraged trade with other countries

3. Currency Act (1764) outlawed paper money

4. Stamp Act – placed stamp on legal documents, newspapers, etc.

“No taxation without representation”James Otis

Colonies thought they had no representation in Parliament

Virtual representation – members of Parliament represented all people in the British Empire

Stamp Act Congress protest sent to England (9 colonies represented)

Sons of Liberty group of protestors

Boycott – (refuse to buy) British goods Led to the repeal (withdraw) of Stamp Act

DECLARATORY ACT

Declared Parliament’s authority to make laws binding on the Am colonies “in all cases whatsoever.”

Townshend ActsCharles Townshend

chancellor of the exchequer1) import taxes on glass, lead, paper, paint, & tea2) established new system of customs commissioners3) suspended New York Assembly

Writs of assistance search warrants of any building for any reason

Colonists began manufacturing their own products

In Boston the Quartering Act was enforced

Resentment of Br. Soldiers because they took away jobs from American workers

Boston Massacre

citizens taunted Redcoats – fired into crowd of protestors

5 killed – Crispus Attucks the first to die

•Townshend Acts repealed

•Tea Act tax on tea to help Br. East India Co. gave them a monopoly

Cheaper than smuggled tea

•Boston Tea Party Sons of Liberty disguised as

Mohawk Indians secretly threw 342 chests valued at $90,000 into Boston Harbor

Committees of Correspondence

• Groups organized by Sam Adams to keep up communication between colonies

• Elevated events to “national” importance

Coercive Acts - to punish the coloniesIntolerable Acts - named by colonists• Boston Port Act – closed the port of Boston• Massachusetts Gov’t Act - more power

given to Mass. royal governor• Quartering Act - quartered in private homes• Administration of Justice Act - Br officials

tried in Britain, not in colonies

More troops sent to Boston to enforce the Acts

Suffolk ResolveDr. Joseph Warrendeclared Coercive Acts unconstitutional and should not be obeyed

Quebec Actset up gov’t for province of Quebec without an elected assembly

1st Continental Congressmet in Philadelphia at

Carpenter’s Hall

• All colonies except Georgia

• Met in Philadelphia in 1774

• Agreed to support Massachusetts

• Would not obey Intolerable Acts

• Organized an embargo (ban on all trade with Britain)

• Each colony should begin training soldiers

Minutemen – members of the militia ready in a moment’s notice (elite force)

Patriots – those opposed to British king & policies

Loyalists or Tories – those loyal to the king

Few expected war

Patrick Henry of Virginia“…I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

General Gage (British) learned of munitions kept in Concord

4/18/1775 moved 700 British troops to Concord

Old North Church – signal of how troops would move“1 if by land, 2 if by sea.”

Paul Revere, William Dawes, Dr. Samuel Prescott

warned of British move to Concord

In a.m. tired Br. Troops faced Patriots at Lexington

first shots of Revolutionary War

“shot heard ‘round the world”

Continued on to Concord

minutemen met them

Sneak attacks on British all the way back to Boston

Revolutionary War had begun!

Ft. Ticonderoga (British)

store of artillery

taken by Ethan Allen & Green Mt. Boys

and Benedict Arnold

Second Continental Congress

May 1775 - Philadelphia

Some felt their job was to prepare for war

Created Continental Army led by . . .

George Washington

Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill)

• Patriots occupied peninsula across from Boston

• Patriots created earthen fortress (redoubts)

• British tried 3 times to take it• Huge British losses• Result:

Americans would not be easily beaten

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• Olive Branch PetitionJuly 1775 Congress sent to George IIIPatriots’ attempt for reconciliationKing refused – wanted to teach colonies a lesson

• Washington received artillery fromFt. Ticonderoga

• British left Boston• Most Americans afraid to make a break for

independence• Thomas Paine (Br) wrote Common Sense

called for American independence

What do we do now?

• Continental Congress drew up resolutions

1) called for colonies to become independent states

2) try to form foreign alliances

3) prepare a plan of confederation

• Appointed committee to draft a Declaration of Independence

• Thomas Jefferson wrote the declaration

• July 4, 1776

Declaration is adopted

• Listed reasons the colonies had no choice but to declare themselves independent

• This was treason in Britain’s view

• Americans declared their independence.

• Now they must win it!!