American
Revolutionary War
The American Revolution
1775-1883
• The revolutionary war in America is also known as the American revolution.
• It was fought between great Britain and the
thirteen colonies.
• The result was the formation of a new nation-the United States of America.
• Fighting between British soldiers and the American Patriots began April 19,1775, at Lexington and Concorde, Massachusetts.
• The war’s last major battle was at Yorktown, Virginia in 1781.
• Britain formally recognized America independence with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783.
Events leading to the American Revolution
• Britain was deeply in debt following the French and Indian war (1754-1763) in which it
defended against the takeover by France.
• Once the war was won, Britain began passing
laws and taxes to increase its control over the colonies and regain some of the money it had
spent.
Major issues that angered
the colonists were:1. The Proclamation of 1763 – England’s
King George forbid colonist to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains.
2. The Sugar Act of 1764 – placed a
3 cent –penny tax on each gallon of molasses that entered the colonies from outside the British Empire.
3. The Stamp Act of 1765 – required colonist to pay for tax stamps on newspapers, and various legal documents. Parliament abolished the Act in 1766.
4. The Townshend Acts of 1767 placed a duty on imported goods including glass, lead, paint, and paper. Americans responded by not buying British goods.
5. The Tea Act of 1773 – To avoid paying
the tea tax, colonial merchants
smuggled tea in from the Netherlands. In 1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act, which made it possible for the East India Company to sell tea below the price of the smuggled tea. Britain
believed that the colonists would buy the English tea since it was cheaper.
BOSTON TEA PARTY
On December 16, 1773, Samuel Adams led patriots, disguised as Indians, on a raid of British ships docked in Boston’s harbor. They dumped the cargoes of tea overboard. This was later called the Boston Tea Party.
6. The Intolerable Acts of 1774 –
were Britain’s response to the Boston
Tea Party. One act closed Boston’s
harbor until the colonists paid for the
destroyed tea. Another took away nearly
all power from Massachusetts’
legislature. Control of the colony was
given to the newly appointed British
governor, General Thomas Gage.
Colonial Militia and
MinutemenBritain had large
numbers of well trained militia.
Soldiers’ uniforms included bright
red jackets. The
colonists called the soldiers
“redcoats”.
• The colonies did not have a central
government, army, or navy. Each
colony did have a small citizen army
called the militia.
• Some members of the militia were
ordinary citizens such as farmers,
craftspeople, and businessmen. They
were prepared to drop everything and
become volunteers at a moment’s
notice. They were called minutemen.
• Fighting began in April at Lexington and Concorde.
General Gage received secret orders to arrest
Massachusetts’ troublemakers.
• Boston patriots learned about the orders. They fled
the city. Gage found out that Americans had stored
arms and gun powder in the nearby town of
Concorde.
• Joseph Warren, a Boston patriot, discovered Gage’s
plan. He sent three carriers Paul Revere, William
Dawes, Samuel Prescott to ride and warn the
citizens.
Lexington and Concord,
Massachusetts 1775
The Treaty of Paris 1783• Peace talks began in Paris in 1782. Richard
Oswald, a wealthy British merchant, represented Britain. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay represented the new Unite States.
• A treaty was agreed upon on November 30, 1783.
• The Treaty recognized the independence of the new nation and established its borders –from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River; north to Canada; and south to Florida
Benjamin Franklin
John Jay
John Adams
George Washington
The Declaration of
Independence 1776
• All the events and battles occurred before the colonies declared their independence from England.
• By the summer of 1776, it was clear that there could be no turning back.
• A committee was appointed to draft a document declaring the colonies to be
free and independent states.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the
Declaration of Independence.
It is one of the best political documents ever written.
On July 4, 1776, Congress adopted
the Declaration of Independence.
End of presentation
Hope you enjoyed it!
Let’s Practice
How much do you remember?
1. The Revolutionary War lasted from
_________ to ____________.
2. The colonist won their freedom from _______ at the end of the Revolutionary
War.
3. Name of the Peace Treaty which defined the new borders of the United States. It was signed in 1783._______________
4. First President of the U.S. ____________
5. Number of colonies that made up the Original Colonies _____________
6. Two places in Massachusetts where the
war began ___________ and _________.
7. Pilgrims left England in this ship. _______
8. Who wrote the Declaration of
Independence? ___________________
9. Date in which Congress adopted it (refer to your answer in no. 8) _______________
1. The Revolutionary War lasted from 1776 to
1783.
2. The colonist won their freedom from
England at the end of the Revolutionary War.
3. Name of the Peace Treaty which defined
the new borders of the United States. It was
signed in 1783. Treaty of Paris
4. First President of the U.S. George
Washington
Number of colonies that made up the Original
Colonies. 13
6. Two places in Massachusetts where the war
began Lexington and Concorde.
7. Pilgrims left England in this ship. Mayflower
8. Who wrote the Declaration of
Independence? Thomas Jefferson
9. Date in which Congress adopted it (refer to
your answer in no. 8). July 4, 1776